President Lungu dates North Western Province on a tour of duty

By Clinton Masumba in Kitwe

President Edgar Lungu is today expected in North Western Province for a three day working visit under the new normal.

North Western Province Minister Natheniel Mubukwanu has confirmed the development at a media briefing in Solwezi.

Mr. Mubukwanu said the President will visit Chavuma, Kabompo, Ikelenge, Kasempa, Kalumbila and Mwinilunga districts.

He said in Chavuma, President Lungu will inspect phase three of the construction of Chavuma District Hospital which is at 98 percent and later on, meet Chief Lingozhi, Headmens and party officials.

Mr. Mubukwanu stated that the Head of State in Kabompo, will tour the Provincial Medical Stores Hub and have a meeting with Senior Chief Sekufele and the Headmen.

"President Edgar Lungu will also visit Ikelenge district where he is scheduled to tour Ikelenge Secondary School, meet traditional leaders among them Chief Nyakaseya,  Ikelenge, Mwininyilamba and Headmens," Mubukwanu added.

He said in Kasempa President Lungu will meet Senior Chief Kasempa and Chief Ingwe, as well as have a meeting with party officials before touring Kasempa main market adding that on Saturday, the President will be in Mwinilunga where he will officiate at the Aqua Culture Field Day in Chief Kanyama's Chiefdom and later on meet Chief Kanyama at his Palace.

This will be President Edgar Lungu's first visit to North Western Province since the Country recorded its first coronavirus case.

The vulnerable need land, support the Kitwe City Council - Mulunda

By Clinton Masumba in Kitwe, Zambia

Access to land has remained as one of Zambia’s greatest challenge especially to the vulnerable community.

The challenges have come as a result of high costs in acquiring land, a move that has left only the elite to benefit.

Kitwe, a mining town on the Copperbelt has not been spared from this norm, as the most vulnerable community continue to struggle to acquire pieces of land.

However, there could be some hope for the vulnerable community as the Kitwe City Council engages government to de-gazette a piece of land for the vulnerable at the Mwekera Forest Reserve.

Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe having worked in the Council for over 10 years has felt the pain of the vulnerable community and seeks to reduce the burden as he engages central government.

Through a report from the Town Clerk, The Kitwe City Council passed a resolution for the creation of low cost plots for the poor under what is being proposed to be called Presidential land Empowerment Project.

The Council has proposed to central government to de-gazette 2000 hectares of land from the Mwekera Forest Reserve to actualise the Presidential Land Empowerment Project meant for the vulnerable community.

“Over 100 vulnerable women come to my office every Wednesday asking for land which the council hasn’t got.....it’s a time bomb.... We need to plan for them, this effort must not depart from overall objective to help the poor” Mr Kang’ombe said.

However, this initiative has received a check up.

Davies Kasengele, a clergy and losing Ndeke Ward Independent candidate said much as the idea is good, it may not benefit the indented people and could cause another problem in the City.

He said Mwekera Forest should be left with enough land for expansion.

“Mwekera Forest should not be tempered with as this may even frustrate and jeopardize the future of Mwekera Forestry College’s good intentions of training our generation into good agriculturist” he stated.

Meanwhile, Land Activist Archie Mulunda has urged government to seriously consider the proposal especially that land was becoming too expensive in the City.

He said the vulnerable community have been left out in owning land.

“The cost of land in Zambia today, it is the biggest cost, for you to get land from the open market, so the Kitwe City Council must be supported on this initiative but identification of the vulnerable should be done carefully and ensure the project benefit the intended purposes”. He said.

Mr Mulunda has further cautioned the Council to plan well should the proposal be granted to avoid creating another shanty compound.

“It is a human right that every person is well accommodated, it will be a very good program for the Kitwe City Council, and we also hope that this application can be considered quickly by the Ministry of Lands that part of the Mwekera forest is de-gazette, the 2000 hectares in low costs plots would be enough for the vulnerable community” He stated.

Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe has allowed public opinions from the General public to see how best the idea can be refined to benefit the intended Community.

“In order to make the proposed land empowerment program transparent, fair and beneficial to the less privileged, the Civic leadership in Kitwe will involve the Community stakeholders such as the church and social welfare department in the selection process” Kang’ombe said

Threats of Climate Change, a stumbling block to Zambia’s economic growth

By Clinton Masumba in Kitwe

The Zambian Government has estimated that the impact of climate change will cost the nation approximately 0.4 percent of annual economic growth if no action is taken to address the serious threats.

National Development planning Minister Lucky Mulusa has indicated that rainfall variability alone could lead to losses of 0.9 percent of GDP growth over the next decade, thereby keeping a significant section of Zambia’s population below the poverty line.

Zambia has been experiencing effects of climate change resulting in extreme weather conditions, such as droughts, rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns. The frequency and intensity of climate events is expected to rise in future, with negative impact on the economy and consequently people’s livelihoods.

In its 7th National Development Plan, Zambia has placed Agriculture as a priority to help grow the economy moving away from mining which has been the country’s major stay of the economy.

However, this may never be realised without addressing threats Climate Change is posing. Despite the many policy statements, Climate change management efforts have not been aligned with mainstream development processes in Zambia.

This has largely been attributed to a shortage of human, technical and institutional capacity in the field of climate change and adaptation. Knowledge gaps have been identified as a particular barrier to the mainstreaming of climate change risks into agricultural planning.

Zambia has not done any economic assessments on the value of improved climate risk information for the protection and improvement of livelihoods, which limits understanding of how much to invest in climate information services.

The growth of Zambia’s economy will largely depend on the Agriculture sector, which government is heavily investing in but without addressing climate change, the reality is farfetched. Threats of Climate Change remain a stumbling block to Zambia’s economic growth.

For instance, the fall in the country’s hydro-power generation in the recent period by about 600 Megawatts has mainly been attributed to poor rainfall patterns. The lower supply of electricity has hampered growth prospects of Zambia’s productive sectors of the economy, including agriculture, manufacturing and mining.

Climate Change Activist Musosha Mweelwa is however deeply concerned that despite the effects being so visible very little seems to be done to help reduce the impact in the near future.

Mr Mweelwa is of the view that government sets aside a considerable amount towards fighting effects of Climate Change in the 2018 National Budget if the economy is to record positive growth.

“Climate Change finance is a huge challenge not only for Zambia but other countries across the globe too, African countries need to realise that they have the capacity to reduce the impact of Climate Change by mainstreaming into development the activities, as government presents the 2018 national budget, a considerable amount should be allocated to programs aimed at fighting threats of climate change.” He said.

However increasing demand for wood and wood products has exerted pressure on natural forest resources throughout the world, including in Zambia. These resources are currently under threat due to many factors, the most important being clearing of forest land for agricultural production.

Meanwhile, the Zambia Government through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has placed a ban on the export of all timber species.

The minister in charged Jean Kapata said the move was necessitated by the need to curb rapid deforestation arising from illegal timber harvesting. Between 2000 and 2014 Zambia lost an average of 276 000 hectares of forest per year.

And the European Union (EU) has advised African Countries to develop ambitious policies aimed at tackling Climate Change.

Speaking when she addressed Journalists from across Africa who attended a Workshop on Climate Change Organized by Climate Tracker in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, EU Deputy Head of Delegation Terhi Lehtinen said African countries needed to take seriously threats of Climate Change.

She said taking a new approach towards addressing climate change threats offers great opportunities that will come with economic growth in respective countries.

Lehtinen stated that tackling Climate Change is not a responsibility for governments alone but calls for concerted efforts from all stakeholders.

“We are encouraging African countries to start implementing Climate Change policy plans, because we are aware that this will also help in job creation for local people in the respective Countries” Lehtinen said.

Climate change has emerged as one of the world’s greatest developmental challenges in the 21st century. Across the globe climate change has caused serious damage to the environment and to human life in general. According to expert assessments, global warming is expected to have worst impacts in Africa, South and West Asia; suggesting that developing countries are more vulnerable to climate change than developed countries.

Take seriously threats of climate change, Government urged

The Zambian government has been advised to invest heavily in the implementation of environmental protection policies to tackle the threats of climate change, reports Clinton Masumba.

For over a decade, Zambia has recorded an increase in deforestation especially in most rural parts that are not electrically serviced as people resort to cutting trees for the production of charcoal.

On the other hand, clearing of forests for agriculture, construction, and industrialization is likely to increase the risks of climate change. Forests protect watersheds, provide erosion control, and absorb carbon that would otherwise contribute to global warming.

The trend has worried Food and Trees for Zambia (FTZ), a non-governmental organisation championing the fight against deforestation.

FTZ executive director Edwin Sekelechi is worried about the excessive pressure on natural plantations that have existed for years due to lack of proper protective systems.

He says the increased industrialisation taking place in Zambia has led to the destruction of natural forests especially in mining areas.

Sekelechi has called for more investment aimed at empowering forest departments to ensure the recruitment of forest rangers to guard natural forests from deforestation.

Deforestation rates are estimated at between 200,000 and 300,000 hectares per year. Extensive forest exploitation is related to the production of charcoal, which contributes to carbon monoxide emissions. About 72% of urban households use charcoal.

Zambia has accessed climate finance from other sources such as the Least Developed Countries Fund to undertake adaptation measures in the agricultural sector, as well as the Pilot Program on Climate Resilience.

The primary concern of the Government is to protect its people, infrastructure, and other national assets against disasters and climatic hazards such as droughts and floods.

It is in this regard that Government has put in place the National Disaster Management Policy and the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit under the Office of the Vice President in order to respond to the disasters at the national level.

Government has also shown commitment in ensuring that the vulnerable communities who suffer the most are supported with safety-net initiatives which would enhance their adaptive capacity in reducing their vulnerabilities.

Increase in early marriages among young girls worries NGO

By Clinton Masumba in Kitwe

The high number of young Girls dropping out of schools due to early pregnancies and early marriages has shocked a Non Governmental Organisation Charity Centre for Child and Youth Development in Zambia

Statistics in most rural parts of Zambia have revealed that some parents prefer marrying off their girl child to taking them to school thereby denying them an opportunity to access education services.

Lufwanyama District on the Copperbelt Province is an example that has seen young girls being pulled out of school to enter marriage as a source of income for their parents.

It is however shocking that despite hosting one of the Best Boarding Schools in the Province, the school is occupied by those from other towns as the hosts prefer marriage to education.

A chat with a number of young girls, exposed how some parents have resorted to bad habits of marrying off their children at a tender age for financial gain.

“i am Nancy Mwale (not real Names) i had my child when i was 17years now i am expecting another. I am married and my husband is a farmer just here, i love him because we stay together. At first i didn’t want to get married but when i failed grade nine exams twice my parents told me to get married, at first i refused and they stopped giving me food that is how i entered into marriage”

“It was not easy at first especially when i was pregnant, but for now i am managing and my husband is doing well, but i would love to go to school but i don’t think i can even manage, i am not the only one married or with a child we are many in the community if you ask around. It’s not possible for me to leave my marriage for school my husband or even my parents cannot allow me” narrated the 19 year mother of one and 6 months pregnant.

Another 18 year old girl has been forced into marriage immediately after finishing her grade 12 because she has no one to sponsor her tertiary level of education.

Mirriam Musonda (not real names) said she has always wanted to become a medical Doctor but her dream has been shuttered because there is no one to sponsor her studies.

“i only got my results yesterday and here i am being called someone’s wife, i know my results are not very good but i was ready to get back to school and rewrite some subjects were i didn’t do well, i have 26 points and i was planning to reduce them so that i go to college. My parents told me that a man wanted to marry me and had already paid part of the bride price but i refused and went to my aunt’s place but they still came for me and took me to the man. He is a miner and the good part is that he is willing to take me to school after i have the baby. I am managing; it’s been difficult because i was just forced but i have accepted it, the dream of becoming a doctor i long gone i will do something different when i decide” she told the reporter.

The two young girls are just among the many girls dropping out of school to get into marriage as a way of pleasing their parents.

“Surviving here is not easy, you take someone to schools and there results are always bad then what can you do? Some of us have spent a lot of money on our children yet we get nothing in return, it’s wrong to marry them off but there are no options. Personally my fear that she may just get pregnant and i lose out so it’s better someone marries her following procedure. Most of my children are male the girls are too young, No i don’t think of doing that but when they grow older it will also depend on our financial status and their performance in school.” One of the Parents narrated.

Charity Centre for Children and Youth Development Executive Director Alex Bwaluka said it is painful to see how young girls are dropping out of school due to early marriages and pregnancies.

Mr Bwaluka who has been undertaking activities concerning children in schools is shocked that some parents have resorted to marrying off their children as a source of livelihood.

“A girl child has fallen victim to bad vices that have seen them get married at very tender age. Surprisingly some parents find pride in seeing their children get married early for fear of the falling pregnant. For Northern Western Province Rational leaders have taken the issue very serious and warned that all those engaging in such vices are punished. We must find a lasting solution to end this because the future of a girl child is under serious threat.” He said.

The need for concerted efforts to fight the bad vices cannot be over emphasized.

Ex-Miners on the Copperbelt yet to receive farm land, one year after retrenchment

Ex Miners In Kitwe

By Clinton Masumba in Kitwe

It’s been exactly one year since Miners were retrenched from various Mining Companies in Zambia.

In this edition The Reporter looks at how the miners have been surviving after being laid off with no meaningful packages to sustain their livelihoods.

When news broke out that Mining Companies were going to cut down on their work force due to Global Economic Recessions that saw a decline in Copper Prices on the London Metal Exchange, there was panic among the stakeholders in Zambia.

Mine Unions and other stakeholders held various consultative meetings to understand the intentions of Mining Companies. Meetings were held, decisions were made but not to the satisfaction of the Unions.

Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu developed interest and shifted to Kitwe to hold consultative meetings with the Mining Investors to see how best the issues of cutting down employment would be addressed considering economic hardships that had hit the nation.

President Edgar Lungu with NFMC Mine Management

President Edgar Lungu had shifted to the Kitwe Presidential Guest house and for over a week, the Head of State met various stakeholders, among them Chief Executive Officers of various Mining Companies and Union Leaders to find a solution to the looming job losses then in the mining industry.

Now, after all consultations were held, decisions were made and the disturbing news was broken out. Thousands of miners had already received redundancy letters and a package of K 18,000 was already waiting to see them off the mines.

Mining Companies on the Copperbelt and North Western Province had effected the Job Cuts.

The Mine Unions in Zambia negotiated for K 18,000 ex-gratia package for each of the retrenched miner, which they asked to be a stand-alone payment apart from the pension money pay by the number of years of service.

Some relief reached the ears of those who had interest to get into the Agriculture Sector as Republican President Edgar Lungu directed that all Ex Miners be allocated with farm land to help them sustain their living standards after being retrenched.

The News was received with mixed feelings with others excited while others objected the move and called it political considering that General Elections were just 9 months away.

Meetings were held among the stakeholders with an Association that was formed to oversee the welfare of Ex Miners.

Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Reverend Howard Sikwela called for a meeting with all Town Clerks and District Commissioners to ascertain how much farm land was available in the Province to implement President Edgar Lungu’s directive.

Lufwanyama had the biggest chunk of farm land to a tune of 20,000 hectares along the Lusuwishi River; Chingola had 4,000 Hectares in Mutimpi area while Kitwe offered Residential plots across the Kafue River.

Now, The Reporter took time to find out what has happened one year down the line, on how life has been after losing employment.

The National Ex Miners and Allied Workers Union of Zambia was formed and registered to help capture and identify Ex Miners in all the affected towns.

Association President Taulo Chewe told The Reporter that there are about 11,000 ex miners that have been captured so far.

However, the issue of farm land is still a burning issue to the Ex Miners as no single person on the Copperbelt has been allocated with land one year after the promise was made.

“We have been cheated for too long, they are just playing politics and trying to portray a wrong picture to the nation that we are well taken care of when the opposite is the fact. They don’t seem to care and we have come to a realisation that we are dealing with people that are not serious” one of the ex miners Donald Kabashila said.

“Life has been hard you can’t imagine it, some of us had acquired loans from various Banks and the K 18,000 package made no meaningful impact as am telling you some of us are in serious debts and we have no idea of how we are going to survive with the current hardships” another Ex Miners lamented.

National Ex Miners and Allied Workers Union said “On farm land on the Copperbelt people should get accurate information from us as an Association and the office of the District Commissioner, No single person has been allocated with farm land on the Copperbelt but I can confirm that the surveys are on the ground, people must understand that surveying and demarcating over 20,000 hectares cannot be done in an overnight. For Lufwanyama there is a lot of work you know that is virgin land and it is almost a forest, ZNS is opening up roads, so our members must understand the cost implications for they may not understand the challenges the surveyors are facing” he explained

“Our job as an Association is to continue pushing so that Ex Miners can start cultivating, there is need for resources, enough man power and this is being financed by central government, those we have taken on the ground to see what is happening, they are appreciating. In Solwezi over 50 have been given farm land and like in next week we will soon start showing some members pieces of land Solwezi.

“Chingola is next, about the 300 Ex Miners may be shown plots. We are waiting for a report from the surveyors”

 “102 ex miners who opted to apply for residential plots in Kitwe have been allocated with plots and have started developing. The issue of residential plots is quicker because it was done at the local level as compared to the farm land that has to be handled under the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit in Lusaka” The Association President Mr Taulo Chewe gave an update.

Mr Chewe has assured the Ex Miners not to lose hope as efforts are being made to ensure that all ex miners are empowered with land.

A Mining Expert Joseph Mwale said it was wrong for government to keep people waiting especially after assuring them that their Jobs were secure after the Head of state visited the Copperbelt.

“On the issue of them suffering, I think it’s a lesson to those still working that it is important to invest while work, most those were living luxury lives and forgot that one day they will lose employment, it’s not mockery but people must be responsible with their earnings, you find people getting loans to buy cars, that is not investment, had they invested most of the would be stable by now”. Definitely they can’t lose hope let them keep knocking on the doors of government and see if the promise made by the president can be fulfilled” he added.

Freelance Journalist Chanda Chimba III convicted and jailed for two years

Chanda Chimba III

The Lusaka Magistrate Court has convicted and jailed to two years Lusaka Veteran Broadcaster Chanda Chimba III over his role in the production of the controversial television documentaries “Stand up for Zambia”.

Magistrate Obbyster Musukwa also established that the business trading name Phibajo Productions has been found to have been operating without any formal registration of the business at the National Archives.

Delivering the verdict yesterday afternoon, Magistrate Musukwa said the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mr. Chimba’s firm had no capacity to pay for documentaries aired on public and private media outlets.

Mr Chimba was producing a controversial TV Series called Stand up for Zambia which aired on ZNBC and was notorious for propaganda against then opposition PF leader Michael Sata.

His co-accused former Information Minster Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha and former Information Permanent Secretary Sam Phiri have been acquitted on charges of abuse of authority of office.

In 2011 Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata sued the publisher of Stand Up for Zambia (SUFZ) News, Chanda Chimba III for allegedly publishing defamatory articles about him, including his sickness.

The late Micheal Sata claimed he had been seriously injured in his character, credit and reputation and was demanding damages and an injunction restraining Mr Chimba and his servant or agents from distributing, circulating or selling the said tabloid until determination of the matter.

Chanda Chimba III is set to appeal against his conviction by the Lusaka magistrate.