Unfortunately, it seems that is how some people are thinking. This is reflected in their contention that infrastructure development should not be given much thought or resources. Their argument is that all efforts should go into putting food on the table, primarily through hand-outs.
It is of course important to ensure that no one goes hungry. Every citizen must have decent meals every day.
It must be understood though that putting food on the table through hand-outs is not the best nor sustainable solution. This is a short-term solution that must be effected largely because of the adverse effects of the weather – drought and floods.
In fact, Government has been proactive on this front through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) which has identified needy districts and is providing relief food.
Former President Kenneth Kaunda so often said: it is better to teach one how to fish than to give them the fish. That was true then as it is today and thankfully, this is what Government is effecting. It is empowering more Zambians to be able to sustain themselves in various income generation ventures, including farming. This is a mid-term solution.
Zambia has no shortage of food per se, but there is need to capacitate everyone with the ability to either grow their own food or buy it using their resources from other ventures, and not necessarily formal employment.We are seeing this empowerment through various skills training, especially of the youth, who would eventually use their abilities to put food on their tables without having to look up to Government for relief food.
They will, however, still count on Government for services for them to improve their standards of living. They will expect Government to provide good roads for speedy transportation of their goods to markets; they will still expect Government to provide good schools, colleges and universities for their children; and they will still expect Government to provide good healthcare services.
Such infrastructure cannot be built overnight and cannot be regarded as secondary to putting food on the table. This must, and is being done, side by side with other short and mid-term efforts.
Who would honestly criticise the building of a road that would ease transportation of the very food that should be put on people’s tables, especially to the remotest parts of the country?
It is well and good to want to be seen to be concerned about the poor but if you just criticise without giving alternatives that is rhetoric.
The infrastructure development is being applauded across the country as great foresight. In fact, there are complaints in some parts of the country where such development has not reached yet. They want such development too and no one is saying it is of no or little value.
There is foresight too in Government’s diversification efforts in food production. Rather than concentrate on maize production, the country is seeing more efforts to produce other sources of nutrition. These include animal husbandry, horticultural production and fish farming.
This is the right way of putting food on people’s tables.
Armchair critics don’t often give alternatives because really there aren’t any better ones. The three-pronged approach that Government has taken is the best and instead of fault-finding, let’s sincerely pool our thoughts, prayers and efforts to make Zambia an even better place for all. ]]>
Sunday Chanda
Mr Chanda told journalists on Monday that Mr Hichilema is not ready to form government and is desperately trying to get the attention of Zambians.
Mr Chanda was reacting to Mr Hichilema’s sentiments during a press briefing at which he alleged that President Lungu has lamentably failed to run the country.
Mr Hichilema accused President Lungu of allowing among other things, the depreciation of the Kwacha against the United States (US) dollar and undertaking international trips in order to accrue allowances.
But Mr Chanda said Mr Hichilema should seriously reflect on his continued attacks on President Lungu.
He advised Mr Hichilema to offer solutions to the challenges the nation is facing instead of incessantly attacking President Lungu.
“The PF under President Lungu is working hard to better the lives of people. What the opposition needs to do is to offer alternative solutions,” he said. ]]>
PRESIDENT Lungu has thanked the Israeli government for the courtesies accorded to former President Michael Sata when he visited that country a few months before his death.In a special message delivered to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba here on Monday, President Lungu said Zambia and Israel have enjoyed warm bilateral ties for over 60 years hence the need to strengthen the ties.
President Lungu said the opening of the Zambian Embassy in Tel Aviv is a clear indication of the warm relations between Zambian and Israel.
And Mr Netanyahu has hailed President Lungu’s Government for opening a diplomatic mission in Israel.
Mr Netanyahu said Israel is one of the countries with advanced technology in various sectors, adding that his country is ready to assist Zambia.
He said Israel is ready to assist Zambia in dealing with the electricity power deficit challenge, which has affected the entire southern African region.
The Israeli Premier, who is also minister of Foreign Affairs, also discussed the possibility of providing university scholarships to Zambian students to study in Israel. ]]>
Sakuwaha, who joined Forest in January from Zesco United, trekked to Lubumbashi three weeks ago with team-mate Lighton Kasolota.
Sakuwaha confirmed his move to Lupopo in an interview from Lubumbashi yesterday.
“Yes, I am in Congo with Lupopo, but I will give details of the deal once everything is finalised,” said Sakuwaha, who had stints at Green Buffaloes and Nchanga Rangers.
The former under-20 national team defender’s departure is a blow to coach Kaunda Simonda, who lost a number of influential players during the mid-season break.
Forwards Walter Bwalya, Freddy Tshimenga and midfielder Diego Apanane are among players who left the club during the mid-season transfer window.
Forest are perched fifth from bottom with 23 points.
And according to a source familiar with the two players’ move, the players joined Lupopo three weeks ago and were part of the team when it recently competed at a tournament in Kinshasa.
“Gift and Lighton left together for Lupopo and their absence has affected us,” a said.
Lupopo spotted Sakuwaha when Nchanga Rangers played the Lubumbashi-based side in CAF Confederation Cup in 2011.
Kasolota had a stint at Super Division side Power Dynamos in 2012.
The two central defenders formed a formidable partnership at Forest in the first round of the season. ]]>
Reacting to a story headlined ‘Lungu, Santos strike oil deal’ published in yesterday’s edition of The Post newspaper, BBLR executive chairman Wakumelo Kalabo dismissed claims that President Lungu is involved in the business of constructing an oil pipeline from Lobito to Zambia.
Mr Kalabo told a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that the story is not true because President Lungu is not in any way involved in the business of constructing an oil pipeline.“The Zambia Angola Oil Pipeline promoters Basali Ba Liseli Resources would like to refute any imputation that the President of the Republic of Zambia Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu or indeed his government were involved in that business of the constructing an oil pipeline,” he said.
Mr Kalabo said the President and the Zambian government understand that this is purely a private sector initiative but one that requires the support of the governments of the two countries.
He said the support from Government is because of the strategic nature of the industry and the public interest it holds.
Mr Kalabo said no business project of this nature and magnitude involving two sovereign states can proceed without the blessing and explicit support of the two governments.
He said the Zambia-Angola Pipeline and Gulf Pacific are two different companies pursuing different projects in Zambia.
Mr Wakumelo said he travelled to Angola to meet President Jose Eduardo dos Santos and that the Gulf Pacific representatives were not part of the delegation, as misreported in The Post.
He said after Cabinet approval to support the privately-led Zambia-Angola Oil Pipeline initiative on June 29 this year, President Lungu appointed a special envoy to deliver a special message to his Angolan counterpart in support of the pipeline, which is common practice even in other countries.
He said since the government of Angola is constructing an oil refinery in Lobito. It has invited a number of Governments in the region, including Zambia to acquire shares in the refinery.
Mr Wakumelo said that even though Government has expressed interest, it has at the same time encouraged the private sector to participate.
He said that the process of securing Government support started in 2009 and Government only approved in 2015 showing how meticulous government was in approaching this matter.
He said the over US$5 billion pipeline will deliver 100,000 barrels of refined petroleum products per day into Zambia. ]]>
A brief statement from the Vatican does not detail the proposed reforms, but Francis has said that obtaining annulments can be too cumbersome and costly, dragging on for years and costing hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
“Some procedures are so long and so burdensome,” the pontiff said in 2014, “and people give up.”
That sentiment is supported by statistics.
Just 61% of African Catholics seeking annulments in 2012 completed the process, according to a study conducted by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. In the more wealthy Western world, where Catholics can afford to hire canon lawyers, 86% received annulments.
“This is not because tribunals in Africa were more likely than those in the Americas to rule contrary to nullity,” CARA said in its analysis. “It is more a reflection of more people seeking annulments in Africa than in the Americas not completing the annulment process.”
In the United States, 28% of Catholic marriages end in divorce, according to the General Social Survey. That’s lower than the general population, but still equivalent to 11 million adults. The church granted about 40,000 annulments in 2012, according to CARA.
The Catholic Church does not recognize civil divorces. Instead, its theology holds that marital unions sanctified by God are indissoluble.
Annulments, available only through church tribunals, state that the marriage contract was fundamentally flawed from the start, and hence invalid in the eyes of the church. In the 1980s, the church added another step to the process, requiring a second review before an annulment can be granted.
Without an annulment, a divorced Catholic who remarries is considered an adulterer and may not participate in some sacraments, including Holy Communion. Led by Pope Francis, the church is holding high-level meetings, called synods, to debate that teaching. The next synod is to be held in October.
Tuesday’s announcement is expected to be yet another step in Pope Francis’ efforts to reform the church. On Thursday, he announced that during an upcoming “Year of Mercy,” Catholic priests around the world will be able to forgive the “sin” of abortion. Under canon law, absolution of certain serious sins, including abortion, is usually reserved only to bishops.
Pope Francis says all priests can forgive women who’ve had abortions
With the abortion and annulment announcements, Francis seems to be signaling a “third way” to govern the church through thorny issues. He’s not rewriting the catechism, but he’s encouraging Catholic clergy to be more merciful and at times more flexible in how they enforce church rules.
Francis’ experience in Argentina, where many of his parishioners were poor, gives him a different view of the church and how its complex set of rules can alienate some Catholics, said Andrew Chesnut, an expert on religion in Latin America and a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Chesnut called the Pope’s annulment proposal part of an overall strategy to create a more inclusive church and reach out to lapsed Catholics who might have left the fold over issues such as divorce, abortion and homosexuality.
“The church has been in sharp decline in both Latin America and Europe,” Chesnut said, “and Pope Francis sees such reforms as key to reversing the long-term slide.”
It remains to be seen, though, how conservative Catholics receive the changes. Many have argued in recent years that the church should hold a firm line against widespread sexual immorality, particularly in the modern West.
Researchers have found little evidence of a “Francis effect” in the United States. According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 89% of ex-Catholics say they cannot imagine themselves ever returning to the church although they like Pope Francis.
CNN
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OPPOSITION UPND Vice President for Administration Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba alias GBM says political power means nothing to him.
Mr. Mwamba says what he however wants to see is the end to poverty when the UPND forms government.
He says this is what has particularly prompted him to support the UPND as he seen that it is the strongest opposition political party that is likely to form government in 2016.
Mr. Mwamba however states that he does not see himself fighting with his counterpart for politics Canicius Banda over the republican Vice President in the event the UPND formed Government.
He says he believes that both he and Dr. Banda will support whoever will be appointed to the position of republican Vice President in the event the UPND won the 2016 elections.
]]>Mr Mucheleka is being sought by Police for allegedly inciting UPND cadres who beat up newly appointed Luwingu district Commissioner Patrick Chanda for allegedly mobilizing voters for the ruling party candidate George Mwamba.
He has told QFM News in a telephone interview from his hideout that he is awaiting instructions from his lawyers before he can avail himself to the police.
Mr. Mucheleka has denied inciting UPND cadres to beat up the newly appointed Luwingu district commissioner.
He says what the PF through the Police are doing is trying to intimidate the opposition after realizing that they do not have the support of the people of Lubansenshi.
Mr. Mucheleka states that the ruling is aware that they have a terrible candidate who has been rejected by the people as the people are overwhelmingly supporting him and the UPND.
And FODEP Executive Director MacDonald Chipenze says reports from FODEP monitors in Lubansenshi indicate that Police last night raided and tear-gassed Luena Parish in Lubansenshi in search of Mr Mucheleka.
Mr Chipenzi says five suspected UPND cadres and one person found in possession of eight voters’ cards have been arrested by the police leaving the District Commissioner scot-free.
He says it will be unfair and unprofessional on the part of the police to leave the District Commissioner who caused the electoral mayhem in Lubansenshi and only pursue those who tried to remind the DC to respect his role as a civil servant and also adhere to the Presidential directive.
Mr Chipenzi adds that Police should also restrain themselves from raiding places of worship as it is against international practice to raid such places which are considered sacred.
He furthers states that Police should immediately stop pursuing Mr. Mucheleka who is candidate in this by-election before they are blamed for aiding other candidates to rob him of electoral victory.
Mr Chipenzi says FODEP calls on the Police to instead arrest the District Commissioner who engaged in active political campaigns disregarding the Presidential and Vice-Presidential direction instructing civil servants including DCs not to engage in partisan politics.
He states that FODEP condemns the use of District Commissioners and police to win bye-elections as witnessed in Livingstone, Mulobezi, Mangango and now Lubansenshi as it denigrate the principles of a fair playing field in the electoral process.
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The turmoil in the mining sector is not slowing down with Glencore announcing that it will suspend production in mining activities in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo for 18 months.
Glencore accounts for 26% of Copper production in the country at its Mopani plant with the announcement signalling further job losses.
There is already trouble following the China Non Ferrous Mining Corporation putting its Baluba Mine on care and maintenance shutting out more than 1, 600 miners out of employment.
Konkola Copper Mines has also been flirting with similar machinations with jobs on the line after 133 miners were recently sent packing amidst the brewing chaos in the mining sector.
The mines have been hit hard recently with looming 30% power slow down supply following the shortage of power.
]]>Hichilema went for Electoral Commission of Zambia staff accusing them of manipulating results in the January, 20 presidential elections that he lost to President Edgar Lungu.
The trauma of having fallen the fourth time at his attempt at the Presidency has not left him and attacked ECZ director Priscilla Isaacs who he accused of colluding with the ruling party to allegedly rig elections.
He also accused then defence Minister Edgar Lungu of having used his position to allegedly manipulate results.
“Don’t manipulate results in 2016 as you did in January, when you used your position as Defence Minister to manipulate results. In 2016 the margins will be so large that not even rigging will change the outcome,” Hichilema said.
“We won’t allow that Priscilla Isaacs to manipulate results as she did in January. We had a meeting with ECZ on Friday and we sent a very clear message to the ECZ that we will not allow manipulation.”
He also said that he would have fixed the current kwacha free fall problems were he the Republican President.
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