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PURSUING JUSTICE AND EQUITY WITH INTEGRITY
PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN SALARIES’ LIMBO
Price K10
Vol. 6. Issue 2600
Saturday May 16, 2020
SOME private schools are worried that the prolonged closure of learning institutions will lead to failure to pay salaries of their teachers because they are not getting any income. School authorities at various private schools in Kitwe said they could fail to pay salaries for their teachers because schools had not been receiving any income in form of fees from STORY ON PAGE 3 parents.
Lungu makes changes, as salary deductions effected
STORY ON PAGE 3
P6 Copper prices rebound 668 Cases 70 0 600
Covid-19 stats
50 0 475 450 425 400 375 350
Total test
Cases
Recovered
Deaths
New Cases
403,018
12,739 5,676
238
665
12,254
668
7
14
Past District Governor District 413, Lion Dr George Banda, hands over personal protective equipment to health Permanent Secretary for administration Kakulubelwa Mulalelo.Picture by SUNDAY BWALYA/ZANIS
P4 Mining regulator in the pipeline - PS
South Africa
325 300 275
152
Zambia
Covid-19 update
250 225 20 0
Cases
175
• • • • •
150 125 10 0 75
Deaths
Discharged
668 total cases recorded 161 tested in the last 24 hours 28 patients discharged 14 new cases in the last 24hours 152 recovered
50 25 0 Day
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
INDEX Home News P. 2,4 & 5
Business P. 6
GOVERNMENT intends to establish a regulator for the mining sector to be called the Minerals and Geological Commission, Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development Permanent Secretary Barnaby Mulenga has said.
Pupils Forum P. 5
Kopala News P. 7
UPND hell-bent on Armageddon - Antonio Mwanza STORY ON PAGE 2
Letters P.8
Sports News P.16
DAILY
Saturday 16, May 2020
Private schools in salaries’ limbo By ROGERS KALERO SOME private schools are worried that the prolonged closure of learning institutions will lead to failure to pay salaries of their teachers because they are not getting any income. School authorities at various private schools in Kitwe said they could fail to pay salaries for their teachers because schools had not been receiving any income in form of fees from parents. Authorities at institutions, including Pumpkin Patch and Elim Schools said in separate interviews that private schools had been hit hard by the COVID 19 and were hoping it could be brought
under control by next month. Elim Head Teacher, Obbie Chanda, said because schools were not providing services to the children, parents were not paying school fees “Parents pay school fees because of the services which the schools provide to children, but now that the schools have been closed due to COVID 19, parents are not paying school fees ‘’It is the same money from the school fees that we pay our teachers, but with this situation now, it is difficult to pay our teachers. We will be hit harder if the situation continues,’’ Mr Chanda said And Pumpkin Patch Director, Scrivener Chimbulu, shared the same concern and hoped that the situation could be brought under control soon. And in a related development, Persons with Disabilities have demanded that they should be included in all plans to manage the current COVID 19 outbreak by ensuring that relevant information relating to the prevention and how to handle the illness is provided to them in various forms
Millers chided for failing to buy early maize By BENNIE MUNDANDO MILLERS’ failure to buy early maize from commercial farmers will discourage farmers from growing more to cushion food security in the country and this will cause problems in the event there was a drought, the Youth in Action for Sustainable Development has warned. Last year, President Edgar Lungu asked farmers to venture into early maize production to boost food security in the country. The Ministry of Agriculture, Zambia National Farmers’ Union, Grain Traders Association of Zambia and the Millers Association of Zambia then sat and agreed on the modalities of marketing of the commodity though the tripartite agreement. But when the crop was harvested and ready for purchase, a hitch ensued where the millers maintained that there was not enough maize on the market and asked Government to offload more from the Food Reserve Agency (FRA). Famers insisted millers were not buying the maize because they wanted the cheap consignment from FRA and last week, Government allowed the export of 83, 000 metric tonnes of grain under the early
maize programme. But speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, YASD executive director Zebedy Lukwesa said while he appreciated the fact that commercial farmers had been allowed to export the commodity to other countries, his organisation was not happy with the way they were treated. Mr. Lukwesa said there was need for Government and farmers to have mutual understanding and not allow millers to strain the relationship that existed as doing so would make the commercial farmers not trust Government in future, when it will matter most. He said with climate change effects becoming a reality, irrigation agriculture was the only viable option for assured food production in Zambia. “These same commercial farmers we are trying to push here and there are the same people who will provide us with a cushion in a season we don’t have good rains. The millers will always continue making demands, purely for profits. “The day commercial farmers will refuse to grow early maize, which is, by the way, expensive, these millers will not be there to salvage the situation. Government must not allow itself to be used for manipulation. Let us motivate our farmers grow more,” Mr. Lukwesa said.
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LUNGU MAKES CHANGES, AS SALARY DEDUCTIONS EFFECTED
P
RESIDENT Edgar Lungu has terminated the appointment of Deputy Auditor General in charge of Corporate Services Division, Sally Ross. President Lungu has since appointed Director of Finance at the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure, Clare Mazimba, to replace Mrs. Ross. The President has also terminated the appointment of Controller of Internal Audit at the Ministry of Finance, Joyce Sundano, and replaced her with Chibwe Mulonda. The President has wished
the new appointees God’s blessings as they serve in their positions and he has thanked those whose appointments have been terminated for the service rendered. Meanwhile, Cabinet has effected President Lungu’s decision to reduce his salary and that of his Cabinet between a range of 15 and 20 percent. In December, the President directed the Secretary to the Cabinet to slash the salaries of highly paid public officers in Government. The public officers whose salaries have been cut, are from Permanent Secretaries up to the President.
The decision by the President is meant to cushion the impact on citizens arising from the increase in fuel prices and electricity tariffs last year in December. President Lungu said he has shown the way and those willing to work with him should be ready to sacrifice. This is according to a statement released to ZNBC News by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Isaac Chipampe. ZNBC
K78m donated Covid-19 fund still intact By BUMBA CHIMBULU
GOVERNMENT has not yet started using the over K78 million which has been collected through donations to fight Covid-19, as it relies on effective accountability of public resources to revive the economy post the pandemic which had led to low revenue collection. An estimate of over K78m in total cash and donations has so far been collected. This however excludes pledges that have not been honoured and items whose value has not yet been communicated to Government. Accountant General, Kennedy Musonda said the over K78m was still intact at the Bank of Zambia (BoZ). Mr Musonda explained yesterday in Lusaka at a press briefing that all donations which were being done through different commercial banks transit accounts ended up at an account held at the central bank. “Of the amount that has been donated, we have not yet spent anything because we are still using Government resources. “So this money is still in the central bank and very soon we should be able to identify areas within the Ministry of Health or Disaster Mitigation and Management Unit where this money will
Mr Yamba be channeled,” he said. Secretary to the Treasury, Fredson Yamba, said Government was aware of the need to practice accountability of public resources, including donations towards Covid-19 as a way of getting the economy back on a growth trajectory post the pandemic. Mr Yamba called on all controlling officers to continue exhibiting the highest level of fiscal accountability considering that the domestic revenue streams had severely been impacted by reduced economic activities due to Covid-19.
UPND MP wants Govt to continue on growth path By ANDREW MUKOMA
GOVERNMENT must ensure that development continues in all parts on the country despite the Covid-19 outbreak, says Sinazongwe Member of Parliament Gift Sialubalo. Mr Sialubalo noted that the pandemic was stealing the attention of many countries but that for Zambia, Government must not allow development to suffer. He said that areas such as
Sinazongwe and other valley districts have a number of challenges that needed Government's intervention especially on water, food and road network. Water, he said, had remained a challenge affecting many communities and he feels Government must start considering water harvesting mechanisms. Mr Sialubalo had made financial contribution towards the rehabilitation of Ndengeza Community Dam
“As a ministry, we have continued to pursue measures aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in the utilisation of resources allocated towards the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said. The donations made by well-wishers, he said, would help Government to stay within the resource parameters approved by Cabinet for the fight against Covid-19. Mr Yamba urged those who were still working to exert optimum productivity to ensure that the impact of the economic deceleration on Zambia remained reversible. Mr Yamba also stressed that the alertness of SMART Zambia in ensuring that the government-wide ICT facilities remained operational was important to economic recovery. Government, he said, had over the last few weeks placed internal auditors on high alert in identifying internal-control weaknesses and providing practical recommendations in areas requiring transparency, accountability, and performance improvement. Mr Yamba said explained that the internal auditors ensured a mandatory pre-audits of all expenditure before disbursements were made and witnessed the receipt of donations to enhance transparency and accountability, among others.
in the constituency.He said that not all the attention of the government should be focused on Covid-19, leaving out other development programmes in the country."We need to have a lot of community dams for people and their animals. It is therefore, my view that Government should begin investing in water harvesting...that way, we can alleviate poverty in like Sinazongwe and other valley areas," Mr Sialubalo said. Mr Sialubalo explained that Ndengeza Dam which was left to the community by the Germans during the construction of the Kariba Dam was servicing a huge population in Sinazongwe but that it developed some cracks.
"The dam was left by the Germans some years back but because it is the only one in the area, it developed a crack and the community asked for help from me, that is how I came on board and made a contribution so that the dam can be rehabilitated," he said. And Mr Sialubalo said that during the 2018/2019 Constituency Development Fund, some money was allocated for the installation of solar water mechanisation at Sinakoba Primary School. He said that the school and surrounding villages was hit by critical water shortage resulting in people walking long distances in search of the commodity.
Saturday 16, May 2020
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By SILUMESI MALUMO
Tel: 0211 - 243527, P.O. Box 34553 Plot No. 5152 B Mukwa Road, Heavy Industrial Area Lusaka. E-mail: editor@dailynation.info www.dailynation.info
EMBRACE DIGITAL SERVICES THE use of online platforms has become convenient and absolutely necessary now than ever before especially in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. Online financial services have provided a life-line for money transfers and purchases with limited physical contact while e-learning has also provided a convenient way of engagement in academic and professional affairs. Employees have been able to operate remotely, away from stressful activities in the offices and other workplaces. Therefore, institutions of higher learning should embrace e-learning to avoid overcrowding lecture rooms, student residences including communal bathrooms. In fact, a number of universities in Zambia started conducting paperless lectures some time back and thus the complete use of online devices is not strange at all. This has reduced the use of costly stationery for institutions and students. There are a number of advantages for the institutions as well as for the students, chief among them reduced costs. E-learning will entail that students would not have to pay for lodging and food; transport costs would also be eliminated. Universities and colleges will enjoy reduced costs in terms of electricity and water charges, usually pushed up by the huge student populace. Secondly, the universities will not have to hire a horde of outsourced workers to do the cleaning of students’ residences. The hassle and bustle of lecturers shuttling from one lecture room to the other, ploughing through crowds of students is stressful which will not be experienced. However, there is a downside of this trending technology, among them prolonged periods of power load-shedding which renders electronic online gadgets usage impossible. This makes management of examinations extremely challenging as a session could be disrupted midway through; the learning process could equally be curtailed. The system is also prone to cheating because a dishonest student can engage another equally dishonest person to assist write a particular course as examinations are conducted away from the watchful eye of invigilators. It would also be difficult for students that require hands on and practical demonstrations in laboratory and workshops. For instance, practical demonstrations in agriculture science or agriculture engineering programmes would not be conducted in the field. Students in far flung arears fraught with poor connectivity would have challenges to follow proceedings. However, with Covid-19 cases increasing on a daily basis, students and citizens alike must embrace online services for life to continue rather than complaining about the disadvantages. In any case, students and lecturers could face more challenges if they converged in these institutions and contract the virus. A large outbreak of Covid-19 in an institution could send the entire student populace to an isolation centre along with the academic and other members of staff. This would mean disturbing the learning programmes and perhaps causing disruption to normal life for people in the surrounding community. If such an unfortunate scenario unfolded, it could have a spiral effect, such as overstretching the front-line staff in isolation centres and straining the country’s health system. Therefore, students and lecturers in higher learning institutions must embrace e-learning as much as possible instead of overcrowding institutions, some of which are in a deplorable state. Yes, the downside of using online services is apparent but it is prudent to focus more on the advantages. Thus embrace online services!
PURSUING JUSTICE AND EQUITY WITH INTERGRITY
OVERNMENT intends to establish a regulator for the mining sector to be called the Minerals and Geological Commission, Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development Permanent Secretary Barnaby Mulenga has said. The objective of the commission was to promote growth and transparency and ensure a better regulated mining industry, Mr Mulenga said. He said the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development had over the years been unable to effectively regulate the sector because it lacked the financial capacity. Mr Mulenga made the disclosure in a memo to the SmallScale Mining Association of Zambia, Emerald and SemiPrecious Mining Association of Zambia and Association of Zambian Women in Mining, availed to Daily Nation yesterday. He said the delay was also due to lack of legal and negotiation skills and capacity to undertake monitoring
MINING REGULATOR IN THE PIPELINE - PS and evaluation of the mines, among others. Mr Mulenga said this had resulted in loss of potential benefits that were supposed to accrue from the mining sector to both Government and the citizenry. Mr Mulenga said it was expected that once operational, the commission would address these gaps and ensure a better regulated mining sector, coherent policy reform, enhanced transparency and accountability, autonomy to make decisions and improved investor confidence. “It is our firm belief that the mining sector should make a substantial contribution to the economic development of the country. The abundant mineral resources should be better managed through a regulator,”
Mr Mulenga said. He said the Commission would also be able to licence mineral exploration and exploration activities, monitor and regulate the exploration of the minerals in the country as well as advising Government on national policies, fiscal and regulatory regimes and priorities in the mining sector. The commission would also be enforcing various provisions under relevant legislation, revenue generation from the mining industry, promote value addition to minerals and also enforce research and development to promote the mining industry, he said. “As part of the process, the ministry wishes to engage relevant stakeholders to provide input on the proposed Commission. However, due
Minister to serve court papers on radio station, Mpulungu resident By CHINTU MALAMBO PRESIDENTIAL Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe has been allowed by the High Court to serve his application for injunction on a radio station and a Mpulungu resident whom he has sued for defamation, regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this matter Mr Sikazwe, who is Member of Parliament for Mpulungu has sued Victor Sinkala and Walamo Radio Limited for defamation of character over their allegations that he stole Constituency Development Funds (CDF). High Court judge Sharon Newa however, ordered that in view of the Coronavirus break, Mr Sikazwe as a plaintiff should serve the application for
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an injunction on Walamo Radio Station and Sinkala. “In view of the corona virus outbreak, I direct that the injunction application is served on the defendants. The defendants shall file affidavits in opposition and skeleton arguments if any by 14 May, 2020. The plaintiffs shall file an affidavit in reply and skeleton arguments if any by 22 May, 2020. I will therefore deliver my ruling,” Judge Newa said. In his statement of claim, Mr Sikazwe asked the High Court to order Walamo Radio Limited and Sinkala to give him damages for slander and libel as well as aggravated and exemplary damages for allegedly defaming him. He also wants the court to grant him an injunction
to restrain Walamo Radio Limited and Sinkala from repeating the alleged defamatory statements until final determination of the matter. Mr Sikazwe also demanded interest on any sums awarded from the date of writ to the date of full settlement and any other reliefs plus costs for the proceedings of the matter. He claimed that on or about April 21, 2020 Walamo Radio Limited and Sinkala in disregard of his reputation or professional standing, uttered and caused to be published during the 13 hours news briefing programme on radio through an audio recording the alleged defamatory words.
By SILUMESI MALUMO
No ‘tuntemba’ parties - Musenge
ALL political parties must respect the constitution by upholding democratic tenets, former NDC secretary-general Mwenya Musenge has said. Mr Musenge, who is former Copperbelt Province Minister, said political parties must all adhere to the provisions of the constitution. He said in an interview yesterday, no political party should shy away from undertaking inter party elections because this was what the 2016 amended constitution demanded. Political parties that do not hold party elections abrogate
the amended constitution which attracts serious sanctions. “It is indeed not right for the political parties not to follow what the constitution stipulates. I totally agree with the Livingstone Magistrate Benjamin Mwelwa on the petition to the Constitutional Court because this has now opened the eyes of many Zambians.Mr Musenge dismissed assertions that the magistrate was trying to crucify a certain political party. “All he is trying to
appeal for is that let us do the right things by following the constitution of Zambia. And I want to believe that the party in government are the custodian of the constitution and must lead by example. “It is high time that tuntemba (makeshift) political parties must stop mushrooming where a person can form a political party and appoint himself as a president and his wife as the secretary-general and others close to him as office bearers,” Mr Musenge said.
to the Covid-19, consultations will be done through electronic platforms. “The said ministry has therefore requested that submissions be made in soft copy to the chief planner,” Mr Mulenga said.
Mr Mulenga
AU postpones summits By BENNIE MUNDANDO and KALOBWE BWALYA THE African Union (AU) has postponed the two Extra-Ordinary Summits that were scheduled to tackle matters related to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Silencing of the Guns by 2020. The two summits that were scheduled to be held simultaneously in South Africa on May 30, have been moved to December 5 due to the novel coronavirus. Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Emmanuel Mwamba confirmed the development and said the new dates that have been proposed were also contingent on the behaviour of the Covid-19 pandemic. First secretary for press and tourism at the Zambia Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Inutu Mupango Mwanza said Mr. Mwamba noted that the implementation of the commencement of actual trading under the AfCFTA that was due to start on July 1, 2020 but has been moved to January 1, 2021. “The ambassador said it was however hopeful, that the postponement of the summits would not derail the acceleration of intra-Africa trade and economic integration. On silencing the guns, Mr. Mwamba said the AU seeks to find peace to conflict-affected areas as no meaningful development could be achieved in Africa in the absence of peace. “Mr. Mwamba said the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has seen many programmes at the AU being suspended and meetings being held through tele- conferencing facilities,” Ms. Mwanza said.