Mysterious Death Of A Popular Fish Unites Zambians

 By Paul Shalala

The carp fish popularly known as Mafishi

It had to take the death of a fish at Zambia’s second largest university for politicians to speak the same language.

Over the past month, Zambian politicians have waged a bitter war of words over the role privatization has played in Zambia since the 1990s.

Opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has been on the receiving end of uppercuts for having been a consultant of the Zambia Privatisation Agency in evaluating the parastatals companies that were sold during the MMD era.

But when the legendary fish at the Copperbelt University (CBU) in Kitwe died on Sunday, all politicians issued statements expressing sympathy with thousands of students at CBU who believe the fish gave them miraculous powers to pass examinations.

The fish, which was nicknamed Mafishi, died on Sunday in unexplained circumstances yesterday.

According to experts, Carp lives up to 20 years and can weigh 14 kilometers.

Mafishi is believed to have been introduced in the research pond somewhere in 200 or 2001 and was mainly used for research by students studying natural sciences.

“The fish is a Carp and it was sourced from China. Its habitat was the pond near Monk Square and students believed that when they visit the pond and see Mafishi, they can enter an exam room and pass,” said Professor Felix Kalaba, the Dean of the School of Natural Resources at the Copperbelt University.

Professor Kalaba, who himself was a student at CBU between 2000 and 2003, says he remembers walking to the pond to watch the fish at the time.

“The fish was a source of inspiration and part of the university community for over 15 years. That fish knew a lot of secrets because couples would sit by that pond and discuss many issues. And even students when they meet at Monk Square, they would plan a lot of things and Mafishi would be a witness,” added Professor Kalaba.

The School of Natural Resources has since written a letter to management at the university, seeking for the renaming of all fish ponds after Mafishi.

On Monday evening, students lit a big fire at Monk Square, singing funeral songs and praising Mafishi for his ‘heroic’ legacy.

Clad in black attires, the students marched around campus, wailing loudly.

“We are in mourning; this fish was part of us. We are appealing to well-wishers to embalm it and preserve it so that future generations can learn about Mafishi,” said Lawrence Kasonde, President of the Copperbelt University Students Union.

As the students were singing funeral songs, one of them who spoke in Bemba, gave the purported life history of Mafishi stating that the fish was born in 1983 in Mwansabombwe District in Luapula Province.

Students paying their last respects to Mafishi 
at CBU Fish Ponds -Pictures by Paul Shalala

He comically said Mafishi was enrolled at CBU in 1987, graduated in 1991 but returned to lecture Fisheries the same year but died on Sunday due to depression.

Outside of campus, social media was ablaze with #RIPMafishi hashtags.

With the 2021 general elections just 11 months away, politicians stole the limelight as they showed solidarity with CBU students who form part of a large voting group in Kwacha Constituency which is currently held by Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji.

President Edgar Lungu was one of the first politicians to weigh in on the death of the fish.

“Mafishi was part of the CBU community for a long time…….. I’m glad you received a befitting send-off. We’ll all miss you,” said President Lungu.

Opposition UPND President Hakainde Hichilema led opposition leaders in paying tributes to the fish.

“We stand with the CBU student community, past and present, over the death of their iconic pet Mafishi,” said Mr Hichilema.

Another opposition leader Chishimba Kambwili of NDC wrote: “On behalf of the NDC and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to send our sincere heartfelt condolences on the passing of the iconic Mafishi, to the CBU student community.”

From the academic world, the University of Zambia also joined in sending messages of condolences.

“UNZA sends its heartfelt condolences to Copperbelt University on the demise of Mafishi,” a statement on the university’s official Facebook page reads in part.

However, it is not yet known were the ‘remains’ of Mafishi are.

Management at CBU is still waiting for its security agents to hand over the beloved fish.

Meanwhile, some students have written a petition, seeking President Lungu to declare three days of mourning for the fish.

Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe, himself a former President of the CBU Students Union, is leading the calls for a state funeral.

Students mourning the fish at Monk Square.

“Ba Kateka (Mr. President) Ba ECL (Edgar Chagwa Lungu), have you received the petition for a day of National Mourning for Mafishi and ka State Funeral? I graduated from CBU in 2009 and still remember seeing this fish in the Riverside Campus ponds for five years,” wrote Kang’ombe on Facebook.

This Facebook status drew 95 comments, mostly from current and former CBU students who are in support of honoring the fish with a state funeral.

Others students like Flo Kampamba, followed Higher Education Minister Brian Mushimba on his Facebook page to ask him to erect a monument for Mafishi on campus.

“Receiving these petitions, let’s see how many we receive and decide,” said Dr. Mushimba in response.

On Sunday, security guards spotted the dead fish, floating in the pond but they only reported the matter on Monday.

Since then, no one has seen the carcass of the dead fish.

This has led to speculation as to what happened to the fish.

"We have not seen the fish itself. No one has seen it. But we are investigating so that whoever had a hand in the death or disappearance of Mafishi can be brought to book," said Professor Naison Ngoma, the Vice Chancellor of the Copperbelt University.

Asked whether the university would consider engaging the Zambia Police Service to beef up the investigation, Professor Ngoma answered in the affirmative.

"We will use all investigative resources at our disposal and if it means engaging the CIA and FBI, we will do so. We need to find Mafishi," he added.

As it stands, students are just mourning without evidence of the death of the fish.

What if the fish was stolen and relocated to another water body? What if Mafishi is live somewhere? This could be a theater style deception.

Water Regulator Shuts Down Dangote's Illegal Quarry

By Paul Shalala

WARMA statement

From the start, the civil society insisted that it was an illegal activity. 

But Dangote Cement went ahead and built its limestone quarry on the Mwatishi stream in Masaiti District on the Copperbelt. 

This blocked the stream completely, depriving 12 villages of water. 

And now, the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) has confirmed the illegality. 

WARMA Public Relations Officer Joshua Kapila says Dangote Cement did not get permission to construct the quarry on the stream. 

“WARMA has not yet granted a permit to Dangote Cement to operate a quarry……….. though the cement firm has applied for the permit which is yet to be granted,” said Kapila in a statement. 

Mr. Kapila says the firm has since been ordered to immediately halt operations as the matter is being investigated. 

“The company has since been informed to cease the operation of the quarry pending determination of their permit application,” he added. 

According to the Water Resources Management Act of 2011, any activity on a water body is supposed to be approved by WARMA. 

This involves dewatering, distribution of water for any other use, construct or acquire any water works. 

“This is a good move by WARMA. But we expect them to go even further and order Dangote Cement to restore the stream to its original state,” said Archie Mulunda, a lands expert. 

Initially, Dangote Cement had claimed that it had authorisation for the quarry. 

After the matter was exposed by civil society, the company started pumping water to the stream through pipes but this was NOT sustainable.

Inside Death Row At Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison

 By Paul Shalala in Kabwe 

Matthew Mohan and Keith Mukata having

 a chat in prison. -Pictures by Chambo Nguni

The walls are massive and high……. Escape is not an option here.

You enter here, there is no escape until you are discharged or until you die.

Yes there have been one or two inmates who have escaped in the past, but success is almost zero.

Mukobeko is the highest correctional facility in Zambia with maximum security.

It is located in the central Zambian town of Kabwe.

The name Mukobeko comes form the local Lenje language and it means punishment.

It was coined in the 1800s way before the colonial masters stepped foot in Zambia.

Today, Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison holds some of Zambia’s most feared men and women, those who are on death row and those on life imprisonment.

Behind those huge walls is life, life that many don’t understand.

Stigma against these inmates is very common in society.

Recently, this reporter was granted unrestricted access by the Zambia Correctional Service to document the goings in this prison.

This massive prison complex is divided into various sections.

There is a section for those serving life sentences, one for those serving dozens of years and another area for industries such as carpentry, tailoring and poultry.

But the Condemn Section is the most secretive of them, one which is rarely exposed to the outside world.

 It was once described as “Hell On Earth” by then Vice President Dr. Guy Scott after he toured it a few years ago. 

Located in the western part of the complex, the Condemn Section is home to over 400 men who are waiting to be executed.

This is against the initial capacity of less than 48.

Wearing their distinctive white uniforms, death row inmates spend years in this facility waiting for the inevitable.

They are the only inmates who know their fate…….Death.

However, since the 1990s, no inmate has been hanged in Zambia as successive Presidents have refused to sign the death warrant.

In the Condemn Section, congestion is a big problem.

Former Deputy Minister of Justice Keith Mukata is one of the men waiting to be executed.

In 2018, he was sentenced to death by the Lusaka High Court over the death of a security guard at his law firm.

Mukata, a lawyer by profession, was at the time serving his second term as Chilanga Member of Parliament.

His transfer to Mukobeko, to serve his death sentence, triggered a by-election in his constituency which led to Maria Langa being elected as his successor.

“We are pleading with His Excellency the President to consider pardoning some of these men. They are always missing on lists of those being pardoned. There is something that this environment does to someone, we therefore ask for a second chance,” said Mukata as his fellow deathrow inmates clapped.

Mukata disclosed that in the past two years he has been in prison, he has reflected on his life and is currently studying to become a Pastor so that he can start ministering to his fellow inmates.

Whenever death row inmates have an opportunity to interact with prominent people from outside the prison, they do not waste time to show remorse.

Mukata greets Hon. Sumaili as Mohan looks on

Even when given chance to sing a song, their message is always the same: WE ARE SORRY.

Recently, National Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister Godfridah Sumaili visited the Condemn Section and saw for herself how congested the place is.

The Minister couldn’t hide her feelings.

“I have seen for myself the challenges you have. I will report to my superior so that we can see how we can help you,” said Reverend Sumaili.

Sleeping here is a challenge.

These men are forced to sleep in turns as space is limited.

They crowd in these small rooms like sardines.

This is why prison authorities are pleading for more pardons to decongest Mukobeko.

“The men in Condemn Section need pardons so that we can reduce on the numbers. We really have challenges with space and we are appealing to the powers that be to consider even commuting their sentences to life so that we can reduce on the numbers,” said Dr. Chisela Chileshe, the Commissioner General of the Zambia Correctional Service in an interview.

However, from this same Condemn Section are men who are on a mission to change the narrative about death row inmates.

Ten of them have come up with an entrepreneurial project called the Maximum Agriculture and Poultry Project –MAPP which is the first of its kind worldwide.

In 2018, they sought permission from prison authorities to utilize five hectares of idle land for a life changing project.

Within 10 months of its operations, the MAPP Project has seen an investment of K 1.5 million, money raised exclusively by inmates.

Today, MAPP boasts of 5,000 chicks in the poultry, 30 goats, several acres of eggplants, rape and onion.

A month ago, the inmates harvested 3,000 heads of cabbage.

And in the coming months, fish ponds will also be added.

And the brains behind this project is Mathew Mohan, a deathrow inmate who was convicted in 2013 for the 2009 murder of Sajjid Itowala, his business rival.

Instead of being bitter for being on death row, MOHAN, a staunch Catholic, has reformed and wants to help the Zambia Correctional Service reduce its expenses on food for inmates.

Through his idea, offices and a lecture theater have been built to help manage the MAPP Project.

“One day I sat in my cell in the Condemn Section and I saw a little bird fly in and feed its chicks. I told myself, if this little bird can find freedom in this jail, then I can also find something worthwhile to do,” said Mohan, a Zambian national of Indian descent.

Office complex built by inmates for MAPP Project

His idea is not just making money for the Correctional Service.

He wants inmates who complete their jail terms to go home reformed and better placed for a life in society.

“Through the MAPP Project, we want to prepare inmates for society. We will equip them with skills and at the point of discharge, we will give them start-up capital so that they do not struggle were to start from out there,” he added.

Saidi Banda is another death row inmate who deputises Mohan on this project.

He too was convicted of murder and subsequently sentenced to death in 2011.

Having been on death row for nine years, Saidi has a vision of helping change the narrative for death row inmates.

“I have deeply reflected on my life and I want to be a better citizen. When I go back to society, I want to become a lecturer,” said Banda, who is currently in third year, studying Information Technology by distance education.

Colberty Singano is another inmate on the project.

He is serving a 30 year jail term for gender based violence.

At the MAPP Project, he manages the farm.

“My role here is to manage the farm. I supervise the inmates and outsiders we have employed in the farm and Iam also the custodian of everything in the stores,” he said.

The Mukobeko Maximum Agriculture and Poultry Project has become a pride for Mukobeko Prison which is infamously known for executions.

Authorities want this project to succeed.

“As Officer-In_Charge here at Maximum, am so proud of what these guys have done. It is a demonstration of what determined people can achieve,” he said.

What started like an idea by one Matthew Mohan on death row is now being supported by the highest level of the Zambia Correctional Service.

Just three years ago, the service transformed itself from a punitive one to a Correctional Service.

This was aimed at putting reformation at the heart of the institution as opposed to punishing inmates.

“The project the inmates are doing fits into the vision of the Correctional Service. We are no longer a Prison Service but a correctional one. This is why you see inmates doing all these innovations,” said Dr. Chileshe.

Ideally, a prison is not a place for employment.

It is a place where people who are condemned are kept away from society.

But the MAPP Project at Mukobeko has changed that narrative, it is providing employment for people from society.

Graduates holding degrees and those with diplomas have been queuing inside the prison to get interviewed for jobs.

And guess who have been interviewing these job seekers………………….. Death row inmates.

“When I walked in, I did not expect to be interviewed by inmates. And when I was…. It was awesome,” said Sibongile Phiri, a holder of a Bachelor in Sociology from the University of Zambia who queued at the MAPP Project offices to be interviewed for a job.

Prisoners feeding chicks in the poultry

Another job seeker Edward Musenge said: “I did not expect to see inmates on the panel but am very happy the interview went well and I have high hopes I will get the job.”

For Shalom Mvula who studied Medicine, applying for a job inside prison was something she least expected in her life.

“Part of the vision for the MAPP Project is to implement good health for inmates and that is where my expertise comes in,” said Ms Mvula. 

Apart from these graduates, the MAPP Project has also employed casual workers from the nearby community.

So far, 25 of them work on a daily basis in the fields, taking care of cabbages, egg plants, chickens and goats.

The MAPP Project is not just a local initiative, it has now attracted the highest level of interest from the Zambian government.

Zambia’s Vice President Inonge Wina was supposed to officially launch the project on 11^th June this year.

However, she was represented by National Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister Godfridah Sumaili.

In the end, the Mukobeko Maximum Agriculture and Poultry Project has shown that prison walls can actually transform inmates into better citizens.

This is because prison life gives time for people to reflect and even come up with great ideas.

“I have a vision to replicate this project to all 10 provinces of Zambia. My plan is to create 10,000 jobs for people out there in society. We have demonstrated that it can be done and we will do it,” said Mohan.

As the sun sets over the Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison, the lights that lead to the MAPP Project will continue shining over a project which the initiators thought would not go beyond the high prison walls.

Dangote Cement Blocks Mwatishi Stream In Masaiti

Part of the Mwatishi stream drying up in Pinta Village By Paul Shalala in Masaiti The crops are dying and life has become unbearable in Senior Chief Chiwala’s Chiefdom in Masaiti District on the Copperbelt. For the past three weeks, thousands of residents in 12 villages have had no access to water. The affected villages are Pinta, Kantanga, Yusufu, Saidi Situbisha, Saidi Mujale, Kalulu and Kapindo. Other villages are Chisoboya, Chingwele, Kapala, Maliko and Matutu. Their only source of water, the Mwatishi stream, is dry and this is not because of natural causes but because of human activity. Not because it is not rain season, but because the stream has been disturbed by mining. Dangote Cement, the Zambian arm of Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote’s empire, has dug a limestone quarry inside the stream, completely blocking the floor of water. Water now flows from the stream’s source to the quarry and it stops there. After the quarry, the streams is dry up and there is no water reaching the confluence with the Kafubu river in Ndola. “Dangote has affected us. That quarry they have constructed on the stream  has affected us so much. As you can see, our crops are drying up due to lack of water,” said Pinta Musonda, a farmer in Pinta Village. Dangote runs a cement plant in Senior Chief Chiwala’s Chiefdom. The plant is strategically located in an area where limestone is readily available. However, authorities have raised the alarm. Vegetables drying up in villages along the Mwatishi stream After receiving complaints from villagers, newly appointed Masaiti District Commissioner Patrick Zulu has visited the area to see for himself what is happening. “The stream is completely blocked as you can see. In as much as we need investment in this district, we also need to balance with the needs of the local people. There is need for regulators to come and investigate this matter,” said Mr Zulu as he toured the quarry. Mr Zulu was shocked to find that Dangote had been pumping water from the other side of the stream with pipes and delivering it to the dry river bed to help keep the stream flowing. However, that effort backfired when the pumps developed faults and water could not reach all the villages. In an interview, Dangote Cement denied blocking the stream. “We have not blocked the stream, what happened is that our pumps failed to work and we could not pump more water to the other side of the stream,” said Taata Kalokoni, a Project Geologist at Dangote Cement in an interview. Asked why the company decided to build a quarry across the stream, Mr Kalokoni claimed all activities by the company are lawful. “We adhere to all regulations and all our activities have been approved. But for the quarry, we just need to normalize things with the authorities,” he added. However, civil society organizations are concerned. Their worry is that Dangote’s activities have potential to harm both humans and the environment. “The stream has been blocked completely, it no longer flows. Dangote and the government must now work together to restore this stream to its original state. Our biggest worry is that people in these villages who depend on their gardens may starve and this will lead to poverty,” said Archie Mulunda, a Board Member at FIAN Zambia. Meanwhile, the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has sent a team of inspectors to the Mwatishi Stream to investigate the matter. This is where the Mwatishi stream used to flow ZEMA Spokesperson Irene Chipili has told this blogger that the team has in the past few days been on the ground, investigating the blocking of the Mwatishi stream by the cement giant. “The inspectors are investigating the impact of the action on the environment and if any illegality has been done. A full report will be availed to the public as soon as possible,” said Mrs Chipili. As to what punishment can be meted out if Dangote Cement is found wanting, Mrs Chipili said it was premature to talk about punishment before work is completed on the ground. And the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) has also sent its team of inspectors to the site. WARMA is a government agency which regulates the use of water resources in the country. At its cement plant in Masaiti, Dangote Cement employs hundreds of workers who produce thousands of bags of cement which briefly stabilized cement prices when the company entered the country a few years ago. The company also runs a fleet of trucks which ferry cement across the country.

Zambian Minister Fired Over Leaked Nude Videos

David Mabumba - Picture courtesy of Kalemba

By Paul Shalala

Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu has fired his Minister of General Education David Mabumba a few hours after nude videos of the politician went viral on social media.

Mr Mabumba was captured in three videos, fondling his genitals while looking straight into the camera.

In the leaked videos which looked like recorded WhatsApp calls, the Minister’s face can be seen clearly as he touched himself without uttering a single word.

However, the image of the person on the other side of the video call was deliberately blurred and it is not known who that person is.

The Minister, who is a career teacher, is serving his second five year term as a Member of Parliament for Mwense, a rural constituency in Luapula Province.

The videos were widely condemned by Zambians who took to social media to call for either his resignation or dismissal.

In a brief statement issued by the State House Press Office, President Lungu did not state the reason for Mr Mabumba’s dismissal.

But before the dismissal, Zambians from all walks of life weighed in on the scandal.

Former State House Spokesperson during the Rupiah Banda presidency Dickson Jere was one of the first prominent people to comment on the matter.

“In my country, it appears, only sex scandals unite the people across political divide. Bring Bill 10, corruption, rule of law or political violence, we are split! Come sexual scandal, we all united and want the minister fired! We are certainly a special breed,” wrote Jere on his Facebook page.

Another commentator Andrew Sakala, who is the President of the Press Association of Zambia, wrote: “Human interest stories especially sleazy ones involving people in high places attract massive attention anywhere in the world.”

But Tech Journalist Brenda Zulu brought  more interesting discussion on the matter.

Writing on her Facebook page, Brenda described Mr Mabumba’s videos as revenge pornography.

“He is the latest victim of revenge pornography. Many victims have been women but in this case we have a known personality and leader. 1. So first of all, a live webcam and video recording button are activated using a laptop during the sexual act. 2. The sexual act is recorded and stored on the laptop. 3. The sexual act is shared to a trusted partner or social media and BOOM there is a viral video.”

And then she added this: “Usually the sharing of such a video with sexually explicit images of individuals to social media and online spaces is without the permission of the actors. The sexually explicit videos are usually selfies or made by a partner of an intimate or non-intimate relationship with or without their knowledge. Revenge Pornography has injured many people and is a common cybercrime in Zambia. So why has this video leaked to social media?” she asked.

Politicians, mostly from the opposition, were some of the first people to comment on the matter.

They unanimously called for Mr Mabumba’s dismissal.

Mr Mabumba has not issued any statement or appeared in public since his nude images went viral.

Producing or circulating pornographic materials is a criminal offense in Zambia.

The Zambia Police Service has not yet commented or made a move over the matter.

Just yesterday, Mr Mabumba was on state television, talking about the impact of the Corona Virus on the education system and what measures his Ministry had put in place to help pupils in examination classes continue learning.

Over the past month, dozens of pornographic videos have been leaked in Zambia, exposing several young ladies who are said to have been sending them to their loved ones.

Zambia’s President Pardons Gay Couple

By Paul Shalala

The two men talk to their lawyer Daniel Libati shortly 

after they were convicted in Kapiri Mposhi in 2018.

-Picture courtesy of The Punch

Six months after they were sent to jail to serve a 15 years sentence, two men who became the first Zambians to be convicted for homosexuality are now back home, thanks to a Presidential pardon.

Steven Sambo and Japhet Chataba found themselves among 2,984 prisoners who were pardoned by President Edgar Lungu on the eve of African Freedom Day (Africa Day) which was observed on Monday.

According to the Government Gazette number 6,874 published on Friday last week, Chataba and Sambo are listed as number 2,561 and 2,562 respectively on the list of pardoned prisoners.

In August 2017, the two men found themselves in a bitter fight at a lodge in Kapiri Mposhi where they allegedly had sex.

Kapiri Mposhi is a transit town in central Zambia which has had three court cases involving homosexuals, two of which ended in acquittals.

In a video which went viral on social media in 2018, Chataba was filmed forcibly dragging Sambo back into a room at a lodge as he allegedly tried to run away from his partner.

As the two men fought each other and ended up back in the room again, lodge workers and onlookers filmed the episode on their mobile phones, footage which later proved to be critical evidence during trial. 

The Government Gazette which carries names of 

those pardoned, including Sambo and Chataba.

A day after the incident, the two men were arrested and charged with practicing what the Penal Code describes as “unnatural acts.”

During trial which took a year, several witnesses were called to the stand.

They included workers at the lodge, a medical doctor and the arresting officer.

It was alleged that the two men had carnal knowledge of each other.

Sambo and Chataba were convicted by the Kapiri Mposhi Magistrate’s Court on 3rd August 2018 but were only sentenced by the High Court in November 2019.

The 15 year sentence sparked a diplomatic row between Zambia and the United States of America.

Then US Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote expressed support for the two which led to a sharp reaction from the Zambian government.

Later, the United States government recalled Mr Foote back to Washington, DC.

According to the Penal Code, homosexuality is illegal in Zambia and it carries a 15 year sentence.

Zambia is a largely conservative country which outlaws homosexuality.

Its powerful church mother bodies do not approve of homosexuality.

However, the country has a handful of organizations which champion the rights of homosexuals who are estimated to be in their hundreds.