Masumba Launches North West Talent Identification Programme

By Paul Shalala in Mufumbwe

Stephen Masumba showing off his sports skills

Former Sports Deputy Minister Stephen Masumba has launched a provincial talent identification programme in the North Western Province to help youths get selected for national team football tournaments.

Masumba, who is also Mufumbwe Member of Parliament, says the talent identification programme will involve all districts in the province and sports experts will be invited to pick potential national team players.

Speaking when he addressed over 10 football teams at Mufumbwe Council Chamber, Masumba said this year he will host the Julius Masumba Football Tournament which will act as an avenue for the talent identification exercise.

"I have decided to host the Julius Masumba Foorball Tournament in July this year to honor my father. We will have activities at our house in Kizela then we go and have a football march between Kasempa and Mufumbwe Districts," he said.

 

He said in the coming years, the tournament will involve all districts in the province and football experts will be engaged to pick talented footballers to be engaged at national level.

Hunger Looming As Elephants Destroy Crops In Mufumbwe

By Paul Shalala in Mufumbwe

A group of over 100 elephants from the Kafue National Park has invaded the southern part of Mufumbwe District in the North Western Province, destroying maize fields and sending terror among the 500 residents.

An Elephant in a maize field

The elephants, which invaded Shungulu, Lalafuta and Kalengwa areas, have completely destroyed this year's maize crop, raising fears of starvation in the area.

Mufumbwe District Commissioner Emma Mankishi, who has rushed to the affected areas to asses the extent of the damage, has decribed the situation as a disaster.

Mrs Mankishi has since written to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit to immediately send relief maize to Mufumbwe to help feed the affected people.

Meanwhile, President Edgar lungu has authorised the Zambia Airforce to send a helicopter to Mufumbwe District to help the District Disaster Management Team visit the affected areas and respond to the crisis.

Mufumbwe Member of Parliament Stephen Masumba says the helicopter is expected to be in the district at the weekend.

Stephen Masumba

Mr Masumba, says the helicopter will also help the authorities in assessing the damage caused to washed away bridges in the southern part of his constituency.

 Meanwhile, The Kalende Prison Farm in Mufumbwe has this year produced an estimated 600 bags of 50 KG bags of maize.

So far, only two hectares from the 11 hectares have been harvested and the ban is almost full.

Maize produced at this Zambia Prison Service run farm not only feeds prisoners in Mufumbwe but also those who are incarcerated in Kabompo, Solwezi and Zambezi districts.

Analysis Of Soon To Open 4th Session Of The 11th National Assembly

Moses Muteteka

By Paul Shalala

The first meeting of the fourth session of the 11th National Assembly  opens in Lusaka on Friday this week.

As per tradition, President Michael Sata is expected to open it and give policy direction to the nation for the year 2015.

This session's first meeting is expected to run from September to around December and is commonly refered to as the Budget session because of the presentation of the 2015 National Budget which will be done in October.

Wynter Kabimba

For those pushing for a new constitution, all eyes and ears will be focused on Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda to find out how much money will be allocated towards the constitution making process.

Stephen Masumba

Major changes are expected to be noted on the floor of the house as the house opens in a ceremonious manner.

Chawama member of Parliament Edgar Lungu, who was recently appointed Justice Minister after the dismissal of his predecessor Wynter Kabimba, is expected to sit on the Vice President Dr. Guy Scott's right hand side.

Alexander Chikwanda

This is because in the Cabinet Flow Chart, a Defence Minister, a position Mr Lungu also holds, is junior to that of Justice Minister and Mr Lungu may move from the left hand side of Dr Scott where he sat in the last session to the right hand side.

6 new members of parliament will be sworn in following their victories in by-elections held in the past two months.

Edgar Lungu

The new MPs are Victoria Kalima of Kasenengwa, Christabel Ngimbu of Zambezi West, Margaret Miti of Vubwi, Davies Chisopa of Mkushi South, Dawson Kafwaya of Solwezi Central and Liambai Lingweshi of Mangango Constituency.

The coming in of the 3 female MPs will push the number of female lawmakers in the house from 17 to 20.

The composition of party numbers in the house will also change as political parties shared seats in recent by-elections.

The ruling party which won 4 of the 6 recent by-elections will
now have 74 elected MPs and 7 nominated MPs bringing the total to 81 MPs in the house.

Davies Chisopa

However, President Sata is yet to choose 1 nominated MP to replace Mr Kabimba whose nomination to parliament is said to have been revoked upon his dismissal as Justice Minister.

Patrick Mucheleka

The former ruling party MMD's numbers have now dropped to 37 MPs after it lost 3 of its seats to PF and UPND.

The UPND has maintained its seats at 32 despite losing Zambezi West which it compensated with Solwezi Central, a seat it snatched from MMD.

The opposition ADD and FDD will maintain their single seats each.

The house will also remain with two independent MPs Patrick Mucheleka of Lubansesnhi and Charles Zulu of Luangeni constituency.

Felix Mutati

The failure by all opposition political parties in the house to reach the 52 minimum threshold, means the house will continue operating without a Leader of the Opposition and parties will rely on their respective Party Whips.

The last Leader of  the Opposition was Felix Mutati (Lunte MP) when MMD had more than 52 MPs a year ago.

Charles Zulu

With pending cases in court, 5 seats will remain vacant as the house opens on Friday.

These include Malambo, Petauke Central and Mulobezi which are pending in the Supreme Court following the nullification of the elections of their previous lawmakers.

Mufumbwe member of parliament Stephen Masumba and his Chisamba counterpart Moses Muteteka will keep staying out of the house following their respective appeals in court over their jail sentences.

The next session of parliament will be interesting as the composition of the house will be totally different from the set up the house initially started with in 2011.