MISA Zambia, Airtel Train Copperbelt Journalists In New Media

Some of the journalists who attended the training

By Paul Shalala

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Chapter says the increase in people  accessing the internet has come with new problems.

The regional body says the increase in internet usage in the country has led to some people posting unverified news which has put the journalism fraternity in an awkward position.

MISA Zambia Information and Research Officer Kamufisa Manchishi says there is need for journalists to be professional and objective to help bring sanity to online publications.

Speaking during a recent provincial media workshop on New Media and Information and Communications Technology in Kitwe, Mr Manchishi said there was need for journalists to be on top of the game.

“Journalists must be seen to be more professional than people who just post stuff online without verifying. Our job is to provide credible news and information on the internet, not spreading rumours,” he said.

He said this in the wake of recent cases were unverified news of fake deaths of prominent people were circulating online.

To try and equip Copperbelt-based journalists with latest skills in new media and ICTs, MISA Zambia and Airtel Zambia organized a two day workshop where over 30 practicing journalists and some trainees were trained in new media skills.

Yuyo Nachali-Kambikambi addressing the trainees

Airtel Zambia Manager for Corporate communications Yuyo Nachali-Kambikambi said journalists needed to be up to date with the latest trends in the industry.

“Journalists of nowadays need to be quick in delivering news. They also need to be equipped with the latest skills which the internet has brought. This is why Airtel Zambia has partnered with MISA Zambia to ensure that we give you the latest skills in ICTs,” said Ms Nachali-Kambikambi, herself a former journalist.

And Northern Region Media Club Chairperson Misheck Wangwe said the need for new media skills on the Copperbelt was an urgent matter for journalists.

“We are operating in an era where everyone who has access to the internet is now a journalist. It is a difficult time. But the duty is on us professional journalists to bring sanity to the internet,” said Mr Wangwe.

Journalism lecturers Elastus Mambwe and Youngson Ndawana from the University of Zambia ‘s Mass Communication Department tutored the journalists in various courses over the two day period.

Some of the courses tackled were writing for the internet, media ethics, blogging and how to research on the World Wide Web.

With over six million Zambians having access to mobile phones, pressure is now mounting on journalists and media organisations to satisfy the thirst for news on the internet.

This is due to the fact that the number of citizen journalists is increasing and the spread of fake news on the internet is increasing at an alarming rate.

How Christians, Jews, Muslims Fought Apartheid In Cape Town

Cape Town from a hotel window -Picture by Sixtus Mbom

By Paul Shalala in Cape Town, South Africa

Some have called it the ‘white man’s city’ others call it the ‘Afrikaner’s city’ though it is officially known as Cape Town.

My two hour flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town last week on Sunday was a bit shocking as I found myself among hundreds of white people in a huge Boeing plane operated by South African Airways (SAA).

Less than 15 people in the plane were black, the rest were of course Afrikaans-speaking people who rarely spoke English.

Actually, SAA has more flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg than any other domestic route.

This is the reason why the airline has deployed some of its biggest planes on this route.

Upon landing at Cape Town International Airport, for those of us who are used to Johannesburg which is predominantly black, we got amazed to see how white the city is.

Most of the people alighting from planes, those taking off, waiting and those who work at the airport are white.

When you move to the town center, almost everyone is white except bus drivers, guards and those who sweep the streets.

Indeed this is the ‘white man’s city.’

Even the provincial government in the larger Western Cape is predominantly white, led by the Democratic Alliance, a party which many say is for the whites though it recently elected its first ever black leader Mmusi Maimane.

Cape Town was founded by Dutch settlers in the 1600s and they were later joined by the British and Indians.

The indigenous black tribes like the Xhosa who lived in the area where pushed to the fringes and today, the city is almost white except a few settlements like Langa which are predominantly black but are barricaded by huge fences.

But what role did the people of Cape Town play in fighting apartheid which was practiced by the South African governments from 1948 until the early 1990s?

Once you ask such a question, opinion leaders here tell you that religious leaders were in the forefront of the struggle.

This blogger and a dozen other journalists from across Africa were last week in Cape Town to learn how religion is influencing the news media on the continent.

Lucky enough, the team visited a church, a synagogue and a mosque to speak to religious leaders on every aspect of life in Cape Town.

Their first visit was to Saint George’s Cathedral, the church where the revered Archbishop Desmond Tutu was installed and served the Anglican faithful of Cape Town for 10 years.

St. George's Cathedral - Pictures by Winnie Kamau

The church is located on Wale Street and has a commanding position over the city’s central business district.

The 1,300 capacity structure is what many refer to as Cape Town’s symbol of resistance against the apartheid.

It is this Anglican building where blacks sought refuge every time they were teargassed and beaten by the racist government in the past decades when segregation was legal in Africa’s largest economy.

Due to its historical significance, St. George’s Cathedral attracts thousands of tourists on an annual basis.

The cathedral is named after its first Archbishop.

On this tour, Mary Van Blerk, a volunteer tour guide, took us round all the corners of the building.

For an hour, the old lady explained all the aspects of the building from its construction, to the installation of Archbishop Tutu and the fight against apartheid.

“Construction of this cathedral started in 1901 and it was only completed in 1913. Most of the materials used in this building were from the colonial master Britain. Even the architecture is colonial,” said van Blerk.

Moving around the cathedral, I got a sense of the connection between the British Empire and the Anglican Church.

Flags from previous wars

Most of the corners of the cathedral are decorated with pictures, plaques and flags of fallen British soldiers from the Anglo-Boer wars and other battles fought in South Africa.

These decorations had inscriptions of the actual battles fought, the years and dates.

The British Royal family is also included in the decorations.

Plaques of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to the cathedral in March 1995 and that of his son Prince Charles in November 2011 are also on display.

Asked about the role played by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the cathedral and Cape Town as a whole, van Blerk had this to say.

“Archbishop Tutu was installed in this very cathedral in 1986. On that day, we had 1,300 people who filled the cathedral to capacity. He was Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 until when he retired in 1996. He is very much loved and was a powerful figure during the apartheid era. It’s a pity he is now old and frail.”

Some of Archbishop Tutu’s notable quotes about human rights are printed on windows for visitors to read.

Archbishop Tutu is not the only celebrated church leader at St. George’s Cathedral.

The ashes of Archbishop Geoffrey Clayton, who was in charge of the Cape Town Archdiocese in 1948 when apartheid became law, are buried in the cathedral.

The archbishop’s wish was to have his ashes buried there as a protest to the racist law which barred blacks from being treated as equal citizens with whites.

In the northern side of the cathedral is a human size sculpture of the second Archbishop of Cape Town William Jones.

It is one of the items which attracts thousands of people to the cathedral.

Another crowd puller is the throne for the Archbishop which was donated and shipped from Westminster in London.

This steel structure used to serve as the seat for the Archbishop and it is the one where Archbishop Tutu sat on during his installation 30 years ago.

But today, the throne is a ceremonial item as the Archbishop seat with congregants.

Touring the cathedral is free of charge and taking photos is allowed.

Tourists from within South Africa and abroad visit the cathedral daily.

According to church records, authorities spend R10, 950 in running costs per day.

The church meets these costs through donations from the public and church collections.

Our next stop on the tour was the Great Synagogue of Cape Town which is adjacent to the South African Jewish Museum.

Rabbi Feldman talking to journalists in the synagogue

There, Rabbi Feldman, who is originally from Australia, explained the history behind the Jewish community in the area.

“This synagogue was the first in South Africa. It was built in 1841 and earlier this year we celebrated 175 years,” said Rabbi Feldman.

He explained that among the first Dutch settlers to Cape Town were some Jews who immigrated from The Netherlands.

He says they built this Syanagogue for worship and for generations, they have been making donations to maintain it.

From stained glass windows to chairs and tables, Jews have been donating items to make their place of worship look attractive.

Asked about the Jewish community’s contribution to the fight against apartheid in the country, Rabbi Feldman said Jews were in the forefront of the struggle against racism.

“Helen Sazman was the first South African Member of Parliament to challenge apartheid. She was a Jew. If you remember the Rivonia trials, 16 of the suspects were Jews. Even when Nelson Mandela was released from prison, the first house where he went was owned by a Jew.”

Before wrapping up the tour, the last visit was to the 222 year old Auwal Masjid, the first mosque to have been built in southern Africa.

The mosque has stood the test of time and has been part of the Cape Town community for over two centuries.

Malawian-born Ismail Muhammed is the mosque’s caretaker and explains the history behind the building.

Ismail Muhammed kneeling on the left

“This mosque was originally built by Imam Tuan Guru, a Malaysian muslim cleric who was exiled from Malaysia to Robben Island. He served his jail term on the island for 13 years and upon his release, he was given land by a woman and he decided to build a mosque in 1794,” said Mr Muhammed.

According to Mr Muhammed, Imam Guru gave the authorities in the Dutch East Indies (now Malaysia) a tough time due to his uncompromising stance hence their decision to banish him to Cape Town’s infamous offshore island.

The mosque caretaker adds that Iman Guru also built a madrassa where hundreds of muslim children attended school.

He said since then, muslims have been worshipping there and it has become a symbol of the Islamic community in South African.

On apartheid, Mr Muhammed revealed that a number of muslims from Auwal Masjid paid the ultimate price during the fight for the restoration of democracy in South Africa.

Visitors taking selfies at the mosque

“We have a number of our members who were killed because of being against apartheid. These people were heavily involved in the struggle.”

The Auwal Masjid was one of the first religious sites former South African President Nelson Mandela visited upon his release from prison.

After this four hour two of religious sites in Cape Town, it was clear to me that apartheid did not just affect the blacks and Indians.

It was also an impediment to religious freedoms.

The role that Christians, Muslims and Jews played in fighting this unjust law and system in South Africa showed that race should never ever be used as a basis for judgement as humans are one irrespective of their colour.

This tour revealed to me that Cape Town is not “The white man’s city” but actually it’s a multi-racial and multi-religious city.  

Muhsin Hendricks: The World's First Openly Gay Islamic Cleric

Imam Muhsin Hendricks -Pictures by Robert Wanjala

 By Paul Shalala in Cape Town, South Africa

He is a man who was married to a woman and had three children but divorced her and later married a Hindu man.

Imam Muhsin Hendricks is the world’s first Islamic Cleric to come out in the open that he is gay.

He is a well trained Islamic cleric who studied classical Arabic and Islamic Sciences at Jamia-Dirasat Al-Islamiyyah (University of Islamic Studies) in the Pakistani city of Karachi between 1990 and 1994.

Childhood and first marriage

Iman Hendricks was born 49 years ago born in Landsdown, Cape Town in South Africa.

In a wide ranging interview he recently gave me and some reporters in Cape Town, the cleric says he started noticing traits of homosexuality in his life at the age of five.

“At five, I started playing with toys for girls. And in my teenage years, I found myself loving men. 

My father never spoke about my sexuality and that gave me some peace,” said the Imam.

He claims that when he completed his clerical studies, he was forced to marry a woman.

“They forced me to marry a woman because there is a belief that an Imam cannot be without a woman. The same woman was very much in love with me.”

However, that marriage did not last.

In six years, the couple had three children and they later divorced.

Divorce and Gay Marriage

After the divorce, the cleric says his children suffered as they faced discrimination based on his sexuality.

His two daughters have since been married and he says he has a good relationship with them.

Soon after the divorce, Iman Hendricks says he went into prayer and fasting to find a way of surviving within Islam.

He dated a Hindu man for five years before they got married.

The couple has now been married for five years.

 “My ex-wife and I have since moved on. I have married a Hindu man and I know I again broke the rule. We have since adopted two children. My former wife has married another man and they have two children,” he said while laughing.

Making History as first Gay cleric

Imam Hendricks says after years of reflection and research, in 1998 he decided to come out of the closet and openly declared his sexuality which made it to the front pages of South African tabloids.

He became the world’s first Islamic cleric to openly declare he was gay and since then, a few other Islamic leaders in France, the USA, Canada and Australia have followed suit.

In 2004, the Imam went further to form The Inner Circle, a non-governmental organisation which is championing the rights of homosexuals in the Islamic world.

“The organisation offers a lot of help to homosexuals in Islam. We plan to start training our own Imams who will not be preaching against homosexuality. We currently have 18 trainers in several countries were we support other gay muslims.”

The organisation also creates what they call safe spaces for Islamic homosexuals where they can feel free to live and strengthen the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

The All Inclusive mosque

Iman Hendricks with the author during the interview

Within Cape Town, the Imam runs his own mosque where gays worship from and women are allowed to also say their prayers inside the mosque, in contrast with mainstream Islam were women don’t enter the building.

“Women do not cover their face when coming to our mosque. Both queers and straight people come for Friday prayers.”

Since 2011, Iman Hendricks has been conducting same sex marriages for muslims and people of other faiths in his mosque.

Opposition from Muslim leaders

Since becoming openly gay, the Imam’s activism has also taken him to the mainstream media.

In 2007, he released a documentary titled “A Jihad for Love” which was received with huge opposition and the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa even issued a fatwa against him.

A fatwa is an instruction issued by an Islamic authority on an issue seen to be against Islam.

In some countries, fatwas have led to followers issuing threats, causing violence and even killing people named in the fatwas. 

However, the fatwa against Iman Hendricks was not acted upon and he is still safe, travelling around the country and the world, spreading his version of Islam which embraces homosexuality.

This week he was scheduled to appear on a radio station in Durban to spread his activism.

But local muslim leaders blocked the program on account that he was no longer a muslim.

With 20 years of fighting for homosexuals within Islam, Imam Hendricks says he is not in conflict with his religion.

“Am in conflict with tradition and not Islam. I work with some Imams who are progressive in thinking. Islam does not say homosexuality is wrong, it is silent.”

Homosexuality in Islam

In a 30 minutes powerpoint presentation he made to reporters in Cape Town on Monday, Imam Hendricks quoted various scholarly works showing some poets who he claims were gay.

One of those highlighted was Abu Nawas whom he says praised teenage boys in some of his poetry.

He also showed a photo of gay men holding hands at an Islamic gathering which he says was drawn in 1798.

Asked why there are no known lesbians in Islam, the cleric said Islam is patriarchal and not much is said about women.

“The Quran says women must sit at the back not to distract men as they kneel to worship. Maybe this was done so that men do not look at women’s buts,” he said.

His organisation The Inner Circle is funded by among others, Oxfam South Africa and the Open Society Foundation.

Since he embarked on his crusade for Islam to embrace homosexuality, Imam Hendricks says he has no plans to make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca which he did before he became openly gay.

Zambia To Set Up National Cyber Security Agency

Chewe Mutale making her presentation

By Paul Shalala in Lusaka

Zambia is in the process of setting up the National Cyber Security Agency which would protect the nation from hackers who aim at disabling strategic industries and state institutions.

The agency will also be charged with the responsibility of protecting the nation from cyber espionage which has recently become common in the west.

Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) Cyber Security Officer Chewe Mutale says the National Cyber Security Agency is necessary due to the many hacking incidents which have been recorded in the United States recently.

“Hacking is now a national threat. There is also a shift from mere hacking to cyber espionage. This is the reason why the country will soon set up the National Cyber Security Agency,” said Ms Mutale when she made a presentation at the Internet Freedom Stakeholders Seminar in Lusaka on Wednesday.

The MISA Zambia-organised event attracted dozens of journalists, bloggers, civil society and cyber security experts who discussed various issues affecting the internet in Zambia.

In her presentation, Ms Mutale also said there was need for Zambia to formulate new cyber security strategies and policies which will help protect the nation from online threats.

She said Zambia should be ready to protect itself from cyber attacks of a national scale.

Currently, ZICTA is in charge of regulating the ICT sector and when a crime is committed online, the institution collaborates with law enforcement agencies to bring suspects to book.

On its own, ZICTA cannot prosecute people it finds wanting hence the need for the National Cyber Security Agency to do the job.

The last time Zambia was hit by a major hack on state institutions was in the 1990s when a lone hacker replaced then President Frederick Chiluba's image from the State House website with that of a woman.

The hacker was arrested and taken to court but he was released because the country had no law against hacking at the time.

The court verdict then prompted the genactment of a law on hacking which has since been amended a number of times. 

Zambia, Zimbabwean Youths Launch Social Media Campaigns Over Water, Health & Education

By Paul Shalala in Lusaka

Zambia & Zimbabwean youths advocating for #QualityEducation

A group of 26 youths from Zambia and Zimbabwe have launched three social media campaigns to raise awareness over a number of issues affecting residents of Lusaka.

The youths, who have been attending a five day training in Social Media and Advocacy in Lusaka organised by Global Platform Zambia, launched the three campaigns this afternoon.

The campaigns include #QualityEducationZambia, the Water Crisis in Mtendere and #Youth4SRH.

Earlier in the day, the youths, who were split into three groups, visited various places within Lusaka to document problems the residents were going through which they can use for advocacy.

The group which visited the University of Zambia, interviewed a number of students and those found on the Great East Campus over quality education.

"We got various views from people we interviewed. What we learnt was that people want quality education. They are saying quality education is beneficial to their careers," said Tigana Chileshe, a Zambia participant who gave a power point presentation.

Mtendere residents carrying containers of water

Tigana later unveiled the group's seven minutes documentary which showed youths calling for quality education.

Using the hashtag #QualityEducationZambia, the group wants to raise awareness for quality education as part of the drive for Zambia to attain the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number four.

Zambia is among the signatories for the 17 SDGs which are expected to be met by 2030.

In September 2015, world leaders who met at the United Nations in New York agreed to replace the Millennium Development Goals with the more robust SDGs.

Using social media, the nine participants from the first group hope to push for quality education every time they are online.

And in the second group, participants produced a four minutes video detailing the challenges residents of Mtendere go through when fetching for water.

The video showed residents queuing at a tap found at a filing station as there was no water in the neighourhood.

It also showed a business owner who was complaining about erratic water supply for his carwash.

Sammy Milapo interviewing Mtendere residents

"The people we interviewed complained that they have been reporting water shortages to relevant authorities but there is no action," said Sammy Milapo, a Zambia participant who unveiled the video during the training.

In the third group, participants visited Kalingalinga Clinic to check on the Youth Space which was created to accommodate youths when they come to access Sexual Reproductive Health Services.

However, the group was not allowed to film as they did not seek permission from the Lusaka District Health Management Team.

"We were however allowed to see the youth space even though we could not film. What alarmed us were the lack of activities for the peer educators who just sit there and wait for youths. Also, there is no proper signage for the youth space and it is a challenge for a youth to locate the place," said Nhlanhla Moyo, a Zimbabwean participant who gave a powerpoint presentation.

The group also plans to raise awareness about Youth Spaces and lack of good funding from government using the hashtag #Youth4SRH.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The documentary in which the youths from the two neighbouring countries called for quality education can be watched here: Quality Education: A Call To Action For Zambia

41 Year Old Kitwe Mother In Grade 12 Class With Teenage Son

Given (left) and her son Chishala (right)

By Paul Shalala

Her day starts at 05:00hrs like any other mother.

She sweeps the surrounding of her house and washes plates.

Given Mwila is a 41 year old mother of Kitwe’s Chimwemwe Township.

She is not just a mother, but also a school-going pupil.

She has three fully grown children and lives with her husband who at first did not believe she would ever go back to school.

Interestingly, Given is in the same class with her 19 year old son Chishala at Parklands Secondary School.

On every week day, they prepare for school together and leave home at around 06:00hrs.

Luckily for them, a neighbour owns a public service minibus which takes them to school.

He picks them up just outside their house at exactly 06:15hrs.

On this 20 minutes ride, they do not pay as the bus owner has made it a policy to help them out.

The duo usually arrives at school at around 06:35 ahead of class which starts at 07:40hrs.

Her decision to go back to school was not an easy one as school authorities had hesitated to accept her.

“I stopped school many years ago because I wasn’t interested. But a few years ago I decided to go back. Initially, the school refused but they later told me that I needed to start from Grade Nine. So that’s how I enrolled and wrote the examinations. I passed and continued until today,” said Given with smiles on her face.

Against all odds, she desires to become a nurse.

“I came back to school so that I can study to become a nurse. I have always wanted to be a nurse since childhood.”

Being a prefect and the oldest pupil at Parklands Secondary School, Given has become a darling to many pupils who are over two decades younger than her.

“I do not mind her age, we joke and talk a lot of stuff mostly about school,” said Fewdays Kalimu, a male classmate who identifies himself as Given’s best friend.

Another pupil said she treats Given as her mother due to her motherly advise on academic issues.

When this blogger went to Parklands Secondary School on Tuesday morning to conduct an interview with Given, he was shocked to see her mobbed by both girls and boys who took turns greeting and cracking jokes with her.

With her trademark smile, Given, who wears a green shirt for prefects, hugged the pupils in return and lovingly responded to their greetings.

Her son Chishala, who stood next to her during the interview, said he does not mind being in the same class with his mother.

“I have been learning with my mother for three years now. I treat her like any other classmate. We do home work together and I do not feel intimidated by her presence,” said Chishala.

However, the mother jokingly says she intervenes if her son misbehaves in class.

Given cleaning her surrounding before going to school

“If he misbehaves with his friends in class, I just point a finger at him and he behaves,” said Given as her son burst into laughter.

And school authorities have disclosed that they decided to appoint Given a prefect in order for her to continue being an inspiration to the young ones.

In an interview, Parklands Secondary School Headteacher Elizabeth Chumpuka praised the 41 year old pupil for her zeal to upgrade her education.

“We saw her maturity, determination and hard work that’s how we chose her as a prefect,” she said.

Given’s story has also been commended by Kitwe District Education Board Secretary Kezala Mwale.

“The young lady is an inspiration. Her decision to go back to school decades after dropping out is a signal that government’s re-entry policy is working. I wish to urge other girls to emulate her and go back to school to complete their education,” he said.

The re-entry policy Mr Mwale referred to is a government initiative which allows female pupils who drop out of school on account of pregnancy or early marriage to return to class after delivery or when they deem it fit. 

Given’s dream of becoming a nurse is just a few years away from being realised.

This year she is seating for her Grade 12 examinations and she is confident of pulling through.

Her determination is amazing and it is expected to make her a role model in a society where adults rarely go back to school.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was also aired on TV1's Newsline program on 14 October 2016 and it can be watched here: 41 Year Old Mother In Grade 12

United Nations And Civil Society Roll Out Sensitisation On SDGs

Chenai Mukumba giving her opening remarks

By Paul Shalala

The United Nations System in Zambia has pledged to support Zambia meet all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which President Edgar Lungu committed the country to last year in New York.

In September last year, President LUNGU was among dozens of world leaders who committed their countries to all the 17 SDGs which are aimed at fighting poverty and inequality in society.

The SDGs replaced the Millennium Developmental Goals.

UN Resident Coordinator Janet Rogan says the global body will support the government, Parliament and civil society in Zambia to ensure that the country implements strategies aimed at achieving the SDGs and developing the country.

Ms ROGAN says the United Nations has a lot of experience in developmental programs which it can use to help the Zambian government uplift the lives of its people.

She said this in a speech read for her by United Nations Development Program National Economist Elda Chirwa in Kitwe last week during the official opening of a symposium on localizing the SDGs in the northern part of Zambia.

And Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Howard Sikwela says attaining all the 17 SDGs will help in improving people’s lives.

Reverend Sikwela says government is committed to doing everything possible to meet the SDG targets which replaced the Millennium Development Goals last year.

Some of the participants at the symposium 

He said this in a speech read for him by Acting Kitwe District Commissioner Dr. Chikafuna Banda at the same event.

Meanwhile, the Civil Society Poverty Observatory Group says the high poverty levels and inequality in Zambia are worrying.

Organisation Chairperson Chenai Mukumba says the poverty levels can only be reduced if government and stakeholders work together to localize the SDGs so that they can have impact at household level.

Ms Mukumba has since called on District and City Councils countrywide to work together with the civil society and government to implement programmes which are aimed at fighting poverty in society.

The meeting brought together over 30 representatives of civil society organizations in five of Zambia’s 10 provinces for the one day symposium.

About five journalists from community radio stations on the Copperbelt, Luapula, North Western, Muchinga and Northern Provinces were part of the deliberations as a way of mainstreaming the SDGs in their news and programs.

“When I return to Mpika, we shall start a program on the SDGs. This program will enlighten people on these global goals and we shall utilize local non-governmental organizations to explain them to the masses,” said Allan Dumingo, the station manager at Mpika FM radio in Muchinga Province.

The 17 SDGs as explained on a pop up display

Another journalist Martha Musoka of Kasempa Radio said most of the station’s programs are on developmental issues and her participation at the symposium was going to benefit the station which is located in the North Western Province.

“We are the voice of the voiceless in Luapula Province. This workshop has come at the right time and it will help us explain the SDGs to the people, said Joyce Phiri of Radio Yangeni.

Having sensitized the civil society and media in the Northern Region, the United Nations will soon hold another symposium in Lusaka for the southern part of the country in the next three weeks.

The aim is to ensure that no one is left behind in the implementation of the SDGs which will ultimately translate into economic development and wealth creation.

Feasibility Studies For US$450 Million Kafulafuta Dam Commence

Part of the Kafulafuta river

By Paul Shalala in Masaiti

Feasibility studies for the US$450 million Kafulafuta Dam which is expected to benefit over 16,000 in Luanshya, Masaiti and Ndola Districts have commenced.

The construction of the Kafulafuta Dam in Masaiti District, which is funded by China,  is among three huge capital projects which President Edgar Lungu announced last year as part of his government’s drive to create 10,000 jobs on the Copperbelt.

The other two are the US$492 million Copperbelt 400 (C400) township road project and the US$397 million Greenfields International Airport in Ndola.

Tropical Environmental Management, a company which has been contracted by the Ndola-based Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company, has commenced its environmental impact assessment at the proposed sites in Ibenga area of Masaiti.

“We have already selected three sites where there is potential for a dam. We will soon commence our examination of soil samples, air and water so we can choose the best site. We will recommend the place which has minimal impact on people,” said John Simumba, Tropical Environmental Management’s Managing Director.

His team of three experts includes those who will look at the relocation of dozens of families who live just a few meters away from the Kafulafuta river.

The firm has 65 days in which it is to complete its environmental impact assessment which it is supposed to hand over to the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA).

Yesterday, the firm held a well attended scoping meeting in Ibenga which was attended by hundreds of residents, government officials and traditional leaders.

And Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company Managing Director Athanasius Mwaba disclosed during the meeting that the Kafulafuta Dam will increase the firm’s supply of clean running water to over 80,000 households in the three districts where the utility provides water.

“This dam will help us increase our water supply in the three districts. It will have a capacity of 125 million cubic meters of water which will supply Ndola, Luanshya and Masaiti,” said Mr Mwaba.

He also announced that still under the Kafubu Sustainable Water and Sanitation Improvement project, the utility will also construct another dam across the Mpongwe river to provide the first ever clean running water in Mpongwe District.

During the meeting, several residents who live near the Kafulafuta river expressed worry about compensation.

Others said they were not sure whether to start cultivating their fields or not due to the impending displacements.

“My complaint is about basic social amenities where you will relocate us to. Will we find roads, schools, hospitals and other facilities?” asked Evaristo Ngowani, a blind old man who has spent years at the government run Masaiti Blind Center which is 600 meters away from the stream.

Chieftainess Malembeka

Another resident Roydah Musonda had this concern: “Some of us have built houses, planted trees and spent money at our farms. Will we receive compensation for all these investments?”

But Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Howard Sikwela assured the residents that the project is aimed at increasing their access to clean running water and no one will suffer.

“Whoever will be relocated will be compensated. We do not want our people to be affected as if they are second class citizens,” said Reverend Sikwela.

Meanwhile Chieftainess Malembeka, whose chiefdom will host part of the dam, welcomed the development but urged Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company to ensure that locals are prioritised in jobs which will be created.

Her sentiments were also echoed by Senior Chief Mushili’s Administrative Secretary Evaristo Kaluba who urged government officials to fulfil all the promises they were making to Masaiti residents over the dam.

Zambia Courts IMF For Economic Recovery

Mr Mutati (Second left) with IMF officials after a meeting

By Paul Shalala

Zambia has commenced talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to find ways in which the Bretton Woods institution can help the southern African country emerge stronger from its current economic challenges.

The country is the world’s third largest producer of copper after Chile and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The newly sworn in Finance Minister Felix Mutati is in Washington attending the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank.

Today, Mr Mutati held closed door meetings with IMF officials and discussed Zambia’s economic recovery programme which he is championing.

“The minister said the country had a huge financing gap that was negatively impacting the country’s inflation rate worsened by low copper prices adding that the banking sector was currently holding up to 10 percent of bad debt. The Minister said the government would announce the economic recovery program in the coming budget,” reads part of a statement issued by Zambia’s embassy in Washington after the Minister’s closed door meeting.

A few days ago, Ministry of Finance Spokesperson Chileshe Kandeta announced that a team of IMF officials will be in the country this month to meet various stakeholders ahead of an expected financial bailout.

Zambia is heavily reliant on copper sales and the drop in its price has reduced the country’s revenue and increased in inflation.

A few months ago, the Chinese owned Baluba mine in Luanshya was placed on care and maintenance, sending 1,600 workers on forced leave.

Last month, African Rainbow Minerals which holds 40% shares in Chililabombwe-based Lubambe mine, announced that it was selling its stake due to low copper prices.

With this in mind, Mr Mutati, who is barely a month in office, has come up with an economic recovery plan which he hopes will resuscitate the economy.

The plan includes removing subsidies on a number of products in the coming years.