South African Businesses Close As Zambian Students Protest Xenophobia

Students light fires at the South African High Commission
in Lusaka -Picture by Salim Dawood/Getty Images

By Paul Shalala

Dozens of South African businesses which include banks, chain stores, food outlets and a television provider have been temporarily shut down in the Zambian capital Lusaka as thousands of students protest xenophobia taking place in South Africa.

First National Bank (FNB), Shoprite, Multichoice (DStv), Hungry Lion, Barclays, Pick N Pay and several other South African owned companies closed yesterday as placard carrying students went on the streets of Lusaka.

The students, who wore black clothes in solidarity with victims of xenophobia, disrupted lectures at the University of Zambia (UNZA) before going on the streets.

They marched along the Great East Road, a major boulevard in Lusaka and stormed the Manda Hill Shopping Mall were they smashed the Shoprite store which is the largest in the country.

At Hungry Lion, the students walked away with umbrellas and also got away with trolleys from Pick N Pay which they rode on.

In their thousands, the students entered Addis Ababa Drive and walked 15 kilometers to the South African High Commission under the watchful eye of heavily armed riot Police officers.   

As they arrived at the High Commission, the UNZA students were joined by hundreds of students from Evelyn Hone College, a tertiary institution situated in the central business district of Lusaka.

The High Commission was locked and heavily guarded by Police.

Students could not physically deliver their petition to South African diplomats.

Students marching on the streets

This forced the students to burn tyres and deface the sign post for the diplomatic mission.

At some point, Police officers tried to stop the students from lighting the tyres which led to students unleashing missiles on the High Commission.

This led to a cat and mouse fight of teargas verses stones between the students and the Police.

Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo arrived at the mission and arranged transport for the students to be ferried back to the Great East Road Campus where he later calmed them down.

Zambia National Students Association (ZANASU) President Misheck Kakonde said the petition which was not handed over was meant to give the South African government a two day ultimatum to stop the xenophobia.

“We are now fed up with the behavior of South Africans and we may respond with the same amount of force on your businesses and investment in our country Zambia. ……..The South African government is proving to be docile in managing their thugs…..” reads part of the petition.

The petition, which contained 11 demands, claimed that 39 Zambians in South Africa had been injured and some may have even lost their lives.

“If your government does not do anything within two days, your High Commission in Zambia shall be closed for eternity…… No South African businessperson shall bring any products to Zambia…….. First National Bank (FNB) and other South African banks shall not be allowed to operate…..” read some of the demands by the students.

Reaction to the students protest was swift.

Smashed doors at Shoprite Manda Hill Branch

The Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa clarified that only one Zambian by the name of Daniel Lupiya was caught up in the xenophobic attacks.

Mr Lupiya was hacked in the head and was admitted at Gemiston hospital.

The High Commission says it is following up another report of Mr Siachingi Sialubaya, a truck driver, who is reported to have been attacked in KwaZulu Natal.

President Edgar Lungu condemned the violence by the students but warned that xenophobia can affect African unity.

“Criminal gangs engaged in brutalizing innocent people must know that their actions may cause the isolation of South Africa from the rest of the civilized world. The South African government must bring the culprits to book before this xenophobia degenerates into full scale genocide,” said President Lungu.

According to the Zambia Development Agency, South Africa is among Zambia’s top five trading partners.

The country imports a lot from South Africa and Zambia exports a good number of products to that country.

And most of South Africa’s exports to the Democratic Republic of Congo passes through Zambian borders by road.

Three days ago, the Football Association of Zambia cancelled a friendly march with South Africa due to the xenophobic attacks.

The game was supposed to be held in Lusaka but thousands of Zambians took to social media to call for the cancellation of the game.

The following day, the Economics Association of Zambia also pulled out of the World Economic Forum to be held in Cape Town, South Africa.

Closure statement by Multichoice

And two South African rugby teams JHB Bobbies and the Blue Bulls which were supposed to travel to Zambia for the Zambia 7s tournament have also cancelled their trip.

In the capital Lusaka, one of the most popular private radio stations Hot FM has pulled off all South African music from its playlists.

”In light of the xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, Hot FM will cease to play music by South African artists on our airwaves until further notice. Africa is one and until such a time that our South African counterparts embrace ubuntu again, our stand will be with all our African brothers being attacked and terrorized in that country,” reads a statement from the radio station.

The South African High Commission in Zambia is yet to issue a statement following these developments in Zambia.

Across the continent, Nigerian singer and song writer Tiwa Savage and Ugandan comedian Teacher Mpamire have also cancelled their shows scheduled for South Africa.

Kitwe Farmer On Protest Walk To Lusaka Over Land Dispute

By Paul Shalala

Mr Soper walking along the Kitwe-Ndola
Dual Carriageway yesterday

A 62 year old white farmer and businessman of Kitwe has embarked on a lone walk from Kitwe to Lusaka to protest against Northern Province Permanent Secretary Elias Kamanga who he accuses of grabbing part of his farmland.

Kevin Soper embarked on his 360 kilometers journey yesterday at 05:00hrs and hopes to reach State House in Lusaka at the end of next month.

Speaking in an interview while walking along the Kitwe-Ndola Dual Carriageway yesterday, Mr Soper said he wants to go and plead with President Edgar Lungu to intervene in the matter.

Mr Soper claims that Mr Kamanga got 600 hectares of his land and obtained title without his consent.

"Am married to a wonderful Namwanga wife, we have 13 children and nine grandchildren at the farm," he said.

Mr Soper's wife was a councillor for Limaposa ward in the MMD era and she served at the same time when Mr Kamanga was also a councillor in Kitwe.

He has complained that his efforts to have the matter resolved at the Kitwe City Council and the former Copperbelt Minister Bowman Lusambo did not yield results.

"Am walking to Lusaka and this is the only way I can get the President's attention. The system at local government and provincial level has failed me, i want him to intervene," said Mr Soper.

Asked whether he was fit enough to manage the over 300 kilometres walk at his age, Mr Soper said God will help him.

"I hope to be walking 25 kilometres a day and making one day offs and i reckon reaching Lusaka at the end of April. I ask Zambians to pray for me on this journey. This is not about me, its about equity and justice for my beloved country that's why am wearing this Zambian scarf"

Mr Soper lives in Kitwe south where he says his family settled in the 1950s but the ownership of his farm has become a controversy.

Pastor Mufunga escorts Mr Soper as they walked
Near Zamtan junction

He is a holder of title deed number L10166 issued on 20^th April 2000 but this document was cancelled when the Supreme Court ruled against him and former Wusakile Member of Parliament Barnabas Chella who claimed a huge piece of land in the area.

Later, the Kitwe City Council offered Mr Soper and Mr Chella part of the land and the rest was advertised to the public.

Though the late lawmaker accepted the offer and legalised his land, Mr Soper rejected the offer, insisting the whole land which has been subdivided by the Kitwe City Council belongs to him.

Sadly, Mr Chella was hacked to death in 2013 by squatters who encroached on this same land.

This subdivision of the land has seen about 20 people buy and set up farms in the area.

And Mr Kamanga happens to be among the people who bought land there and this is what has prompted Mr Soper to go on a lone protest to Lusaka.

In the early stages of this walk, Mr Soper was escorted by Pastor Kaputa Mufunga of Amazing Grace Ministries who kept preaching to him as they walked.

"I have been praying for him for a long time so that he can live in peace with his family. Even on this journey, i will keep praying for him," said Pastor Mufunga as they walked side by side.

But when reached for a comment over the phone, Mr Kamanga cleared himself from the allegations saying he genuinely acquired the land.

"That gentleman has been maligning me for a long time. I have not grabbed any land from him. I genuinely got my land from the Council, paid all service charges and got a title deed from Ministry of Lands. The council advertised that land after a Supreme Court judgement and i happened to be among the many who applied and were allocated the land," said Mr Kamanga. 

Meanwhile, the Kitwe City Council says Mr Soper's allegations are not genuine because he does not hold title to the land where he claims people have encroached.

Mr Soper walking towards Kamfinsa

"It is not true that Mr Kamanga grabbed land. He applied for that land from the Council and if my memory serves me right, there were 20 applicants who benefited. And this happened way before the current government.  It was the Council term 2006 to 2011," said Kitwe Town Clerk Bornwell Luanga in an interview.

But Mr Soper's walk to Lusaka was short-lived as he was picked by armed Police officers at Kamfinsa junction.

He was later taken to Kitwe Central Police Station where he was advised to make a notification for a demonstration. 

But according to Zambia's Public Order Act, a person or organization which wants to protest must give a 14 day notice to the Police.

This means that Mr Soper's lone walk to Lusaka may have to wait until the Police gives consent to his notice.

Zambia Air Force Joins In Fight Against Army Worms

Army Worms eating grass

By Paul Shalala

Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu has deployed the Airforce to join in the fight against army worms which have so far attacked maize fields in six of country’s 10 provinces.

Army Worms attack in their thousands and they eat and destroy any vegetation on their way.

The creatures have wrecked havoc in maize fields.

Maize is Zambia’s staple crop which millions of citizens eat on a daily basis.  

According to a statement by President Lungu’s press aide Amos Chanda, the head of state has directed the Zambia Air force, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit and the Ministry of Agriculture to curb the spread of army worms.

“The Zambia Air Force has since began to airlift chemicals to Ndola on the Copperbelt, Chinsali in Muchinga Province, Kasama in Northern Province and Chipata in Eastern Province. The District Agriculture Coordinators for Lusaka, Luapula and North Western Provinces have already collected the chemicals,” stated Mr Chanda.

He revealed that the President had directed that the chemicals that were purchased under emergency operations should be distributed to all parts of the country.

“The President is concerned that if the outbreak of the worms is not controlled speedily, the crop yield for 2016/2017 may negatively be affected. He has assured farmers that all provinces will receive the chemicals,” he stated.

The army worms were first spotted in Kitwe District on the Copperbelt last month.

Within two weeks, the worms spread to the whole district and by last week they had destroyed over 300,000 hectares of maize.

This forced the district administration in the area to buy and distribute cyclone and nimbecidine to farmers to help them halt the spread of the army worms by spraying it in the fields.

Last week, Agriculture permanent Secretary Julius Shawa confirmed that nine of the 10 districts on the Copperbelt had already been invaded by the army worms.

“Farmers who are suspicious of any creatures in their maize fields must report to the nearest agricultural office. Those who are sure its army worms, please buy cypermethrin at any nearest agro shop and spray,” said Mr Shawa.

Army worms were first reported in several parts of Zambia in 2013.

That time, they destroyed maize fields and left farmers with losses.

Since the directive was made yesterday, the Zambia Air Force has continued flying the chemicals to various provinces.

The allocation for the Copperbelt landed in Ndola yesterday and today, Provincial Minister Bowman Lusambo is physically distributing the chemicals to Lufwanyama, Mpongwe and Kalulushi Districts.

10 Zambian Ministers In China For Developmental Tour

The Zambian ministers upon arrival in China last week

By Paul Shalala

Zambia’s 10 Provincial Minister are on a 10 day visit to China to learn how that country has pulled millions of its citizens out of poverty.

According to Zambia's constitution, Provincial Ministers, who are either elected or nominated Members of Parliament, are at the same level with Deputy Ministers and they do not attend Cabinet meetings.

The Ministers, who left for the Asian country over a week ago, are meeting various delegations of Chinese investors, learning how they are boosting that country’s manufacturing sector.

And China’s Assistant Commerce Minister Bingnan Wang told the ministers on Tuesday that trade volumes increased by 18.4% between January and September 2015 pushing the amount of trade between the two countries to $US 2.1 billion

According to Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dorcas chileshe who is travelling with the Ministers, Mr Wang said 570 Chinese companies had invested in Zambia in agriculture,  manufacturing,  mining, ICT and other sectors.

And Zambian delegation leader Nathaniel Mubukwanu expressed appreciation to the Chinese government for having extended an invitation to the Zambian delegation to participate in the 2016 Ministerial workshop.

Mr Mubukwanu, who is also Western Province Minister,  informed the Chinese Minister that the increase in trade volumes in 2015 was as a result  of Zambia 's business reform improvements.

He expressed confidence that the workshop would accord his delegation  a deeper appreciation of how China had accelerated her development over the last 30 years.

Part of the ministers in class in Beijing

Last week, Copperbelt Province Minister Bowman Lusambo shared on social media some of the lessons he and his fellow ministers are learning in China.

“I was elated to learn that Agriculture is a vital industry in China, employing well over 300 million farmers. The country is the number one producer of rice, wheat, potatoes, tomato, sorghum, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, cotton and oil seed including soyabeans,” said Mr Lusambo in a posting on Facebook.

During the visit to China, the Zambian delegation will visit various companies in and outside the Chinese capital Beijing.

The ministers have since concluded their tour of Beijing and have moved to Shandong province on their continued tour of the Chinese countryside to meet more potential Chinese investors.

Zambia and China have been long standing partners since the southern African country’s independence in 1964.

China built the TAZARA railway which links Zambia to the Tanzanian port of Dar Es Salaam which handles the country’s oil imports.

The Asian giant has also invested millions of dollars in infrastructure projects in sectors such as agriculture, roads, stadiums, schools, mines and health.

Over the past 10 years, China has become a major player in Zambia with its ruling Communist party forging closer ties with each successive government.

On a tour of Beijing Guchuan Food Company

This has included exchange visits by party functionaries to learn various political theories and policy issues in China.

High level Chinese delegations, including the visit by that country’s Vice President in 2014, have been to Zambia to cement the two countries’ relations.

Zambia has also benefited from several concessional loans and currently, Chinese companies are building two modern international airports in the capital Lusaka and in the second city Ndola.

Within Ndola, the Chinese built the 60,000 capacity Levy Mwanawasa stadium which they gave free of charge to the Zambian government a few years ago.

Meanwhile, the number of Chinese nationals living and working in Zambia has increased over the years.

Last year, the Zambian Ministry of Home Affairs disclosed that there were 19, 845 Chinese citizens in the country.