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.

PAMOS Media Consultancy Trains 91 Journalists In Six Provinces

Copperbelt journalists pose with certificates after the training

By Paul Shalala

The Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) has commended PAMOS Media Consultancy for training journalists in budget tracking and investigative journalism as a way of promoting transparency and accountability in the utilisation of public funds.

Speaking yesterday when he addressed journalists from across the Copperbelt during a two day workshop organised by PAMOS Media Consultancy in Kitwe, Mr Sakala said the workshop has come at a time when Zambians expect more from the media.

“I wish to commend PAMOS and its funders the American government for organising this workshop. This training comes at a time when the public wants to know how its money is being spent. Is the money being spent wisely? These are the questions the public is asking” asked Mr Sakala.

The veteran journalist urged journalists to do their watchdog role by following up all money which is channeled towards development.

Mr Sakala said the fourth estate’s role of being the watchdog for the society will ensure that they also scrutinise the procurement process and expose any weaknesses or corrupt activities.

Jubiel Zulu poses for a photo after our training in Lusaka

 

 

 

He also challenged journalists to not only follow up on the national budget but also for the budget for local authority.

“Do we know the budget for the Kitwe City Council? We need to spread our coverage to the local authority too. We need to know what is being spent on the roads, the parks and garbage collection,” he said.

Mr Sakala is a veteran media trainer and journalist whose last editorial position was News Editor at the Times of Zambia.

On Monday, Democratic Governance and Human Rights Advocates (DEGHA) President Gerald Mutelo was the facilitator during the first day of the training.

Mr Mutelo trained the journalists in the budget cycle and made them do practical exercises in budget tracking.

Nine journalists from across the Copperbelt attended the training.

American Corner Coordinator Pamela Mutale officially opened the training on Monday.

Ms Mutale urged the journalists to familiarise themselves with the American Corner which has alot of resource books for journalists who need research on various issues.

The American Corner is located at the Copperbelt University's Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies.

Some of the journalists from Western Province who were trained

"I encourage you to be visiting us from time to time. We do publicise fellowships and grants which can be of interest to you. These are opportunities which can change your career path and benefit you," she said.

The Copperbelt becomes the sixth province to host the United States-funded trainings since the project started in November 2017.

Journalists in Lusaka, Southern, Eastern, Western and Central Provinces have already been trained.

Next month, PAMOS Media Consultancy will be in the North Western Province to conduct a similar training before heading north to Luapula, Northern and Muchinga Provinces in the coming months.

The trainings will conclude in September this year.

United States exchange alumni Paul Shalala and Christabel Mwango have been funded by the US government through PAMOS Media Consultancy to train at least 100 journalists in budget tracking and investigative journalism in all the 10 provinces of Zambia.

From the six provinces covered so far, 91 journalists have been trained.

Shortage Of Doctors In Zambia Now Hits 3,000

By Paul Shalala in Ndola

Patients queing at Kanyama Clinic in Lusaka

Long queues at clinics and hospitals are a normal occurrence in Zambia, a country that is plagued by various diseases such as HIV/AIDS, cholera and malaria.

The lack of enough man power at health facilities is part of the problem that has led to patients queuing at health facilities for long hours.

In rural areas, the situation is even worse as patients walk several kilometers from their villages to the clinic and spend more hours waiting to be attended to.

Some critically ill patients die on their way to the hospitals due to lack of proper roads and ambulances in rural areas.

And in some health facilities, there are no trained medical personnel to attend to patients.

In some areas, cleaners and office orderlies who are not trained in medicine, attend to patients and give out prescriptions.

Currently, Zambia has 1,500 doctors and has a shortage of 3,000 more.

At the University Teaching Hospital, Zambia’s largest health referral center in Lusaka, doctors are overwhelmed with work.

Some give out appointments to patients six months or a year away.

This situation has led to patients dying as they wait for their appointments.

And some doctors have also started running their own private clinics to cash in on the shortage of doctors.

According to some patients, doctors give them long appointments or encourage them to visit their private clinics where there are no queues and they can be attended to the same day.

According to the World Health Organisation, the normal doctor-patient ratio is 1 doctor per 5,000 patients but Zambia has one of the most abnormal doctor-patient ratio which now stands at 1 doctor per 12,000 patients.

At present, Zambia only has two government run institutions that train doctors plus a few private ones and their output is not enough to reduce the deficit in the coming years.

The University of Zambia and the Copperbelt University produce about 200 doctors per year and at the rate at which these medical personnel seek greener pastures abroad, the number of doctors in Zambia may not reach the required level.

To try and mitigate this problem, the Zambian government and the Jewish Council of Zambia have partnered to construct a school of medicine in the northern city of Ndola which is projected to produce doctors on an annual basis.

The School will be under the Kitwe-based Copperbelt University whose current School of Medicine is squatting at the Ndola Central Hospital were there is inadequate space for students.

The US$5 million project has already progressed and is scheduled to be completed in June 2015.

Sogecoa Zambia Limited, the Chinese construction company which is constructing the school, is scheduled to complete phase one of the project in June and hand it over to government.

Professor Kasonde Bowa

Dean of the School of Medicine at the Copperbelt University Professor Kasonde Bowa says it can take Zambia over 15 years to produce the 3,000 needed doctors if nothing is done to improve the training of doctors.

“Currently, the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University will take over a decade to offset the deficit. But with the new school of university under construction, it will only take less than 7 years to normalize the doctor-patient ratio,” said Professor Bowa.

According to the plans by the Copperbelt University, the School of Medicine will be producing 250 doctors and 50 dentists on an annual basis.

This effort, though a bit insignificant, will help beef up the numbers for medical personnel in Zambia to reduce the long queues patients have become used to when they are seeking medical attention.

Zambia's Dream Of Producing Its First Plane On The Cards

By Paul Shalala

Professor Clive Chirwa

The Copperbelt University (CBU) and the Zambia Airforce (ZAF) are later this month commencing the first ever intake of aeronautical engineers who will study aircraft manufacturing and maintenance and possibly make a plane.

Copperbelt University Dean of the School of Engineering Clive Chirwa  says the first intake will comprise of 22 students who have been drawn from both Zambia and abroad.

Professor Chirwa says following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between ZAF and CBU , the dream of Zambia developing its own plane is now a reality.

"We have a team of 22 students who will commence class on 22 April this year. This is a dream come true. We hope to develop our own plane soon," said Prof Chirwa.

He also disclosed that Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola and Kalulushi Airstrip will be transformed into a school of aviation where both civilian and military pilots will be trained.

Using the latest Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), pilots and aeronautics engineers will be based at the two institutions for their high tech training.

The training of these specialists is expected to boost the country's tourism and aviation sectors.

The ICT sector is also expected to be boosted by the technology to be used and the training of personnel who will be working in this sector.

"We are starting with Bachelors Degree with Honours at the Copperbelt University and will also offer Master of Science and PhD by Research in Aeronautics which is not being offered anywhere in Zambia," he said.

With government’s plan to re-introduce a national airline in the near future, the aviation school may be the missing critical component.

Prof Chirwa is a distinguished academic in the field of Structural Crashworthiness and Impact loading engineering. 

He previously served as Zambia Railways Chief Executive Officer.

"We hope that with time, we will be able to design and build our own plane which can make Zambia proud," he added.