UPND To Picket Parliament Over 'Rebel' MPs

Greyford Monde

Richwell Siamunene

By Paul Shalala

The opposition UPND has notified the Zambia Police Service that its youths from Kabwata Constituency will picket parliament on 19th September to protest against two of its lawmakers who are serving as Deputy Ministers in the Patriotic Front-led government.

UPND Kabwata Constituency Information and Publicity Secretary Edmond Lifwekelo says the protest is against Itezhi-Tezhi MP Greyford Monde and his Sinazongwe counterpart Richwell Siamunene.

"Thee two Honourable MPs must know that they are in parliament because of the UPND and they must not insult HH who adopted them to contest elections in 2011," he said.

Mr Lifwekelo says youths from Kabwata want to protest against the two lawmakers' recent utterances against party president Hakainde Hichilema.

In his letter to the Police Lusaka Division Headquarters, Mr Lifwekelo assured that the protest will be peacefully. 

Mr Monde is serving as Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister while Mr Siamunene is Western Province Minister.

The two MPs have already been expelled by the UPND but they have challenged their expulsion in court.

Agriculture Liberates Thousands From Poverty, Claims Zambian Government Official

  By Paul Shalala in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Agriculture Deputy Minister Greyford Monde (below) says thousands of women and youths have been liberated from poverty through government's deliberate policy of encouraging people to venture into agriculture.

Mr Monde says through the Farmer Input Support Programme -FISP and the Citizen's Economic Empowerment Commission -CEEC Funds, government has deliberately helped women and youths to be empowered and thereby helping them move out of poverty.

He adds that women and youths are an integral part of government's development agenda and the thousands who have been liberated from poverty have been economically empowered to be self reliant.

The Itezhi-Tezhi Member of Parliament said this when he appeared on a panel discussion at the on-going Joint Conference of Ministers of Agriculture which is taking place at the African Union Headquarters.

Mr Monde says the Zambian government has also come up with a deliberate policy that encourages college graduates to venture into agriculture at a tender age.

He says entering agriculture when one has retired from employment is not productive as one's energy would have already been lost.

The two day Joint Conference of Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture which opened this morning, has attracted ministers from all African countries.

Mr MONDE is representing the Zambia government together with Local Government Deputy Minister Nicholas Mwale.

African Union Prioritises Zambia's Energy Projects

By Paul Shalala in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The African Union has prioritised the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya interconnector power project and the Batoka Gorge Power Project in Southern Province as way of reducing poverty in the three respective countries.

The continental body, says it has prioritised this interconnector because it has potential to lift millions of citizens from abject poverty and contribute to economic development.

According to the Africa-European Union Energy Partnership Status Report, the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya interconnector is among the six international power projects in Africa which the Africa Union wants to fund with the help of external partners to increase energy access in Africa.

The report was released this morning by Cross Border Information Chairman Jon Marks who compiled the report over a two year period on behalf of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership Secretariat based in Germany.

This was during the official opening of the Second High Level Meeting of the Africa-EU Energy partnership at the African Union Headquarters.

The Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya interconnector project is under the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa -PIDA which is being spearheaded by the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa's Development -NEPAD and the African Development Bank -ADB.

Meanwhile, the report has also revealed that the Batoka Gorge Power project in Southern Province has been put on priority together with the 120 megawatts Itezhi-Tezhi Power project in Central Province which was last year funded by the European Investment Bank to the tune of 50 million Euros through the ADB.

And Director of Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission Aboubakari Moussa says the continental body wants to ensure that the six priority prioritised projects under the PIDA project increase access to energy among African countries.

Speaking at a press briefing on the sidelines of the on-going Second High Level Meeting of the Africa EU Energy partnership in Ethiopia, Mr Moussa said Africa has huge energy potential which needs to be efficiently tapped.

And European Union Deputy Director for Development and Corporation Klaus Rudischhauser has revealed that the EU will this week announce an increase to its money allocated towards increasing access to energy in Africa.

Mr Rudischhauser says since the Africa-EU Energy partnership was formed seven years ago, the European Union has been keen to help Africa increase its distribution of energy to its citizens and contribute to poverty reduction.

40% Of Itezhi-Tezhi Power Station Completed

By Paul Shalala in Itezhi-Tezhi

Construction of the Itezhi-Tezhi Power Station is said to be moving at an impressive pace.

The US$250 million project is being implemented by the Chinese firm Sino hydro.

The project involves the construction of two generators which are worth 120 mega watts of electricity that will be added to the national grid.

350 Zambians have been employed alongside 100 Chinese who are working at the construction site.

Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda was on 18 December, 2013 was in Itezhi-Tezhi District to inspect the works.

Mr Chikwanda was told that 40 percent of the works were already done.

However, Itezhi-Tezhi Power Corporation Technical Manager Kelvin Kamwale expressed concern at the way funding is being disbursed by the four banks funding the project.

But Mr Chikwanda assured Itezhi-Tezhi Power Corporation that all financers have assured him that funding is safe and will be disbursed smoothly.

All equipment for the project are on site and parts of the components for the two generators have already already arrived in the country.

Sino hydro is expected to complete the construction and installation of the two generators by mid 2015.

The hand over of the project is expected to take place in October 2015 when the one hundred and twenty mega watts will be added to the national grid.


Currently, Zambia faces an energy deficit and huge parts of the country face loadshedding.


The addition of the 120 mega watts of electricity once the Itezhi-Tezhi Power project is completed, is expected to ease the country's energy crisis.

40% Works Done At Itezhi-Tezhi Power Station

By Paul Shalala in Itezhi-Tezhi

Construction of the Itezhi-Tezhi Power Station is moving at an impressive pace.

The US$ 250 million project is being implemented by the Chinese firm Sino hydro.

The project involves the construction of two generators which are worth 60 mega watts of electricity that will be added to the national grid.

350 Zambians have been employed alongside 100 Chinese who are working at the construction site.

Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda was on Wednesday in Itezhi-Tezhi District to inspect the works.

Mr Chikwanda was told that 40% of the works were already done.

However, Itezhi-Tezhi Power Corporation Technical Manager Kelvin Kamwale expressed concern at the way funding is being disbursed.

But Mr Chikwanda assured Itezhi-Tezhi Power Corporation that all financers have assured him that funding is safe.

All equipment for the project are on site and parts of the components for the two generators have already arrived on site.

Sinohydro is expected to complete the construction and installation of the two generators by mid 2015.

The hand over of the project is expected to take place in October 2015 when the 120 mega watts will be added to the national grid.