Category Archives: Community News

A village headman in Chieftainess Mkanda’s area of Chipangali district has commended Government for reverting back to the conventional distribution of farming inputs.
Speaking to Breeze FM, Headman Mugamphula who is also chieftainess Mkanda’s Induna says the decision by government to go back to the old system will allow farmers access farming inputs early.
Headman Mugamphula adds that some farmers could not buy farming inputs in good time because their accounts were not activated.
The induna says many farmers in the chiefdom have welcomed the decision by government to get back to the old system of supplying government subsidized inputs.
He says some farmers up to now have not received their money through the e-voucher system.

Fifty pupils at Kasonjola Primary School in Chipangali district have become beneficiaries of a donation of school requirements.

The donation, which was made by an organization called Young Happy Health and Safe included pens, pencils, exercise books, school shoes and uniforms.

And the Ministry of Education in Chipangali district has thanked the organization for the donation, stating that it will go a long way in helping orphans and vulnerable children to stay in school.

Chipangali District Education Board Secretary Felistus Nkoloma however, cautioned guardians against grabbing the donated items from the vulnerable children to give to their kids.

Meanwhile Young Happy Health and Safe Chief Executive Director Zikhalo Phiri says his organization will continue providing support to various schools in Eastern Province

World Vision Zambia has flagged off the distribution of goats worth over 1.8 million Kwacha to vulnerable households in Nyimba and Katete districts.
World Vision, National Director, John Hasse says the project is meant to contribute to poverty reduction and improve the lives of most vulnerable households in the area.
Mr. Hasse stated that the goat pass-on project will allow many families and communities to benefit from the investment which will bring sustainable spiral effect of benefits to all households in rural areas.
And Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Chanda Kasolo says the goat value chain development will promote the participation of small and medium enterprises in the growth of the economy.
The goat pass-on project which involves over 3,000 goats was flagged off at Luangwa Bridge Quarantine Centre in Nyimba district.

The Zambia Women National Team has qualified to the semifinals of the 2018 Cosafa Women Championship.

This is after a 3-0-win thrashing of Mozambique in the final Group B match played yesterday.

Zambia will play Cameroon tomorrow in the semifinals after the West Africans qualified as the second best placed team across the three groups while South Africa takes on Uganda.

Three of the semifinalists have qualified to the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by Ghana.

Meanwhile FAZ President Andrew Kamanga and the Executive Committee have congratulated the Zambia Women National Team and Technical Bench for qualifying to the semifinals of the 2018 Cosafa Women Championship.

Kamanga said the ladies had done the country proud with their victory in three matches without conceding a goal.

The FAZ chief has urged the team to remain focused and aim even higher at the tournament.

President Edgar Lungu has given Secretary to Cabinet Roland Msiska, seven days, to take decisive action towards curbing all malpractices in the administration of the Social Cash Transfer programme.

President Lungu has also directed Minister of Community Development, Emerine Kabanshi and her Finance counterpart, Margaret Mwanakatwe, to continue their engagements with donors.

ZANIS reports that President Lungu says the two ministers should assure donors of the remedial measures that government has been undertaking since the reported cases of misuse, earlier this year.

The President has further regretted that the comprehensive report on the administration of the social cash transfer funds ordered four months ago, was only availed to him on Friday last week.

Reports indicate over 43.8 million accounts as an outstanding balance owed to beneficiaries in Luapula, Northern, North-Western, Muchinga, Western and Copperbelt provinces respectively.

The Head of State has directed that all remaining actions and remedial measures be availed to him within one week.

President Lungu has also raised concern over the reported breach in the administering of the Social Cash Transfer, saying the perpetrators are disadvantaging the vulnerable in society who depend on this vital safety net.

And President Lungu says he is just as frustrated as the donors, funding the programme because the main aim of the project is to ensure that the plight of the vulnerable in society is met.

On September 5^th, 2018, the Secretary to Cabinet led a government delegation to a meeting with donors, where measures being undertaken to address the problems encountered in the SCT programme were shared.

Some drivers in Chipata district say the introduction of the Direct Deposit System in the Zambia Police Service will not help end corruption among traffic police officers.

The Zambia Police Service over the weekend, launched the Direct Deposit System in Eastern Province, where members of the public will no longer pay direct cash to police officers when paying a fine.

This means members of the public will now be required to deposit the money directly into bank accounts at commercial banks.

But the drivers told Breeze FM that the system is a failed project, because charges for the fines are too expensive.

Edward Phiri and another driver, who opted to remain anonymous, say that due to exorbitant charges, which drivers are paying for fines, many people, who can’t manage, will still be negotiating with officers on the roads.

They say the system can be implemented effectively if the fines are reduced.

The Patriotic Front PF Party in Eastern Province has cancelled the decision by councilors in Kasenengwa, to choose a vice chairperson for Kasenengwa district council.

PF Provincial Acting Chairperson Joseph Kolosa says constitutionally, councilors blundered in choosing a vice chairperson for Kasenengwa district council because the council does not have a chairperson.

Speaking to journalists, after PF officials held a meeting with councilors yesterday, Mr. Kolosa says once a council chairperson is elected, the ruling party will direct, who amongst the councilors will be elected vice chairperson.

Mr. Kolosa says councilors had chosen Chiparamba ward councilor Gladys Soko as vice Chairperson for Kasenengwa district council, while Chipata City Mayor Sinoya Mwale had allegedly given a directive that his deputy becomes a vice chairperson for Chipangali district Council.

He says some party officials have proposed Kanjala ward councillor William Phiri to take the position of deputy mayor for Chipata City Council.

Mr. Kolosa says the party will assemble and look at the recommendation, stating that people feel that Mr. Phiri is capable of providing positive checks and balances to the mayor.

With the tobacco set to officially open today, some farmers have continued expressing worry over the long distances they will have to walk to sale their crop.

Some farmers in Vubwi and Lundazi districts have complained that the situation has been worsened by the poor state of roads that connect the two districts to Chipata.

Alfred Banda of Chief Mwasemphangwe’s area says the decision by TBZ, the Tobacco Board of Zambia to allow only two floors to open will disadvantage farmers.

Mr. Banda also called on authorities to find companies that can buy tobacco from private growers.

Meanwhile, Chief Chanje says two companies have indicated to him their interest to buy tobacco from independent growers.

The traditional leader says the companies have also already announced their prices, which are very good.

He, however, could not mention the names of the two companies.

The Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry EPCCI says Zambia should work on becoming a productive economy, if it is to benefit from the recent continental trade agreement.

EPCCI President, Thomas Mtonga, says while the agreement will remove the trade barriers between African countries, Zambia will not benefit if it continues being a consuming economy.

He told Breeze FM News that the chamber has always advocated for Zambia to have an opportunity to market itself outside.

Mr. Mtonga says there is currently very little trade that takes place within African countries, while those in other continents trade among themselves.

Mr. Mtonga says while the free trade agreement will come with a lot of benefits, Zambia should find a way of positioning herself in such a way that it does not become a dumping site of goods from other African countries.

He says if Zambia can start processing some of its raw materials instead of exporting them raw, more money will be coming into the country from other African countries.

Mr. Mtonga says the country should also invest in branding of local products and making them unique in order to secure a good share of the African market.

Women in Lundazi district have been urged to go for cervical cancer screening.

Lundazi District medical director, Davy Wadula Zulu, says cervical cancer is a dangerous disease that claims over 500 lives of women in Zambia every year, but can be cured if discovered in the early stages.

Dr. Zulu explained that as a way of encouraging the majority women in the district to get screened and put on treatment, his office has put up interventions to assist those that are unable to visit health facilities on their own, to get screened.

He says among the interventions put in place are the mobile outreach screening of women in the rural parts of the district and sensitization on the importance of screening, especially those who are HIV positive.

Dr. Zulu adds that the interventions have so far proved to be effective as his office has been observing a lot of women coming through to get screened.

He has called on other non-governmental organizations to come on board and support the initiative of preventing deaths caused by cancer.