Author Archives: Mwape Martin

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.