Posts in category: Uncategorized

By ELVIS MILAMBO

Government says smallholder farmers should adopt climate smart agriculture technologies to improve their farming practices.

Nyimba District Commissioner Paul Daka was speaking during the official opening of the field day organised by the Ministry of Agriculture in Nyimba, he said the adoption of climate smart agriculture contributes to national food security, reduces poverty and increases income.

He said climate smart agriculture is environmentally friendly and contributes to Zambia’s economic growth.

Mr Daka said environmentally harmful practices (monocropping, deforestation, harmful pesticides,uncrontrolled fires) should be discouraged by farmers.

Mr Daka has also urged seed companies in the country to help find solutions to combat fall army worms.-NAIS.

By MUBANGA LUCHEMBE

ONE trait that is synonymous with UPND politicians is their ability to shift the blame on persons, happenings, events, instead of taking full responsibility for their failures.

The blame-game tactic is a strategy they often use to perpetuate their intention to veil their political excuses. One thing they fail to note is that it’s the responsibility of anyone who calls himself or herself a leader to accept full responsibilities as well as build preventive measures against catastrophic outcomes.

By VITA BANDA

GOVERNMENT should stabilise fuel prices to address the high cost of living,  says Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) Executive Director Faidess TembaTemba

By NAMO PHIRI

Zambia Republican party President Wright Musoma says President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration are putting themselves in an awkward position for the 2026 general elections in the way they are treating the former first family.

CHITAMBO Member of Parliament, Mutale Chanda has bemoaned political interference in the application of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) by central government.

By NAMO PHIRI

Governance expert Wesley Miyanda says the government’s renewal of economic ties with the Brazilian government will add value to the economy.

Mr Miyanda says Zambia in its quest to grow the economy, like any other developing country has all the reasons to collaborate with and learn from developed countries such as Brazil, China, Turkey and many others.

“In its quest to grow the economy which will also lead to creation of jobs and business opportunities for citizens, Zambia has all the reasons to collaborate with and learn from developed countries such as Brazil, China and Turkey among others,” said Mr Miyanda

And Mr Miyanda expressed pleasure over the country’s pursuit of infrastructure development agenda aimed at supporting the socio economic transformation.

“It is indeed heart soothing to learn that Zambia is pursuing an ambitious infrastructure development agenda to support the socio economic transformation of the country,” said Mr Miyanda  He says this will also lead to the creation of jobs for Zambians especially the youth.

Government through collaboration with Brazil intends to utilize the Public-Private Partnerships model to implement infrastructure projects.

NAIROBI – The International Monetary Fund expects to disburse the next tranche of its $1.3 billion financing programme with Zambia “soon”, the managing director of the fund said.

Zambia, which was the major sovereign casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic and has been in default since 2020, is seeking to overhaul its debt in a slow process and it secured the IMF funding last August.

“What we are waiting is creditors of Zambia to agree on a path forward… We expect to be able to disburse for Zambia very soon,” Kristalina Georgieva told reporters in the Kenyan capital.

Zambia sent a debt restructuring proposal to its official creditors last month and Georgieva said they are set to meet next week to consider the proposal.

Ghana and Ethiopia have also sought to restructure their debts and Georgieva said the processes have been delayed by a “cacophony” caused by the diversification of creditors in recent years.

China is the largest bilateral creditor for many African nations including Zambia.

“The Chinese premier and former premier confirmed that Chinese were committed to debt resolution for Zambia when I met them,” Georgieva said.

Some 19 out of 35 sub-Saharan African nations are at or close to the risk of debt distress, Georgieva said, citing the impact of the pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine, high interest rates and weaker currencies.

But she ruled out the risk of Kenya slipping into default, despite acute pressure on its finances by rising debt repayment obligations.

“Kenya is definitely not among them,” she said, citing a sustainable debt load and solid hard currency reserves.a is the largest bilateral creditor for many African nations including Zambia.

– REUTER.

By HELEN WITTI

GOVERNMENT has called on investors to come and invest at Nansanga farm bloc in Central province.

Central Province Minister Credo Nanguwa has invited both local and foreign investors willing to invest in agriculture and value addition ventures  to come to Nansanga farm bloc in Serenje.

Mr Nanguwa said the government is continuing to implement a comprehensive agricultural transformation programmes to make the sector a viable commercial undertaking.

He said to grow the economy and create more jobs, there is need for increased value addition in all sectors of the economy.

He said there is need to add value to agricultural produce such as tomatoes, watermelons and butternuts, which often go to waste due to lack of facilities and factories that can help in the province.

Mr Nanguwa also revealed that government is working around the clock to revamp Forestcol fertiliser company to improve fertiliser acquisition challenges. – NAIS

Lundazi Patriotic Front Member of Parliament Brenda Nyirenda is living in fear after UPND cadres allegedly threatened they would attack her for donating mattresses to Lundazi District Hospital.

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema was yesterday among several world leaders who attended and witnessed the coronation of King Charles III in Britain’s biggest ceremonial event.

The coronation, which for seven decades, has been a sumptuous display of pageantry, dating back 1, 000 years, has attracted global leaders including Zambia’s President Hichilema who is currently in Westminster Abbey.

President Hichilema said it was a great pleasure and honour to have been invited to witness the coronation of King Charles III and described the evet as historical rooted in longstanding tradition, pageantry and Christian symbolism.

The Zambian head of State recalled that the last coronation took place about 70 years ago.

President Hicchilema said Zambia and the United Kingdom share long term historic ties and that he was looking forward to increased cooperation to create trade and investment opportunities for the benefit of Zambians.

“It was a great pleasure and honour to have been invited to witness this historical event, which is rooted in longstanding tradition, pageantry and Christian symbolism and last took place some 70 years ago.  Zambia and the United Kingdom share long term historic ties and we look forward to increased cooperation to create trade and investment opportunities for the benefit of our citizens,” President Hichilema said.

President Hichilema left Zambia for London on Thursday and on Friday, he held a brief bilateral meeting with his Botswana counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi. 

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that in front of a congregation of about 100 world leaders and a television audience of millions, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, slowly placed the 360-year-old St Edward’s Crown on Charles’ head as he sat upon a 14th-century throne in Westminster Abbey.

Charles automatically succeeded his mother as king on her death last September, and the coronation is not essential but regarded as a means to legitimise the monarch in a public way. – REUTERS