LETTERS - Youth Fund, Floods, Financing UNZA, Zesco
Why raise our hopes?By Jerry Shamapande Lusaka
Thursday January 31, 2008 [03:00]
I wish to register my disapointment over the Youth Empowerment Fund which was advertised with fanfare in September/October 2007 with the intention of empowering youths with business ideas but lacked the means to raise money.
As an applicant, I had to go through a rigorous process to fill in the application form and also spent at least K110,000 on registering and application forms as demanded. Multipy that by hundreds, if not thousands of youths who applied, at least K100,000,000 was raised by the government from many hard-pressed youths. But since then, we have heard nothing.
From enquiries made, it would appear that the money has not been disbursed to any youth group. My question is; what is going on, and why raise our hopes so much only to crush them again?
Is it any wonder that youths in Zambia just roam the streets aimlessly even though they have bright ideas that collectively can make a difference to the revival of our economy? Can someone from the Ministry of Youth please tell us what is going on?
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=36964
Floods
By Patrick Edward Zulu
Thursday January 31, 2008 [03:00]
The floods that have hit most parts of our country have been a source of concern for almost every Zambian and their devastating effects should serve as a wake-up call to our leaders in government and all members of parliament.
What has caused this is the tendency by our political leaders of waiting for a calamity to occur before providing solutions to foreseeable disasters. Currently, the governmet and defence force are busy trying to put up the drainage system in Kanyama. But this should not end there.
The government should extend this service even to areas currently not affected and have no proper drainage system. This is because such disaters come without warning and next time it may be another area.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=36894
2008 budget
By Kazhila Chinsembu,Windhoek
Wednesday January 30, 2008 [03:00]
I have just finished reading the 2008 Budget speech that hopes to unlock more fattening resources for the political hosts in government and their ectoparasites. Under education, the speech does not mention the University of Zambia, yet we all know how deplorable the infrastructure at UNZA is. And hopefully, the government will this year pay UNZA retirees their terminal benefits which they have been owed for 5 years now.
With the looming electricity crisis, coupled with the anticipated impacts of climate change (natural disasters like floods and drought), the 2008 budget has no specific allocations that answer to the high levels of preparedness required to mitigate these threats. But that is budgeting the Zambian style, a country where the biggest disaster is the government, whose policies have hiked rural poverty to 80 per cent.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=36966
Dig deeper on Depo Provera
By Dishon Mhon MDJ
Thursday January 31, 2008 [03:00]
The government should be held responsible and must explain the truth about Depo Provera, a widely used family planning contraceptive injectable drug. As things stand now, Zambians fear for their lives following the recent revelation by health minister Brian Chituwo that the drug contains some contaminant that is further alleged to be the HIV virus.
Surely, there is no need for government to downplay this issue because it borders on human life which is a sacred gift from God. Not too long ago, Ministry of Health announced that one of the ARVs called Viracept, which people had taken for a considerable period, was found with a contaminant and the then minister urged health institutions to quarantine the drug.
Therefore, it is imperative for the government to follow up the matter with the manufacturers of Depo Provera and tell the nation the truth about it. Zambians will not fold arms and be told that everything is under control when their lives are in great jeopardy.
I am sure we have enough medical pundits who can assist the country with reasonable clinical investigations before we declare Zambia a dumping site or indeed a grave yard.
And may someone tell the nation as to whether there are no medical or pharmaceutical investigations done on any drug that finds its way into the country?
Then why should we have organisations tasked with the responsibility of quality assurance when they can't do anything to protect lives of Zambians. I mean it's illogical to detect dirt only after people are contaminated and their lives threatened.
Truthfully speaking, it will be difficult for the public to gain confidence in our health institutions and I propose more funding to be channelled to traditional healers than hospitals. If anything, we should now expect a very high birth rate. Who knows what the vaccines being freely given to our innocent children may contain.
I earnestly appeal to the government to dig deeper, unearth the truth behind Depo Provera and safeguard the lives of dear Zambians.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=36965
Zesco's responsibilities
By Murray Sanderson
Thursday January 31, 2008 [03:00]
How far, if at all, should Zesco be held responsible for the damage caused by the recent nation-wide power failures? The answer to this question must await the findings of the enquiry announced last week by the Energy Regulation Board. But this is the right time to say that the enquiry should be open to members of the public, who should be free to give evidence. Its proceedings and findings should on no account be kept confidential by ERB and the government.
Nothing must be hidden or swept under the carpet. The long-suffering public is entitled to full information. It is not too early to comment on the company’s treatment of its customers. Even if the evidence given to the enquiry exonerates Zesco from negligence or technical incompetence, there can be no excuse for the company’s present utter disregard of customers.
It is perfectly possible to programme load shedding, and to announce publicly which areas will be affected and for how long. Users of electricity must receive warning, so that they can minimise the inconvenience and dislocation, and protect products and equipment.
As for harm suffered by customers, whether caused by equipment failure or deliberate power cuts, there can be no question of the utility claiming immunity.
For anyone to state that Zesco will not pay compensation is extremely presumptuous. The law, quite rightly, gives no blanket protection to suppliers of electricity.
posted by MrK @ 6:34 AM
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