Sinyinda advises Chipepo residents against marrying off daughters
By Sandra Lombe in Siavonga
Sun 20 June 2010, 04:00 CAT
HEADMAN Sinamugulu of chief Chipepo’s area has disclosed that his 19-year-old daughter has been stopped from going back to school by a man that eloped with her.
This came to light when education deputy minister Clement Sinyinda toured and monitored progress on schools being constructed and those completed in the area.
Sinyinda urged the community to educate girls and discouraged parents from marrying off their daughters at an early stage.
“You will benefit more if you educate a girl. Educate girls you will not go wrong. Women don’t allow your husband to marry off your daughters. Bring them back to school, even those with children,” he said.
And Noah Chisamu, who is headman Sinamugulu, said he really wanted his daughter, Ark Chisamu, to get back to school but her husband could not allow her despite them being on separation.
“I can’t understand, I took the case to Chipepo local court, but the court ruled in favour of the boy, the court has refused that she goes back and said my daughter is married so I shouldn’t disturb her. The boy (Hilton Siakanomba) that eloped with my daughter does not want her to go back to school,” he said.
Chinamu said Siakanomba who was in grade nine eloped with his daughter in 2008 and had a child with her.
“He is at school and my daughter is with me. He says it’s just a break down, but he doesn’t want her to go to school. He is scared that she will be educated and meet other people. The child is over 2 years old and she can go back to school. I am willing to take her back to school. She stopped in grade seven but I want her to go back,” said Chinamu. “We are scared of courts.”
But Sinyinda expressed happiness that there were parents willing to take their children back to school.
“Together we must send that child to school, you have a right to go to magistrates’ court because she eloped and you didn’t agree. You and your child are protected by law,” Sinyinda told Chisamu.
And Siavonga district commissioner Fred Siasuntwe told Chisamu to appeal against the local court’s judgment.
Labels: CHIEF CHIPEPO, CLEMENT SINYINDA, WOMEN
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Get out of my boat, Sinyinda tells UN VIPs at Kuomboka
By Moses Kuwema in Mongu
Mon 19 Apr. 2010, 04:00 CAT
EDUCATION deputy minister Clement Sinyinda on Saturday publicly embarrassed United Nations resident coordinator Mcleod Nyirongo, UNDP country director Viola Morgan and other UN staff by chasing them from the speedboat, which he claimed was his.
The incident happened during the build-up to the Kuomboka ceremony in the morning at Mongu harbour as Nyirongo and Morgan were heading to Lealui to see off the Litunga. The eight-seater boat was assigned to Nyirongo and Morgan by Western Province deputy permanent secretary Seth Muleya who assured the duo that everything was well.
But when the UN team led by Nyirongo got on the boat, Sinyinda suddenly appeared and demanded that the crew move out of the boat because it belonged to him.
At this point, Kuomboka ceremony Lusaka organising committee chairman Professor Oliver Saasa tried to explain to Sinyinda about Nyirongo and Morgan’s positions and the need for diplomacy on his part.
In response, Sinyinda said, “I know who they are but I’m just expressing myself. So let them get out of my boat.”
Nyirongo and Morgan, who were accompanied by their spouses, then got out of the boat and had to wait for another speedboat.
And on Friday, Western Province permanent secretary Ikanuke Noyoo appealed to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and the hostels board to address the issue of inflated accommodation rates during the period of Kuomboka.
Speaking when Nyirongo paid a courtesy call on him at his office, Noyoo said it was unacceptable for lodges and guesthouses to hike rates during the Kuomboka ceremony.
“The hiking of services is just the question of greedy and poor business skills, the other thing also could be that we don’t have industries,” Noyoo said.
Noyoo said over K1 billion was pumped into the province during the Kuomboka ceremony.
Accommodation rates in Mongu during the Kuomboka ceremony ranges between K800,000 and K3 million for rooms which are normally pegged at K100,000 and K500,000 respectively.
Noyoo also said there was low condom use in the province because people had a casual attitude.
And Nyirongo said his visit to the province was focused on HIV and AIDS because he wanted to check on areas where the government could do better.
Nyirongo said in the last four years, the UN had been supporting District AIDS Coordination Advisors (DACA) and the Provincial AIDS Coordination Advisors (PACA).
“We have been told that one of the drivers of HIV and AIDS is culture and as we go round we shall try and focus on these areas to help the government do better,” said Nyirongo.
Labels: CEREMONIES, CLEMENT SINYINDA, MCLEOD NYIRONGO, UN, UNDP
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Government calls for modernization of higher education
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 17:34
“The RUINS“ University of Zambia student residence
Government has called for urgent renewal, revitalization and modernization of high education in the country.
Education Deputy Minister Clement Sinyinda says the failure to address the three issues would make it difficult for higher education and graduates to synchronize with the current national expectations and needs in the country’s economy.
Mr. Sinyinda says the country needs a higher education that will stand up to acceptable international benchmarks in scope and quality.
He was speaking at the launch of the Private Universities Association of Zambia in Chisamba today.
Mr. Sinyinda said there was need for both private and public universities to strive to offer higher education that fits the needs and aspirations of the country.
“Universities must therefore examine carefully the status of programmes they are offering and how or what they hope to contribute in our current social and economic context,” said Mr. Sinyinda.
He appealed to both public and private universities to set clear standards and benchmarks in the degree programmes they offer.
The Deputy Minister emphasised the need for universities to also set standards in course content, performance and examinations against which external reviews would be conducted.
Mr. Sinyinda added: “Today university students need strong academic support to access knowledge, to enable them perform better and achieve higher. Modernized libraries with internet, Wifi; and online access to journals, books, and specialized publications are very essential in today’s academic and student life.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Sinyinda has expressed concern at the quality of hired lecturers and the conditions of employment in some of the private universities.
He said there was need for the Private Universities Association of Zambia to seriously address the qualitative issues inorder to enhance the image of the member universities.
Mr. Sinyinda noted that some individuals and organisations have ignored government regulations on establishing Private Schools and have gone ahead to set up schools illegally.
He said Zambia’s legal provisions on private participation in the provision of education are clear and must be followed by all private players in the education sector.
Speaking earlier, interim president of the Private Universities Association of Zambia, Professor Dickson Mwansa said the launch of the association is of great significance in the country’s higher education and government’s efforts to increase access and inclusion in higher education.
Prof. Mwansa said the nation’s demand for higher education is justified by the urgent need to revitalize the economy for growth and sustainable development.
He said the diverse range of economic activities in the country, requires the development and provision of requisite high level skills and competences to drive the economy.
“As our country’s economy grows and gets more complex, there is need for high-level skills-skills in critical analysis, quality and effective leadership in all sectors, strategic planning and management, policy-making and problem-solving,” noted Prof. Mwansa.
Prof. Mwansa assured that private universities in the country will aim to provide higher education that will respond to the needs and challenges facing the country.
The association will among other things, ensure quality of education in all private universities in the country.
ZANIS
Labels: CLEMENT SINYINDA, EDUCATION
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