Highlight development stories, Inonge Lewanika urges media
By Abigail Sitenge
Mon 11 June 2012, 13:23 CAT
ZAMBIA'S former Ambassador to Belgium Dr Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika says the media should report more on developmental issues instead of concentrating on politics. In an interview, Dr Lewanika said the media in Zambia largely reported on politics yet there was a lot of development news.
"There is a lot of good work being done all over Zambia, good initiatives. There was that award called 'Women Celebrated' which UNFPA took all over the schools, we need to know more of that. So the media needs to cover development also and not only politics," she said.
Dr Lewanika said there was need for the media to play an active role in informing the masses on development matters because it would help the public to see role models.
"I have seen a bit of development stories. I saw a young man on TV who made a water pump. We need more of those examples because they trigger creativity and action. Now everything is politics; politics is very important but we need to do other things as well since not all of us can be in politics," she said.
Meanwhile, Dr Lewanika has expressed happiness with the increasing number of women holding senior positions in government, particularly the security wings.
"We are very happy about the appointment of more women in the Zambia Police, in the Army and the Zambia Air Force. So while the number of women MPs is decreasing, it's not government's fault. At least President Michael Sata has appointed more women leaders," said Dr Lewanika.
Labels: DEVELOPMENT, INONGE MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, PF
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Mpundu Trust Account
TIME PUBLISHED - Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 8:32 am
President Michael Sata has instructed the law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the US$ 1 million held in Mpundu Trust Account. The directive comes in the wake of revelations that Mpundu Trust has unexplained funds in one of the banks in the country.
“Information we have received is that Mpundu Trust is holding over US$1 million with one of our local banks. Considering the colossal amounts involved in this bank transaction, I strongly believe that it’s only fair and prudent for the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), in liaison with other law enforcement agencies to professionally and systematically investigate this matter,” President Sata said.
“Let it be known from the onset that the decision to probe Mpundu Trust is without malice or ill-motive but to simply set the record straight by ensuring that the due process of the law applies. We promised the Zambian people that accountability, transparency and fairness before the law will be the bedrock of our administration, this is what we are doing.”
In another related development, President Sata has directed the Minister of Finance, Hon. Alexander Chikwanda to ensure that billions of Government revenue which is lying idle in one of the local bank is reclaimed by the Ministry of Finance.
“There is a balance of K12.2 billion GRZ funds that must be moved to the Ministry of Finance Treasury Accounts and I want this to be done as soon as possible,” says the President.
Meanwhile, President Sata has expressed deep regret and sorrow at the death of Zambia’s Ambassador to Japan Dr. Mbikusita Wamundila Lewanika.
“Our dear brother, Dr Lewanika served this country diligently and devotedly in various government portfolios and this loss will definitely be felt by many,” the President said.
“Kindly convey on behalf of the People and Government of Zambia and indeed on my own behalf, our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the deceased’s family and friends.”
The President has authorised Her Excellency Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika, Zambia’s Ambassador to Brussels, who is also the deceased’s elder sister to travel to Tokyo on government expense to help with arrangements to repatriate the remains of the late diplomat.
Dr Lewanika died yesterday at 01:00 PM Tokyo time
Labels: AMBASSADOR, INONGE MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, JAPAN, MICHAEL SATA
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Lewanika calls for support to young entrepreneurs
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Thu 02 Sep. 2010, 14:40 CAT
ZAMBIA’S Ambassador to Belgium Dr Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika has said there is need to support young entrepreneurs with untapped but vital potential to contribute to economic development.
During the business awards ceremony on Wednesday night in Kitwe where YAPYA Youth Investment Trust Zambia disbursed K8 billion to 17 youth entrepreneurs on the Copperbelt, Dr Lewanika said young people were a productive and progressive force in addressing the pressing challenges of economic development.
Dr Lewanika, who is also YAPYA Youth Investment Trust Zambia board chairperson, said her organisation believed that young people had the answers not only for today but also the vision for the future.
“Young people should not be objects of answers to be provided for by others today for some mythical tomorrow that never comes, as YAPYA we believe that the sooner we recognize this challenge, the quicker the development path will be laid because YAPYA Youth Investment Trust Zambia believes that young people can drive the nation forward through their innovativeness in managing their businesses,” said Dr Lewanika.
“It in this spirit and reason that the organization is promoting large scale investment in young people to accord them opportunities to engage in employment and wealth generating enterprises and during my tenure and service as Ambassador to the USA, none of my contributions and none of the secured assistance has given me greater pride and pleasure than this and I hope to continue to seek support for youths as Ambassador to Brussels where I am also accredited to European Union , Netherlands and Luxembourg.”
And YAPYA chief executive officer Likando Mukumbuta said some of the objectives of the organization were to create employment opportunities for young people by providing enterprise development support, industrial intermediation and technical and vocational training.
Mukumbuta said the organization was established in 2007 and had an important goal of transforming young people into a driving force to reach the country’s vision of becoming a middle income nation.
Some of the financiers of YAPYA include Friends of Zambia, Imagine Nations Group, the African Development Foundation and the Nike Foundation, all based in the USA.
Labels: AMBASSADOR, ENTREPRENEURS, INONGE MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, SMEs, YAPYA YOUTH INVESTMENT TRUST
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IFMIS funding partners reserve comments on Dr Lewanika probe
Written by Kabanda Chulu and Masuzyo Chakwe
Thursday, May 14, 2009 3:55:12 PM
COOPERATING Partners to Zambia who are funding the US $24 million-IFMIS project yesterday asked for more time to comment on the matter involving ACC investigations on newly-appointed Ambassador to Japan Dr Mbikusita Lewanika.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating former finance ministry permanent secretary Dr Lewanika over his appointing of managers to implement the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) contrary to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the government of Zambia and cooperating partners.
But ACC public relations manager Timothy Moono said the Commission was not investigating Dr Lewanika but the IFMIS management of the project
When asked for a comment on the matter, Finland Ambassador to Zambia Sinikka Antila said IFMIS was a good programme that should be quickly implemented to ensure public financial management and accountability.
"This is an important project for the country and it should be quickly and fully implemented to enhance public sector financial management and accountability but on the investigations I do not have enough details since our economic team handles that and the person in charge is away in Finland hence we can comment next week when he is back," Ambassador Antila said.
Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Lars Ronnas asked for more time to understand what was happening relating to the project.
"Right now, I cannot comment because I have to learn more especially the new revelations about the project and what it will entail for us but get in touch later," Ambassador Ronnas said.
However, Netherlands Ambassador to Zambia Harry Molennar said the government of Zambia and the team leader for cooperating partners was responsible for the project.
"We have provided funding, yes, but I have no comment and the government should do that, also the team leader for cooperating partners can also make some comments," Ambassador Molennar said.
Efforts to get comment from Secretary to the Treasury Likolo Ndalamei and Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability (PEMFA) programme director, Haggai Kamwenda, proved futile as they were reportedly in a meeting at the Ministry of Finance.
The ACC are investing Dr Lewanika for appointing civil servants Joel Ukwimi, Innocent Mututa and Francis Mwale, as IFMIS managers without following guidelines such as advertising for the vacancies and informing the cooperating partners, who are supposed to issue a notice of objection or no objection when IFMIS managers were recruited.
Speaking in Lusaka yesterday, Moono denied that the ACC was investigating Dr Lewanika but the management of the project and also refuted that ACC acting director general Rosewin Wandi confirmed the investigations.
But during the ACC media briefing last month, when asked about progress on investigations involving Dr Lewanika's activities at IFMIS project, Wandi confirmed the investigations.
"But I do not think it is fair to divulge further details because that will jeopardise the inquiry, but the inquiry is open and on going," said Wandi.
Labels: ACC, IFMIS, INONGE MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA
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Zambia to produce 1m tonnes of copper
MINISTER of Finance and National Planning, Ng’andu Magande, has predicated an increase in the production of copper in the country with tonnes hitting a million by 2010. Mr Magande said the discoveries of new copper deposits, especially in the North-Western Province, would have an upward effect on the output of copper in the next two years. He was addressing Zambians based in Washington DC at a reception hosted by the Zambian Ambassador to the United States of America, Dr Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika.
Mr Magande also said other rich minerals like nickel and uranium had been discovered and hoped that more jobs would be created at the mines in the country. “The search for uranium in Zambia is part of an exploration that is raising new hope for jobs and tax revenue,” he said. Mr Magande said the Munali Nickel Project in Mazabuka was expected to produce over 900,000 tonnes of nickel in the next 10 years.
He also said he was happy with the 2008 World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings, which he attended in Washingston and described them as positive. “We have had very good discussions with the IMF and World Bank. I was proud to meet with members of the two institutions because of the good fiscal policy Zambia has pursued,” Mr Magande said.
He said Zambia was now looked upon as a good partner in development unlike five years ago when Government found it difficult to negotiate with the two institutions.
Mr Magande said Zambia’s reserves were currently over US$1 billion, which was the highest figure the country has ever recorded.
He said the side spring meetings mainly centred on sectors such as energy and water, transport, agriculture, education, health and regional infrastructure.
Mr Magande assured that Zambia’s economy was on track and that the country had registered positive economic growth over the last few years.
He said Zambia was no longer a highly indebted nation as the country had managed to reduce debt from US$7.2 billion to US$500,000.
“Zambia is now in a position to make its own decisions on how to develop because the donors can no longer instruct the government on what to do,” Mr Magande said.
He urged Zambians living abroad to invest at home because of the good business opportunities put in place.
Mr Magande said Zambia had changed for the better and that her citizens were now able to invest in various sectors of the economy.
And Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor for Operations, Denny Kalyalya, said the Zambian economy had performed well in the recent past.
Dr Kalyalya said Zambia had recorded positive real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and that inflation and interest rates had gone down.
He said the unprecedented developments in inflation in the country had been due to continued implementation of prudent monetary and fiscal policies, coupled with increased food supply.
He said Zambia had become an attractive country for foreign investors because of her sound economic performance.
Those who attended the reception included International Monetary Fund (IMF) senior advisor to the executive director for Africa, Inyambo Mwanawina, special assistant to the vice president at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Dolika Banda, senior lawyer in the legal department of World Bank vice president, Kenneth Mwenda and executive members of the society of Zambians in the United States of America (SOZUSA). – ZANIS.
Labels: INONGE MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, MAGANDE, MINING
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Reasons for Inonge's AU defeat surface
By Amos Malupenga
Tuesday February 05, 2008 [03:00]
Mbita Chitala’s article urging African Union (AU) leaders to quickly establish a union government largely contributed to Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika’s loss as AU commission chairperson, a senior government official has claimed. And according to Agence France Press (AFP), Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to turn his back on Africa if the continent’s leaders reject his proposals again for an African Union government.
Meanwhile, the ordinary AU summit which was held in Ethiopia last week deferred the discussion on the formation of the African Union government to July.
According to the source, President Levy Mwanawasa was last week under pressure from his colleagues in the AU to state whether or not Chitala’s article reflected his government’s position on the matter.
President Mwanawasa fired Chitala as Zambia’s ambassador to Libya for having authored the same article without clearance from the government.
The source said most African leaders were extremely upset with Chitala’s article which they concluded was Zambia’s position on the matter.
“President Mwanawasa had to call for urgent meetings with some of the Presidents in the region just to explain that Chitala was expressing personal opinions,” the source said. “But most of the leaders did not accept that explanation.
They thought President Mwanawasa incited Chitala to write that article under the guise of expressing personal opinion.
They refused to completely accept the President’s explanation saying ‘there is a way in which diplomats conduct themselves both in official and private capacities’.
That is when problems for Inonge started. We faced a lot of hostilities even from countries that had initially pledged to support us, so those results were not surprising going by what transpired in the last two days before elections. Even if Inonge was meant to lose, it cannot be denied that Chitala’s article extensively diminished her chances.”
The source said President Mwanawasa was at pains to convince other countries to rally behind Inonge’s candidature.
“In fact, Kenya threatened to formally protest to the Zambian government over that,” the source said.
“The countries that initially did not support Zambia even used that to justify why they did not want to support Zambia. This issue of African Union government is a very sensitive matter. Much as most leaders are not against Pan Africanism, they are trying to be cautious because the matter is primarily being spearheaded by Gaddafi whose hurry on the matter is yet to be appreciated.”
The source said during the summit, the other African leaders reminded Gaddafi that there was a select committee of ministers which was tasked to deal with the question of African Union government and that the committee had asked for more time.
“For this reason, the summit postponed this matter to July this year because they couldn’t make any conclusion before receiving recommendations from the committee,” the source said.
The source said Chitala’s issue was deep and Zambians should not gloss over it.
“The fact is Chitala is not working alone in this matter and it was not a coincidence that he wrote that article a few days before the summit,” the source said. “So he should not mislead people that it is his Pan African beliefs.
Yes, he might have those beliefs but we also know what is happening. Even some of the people expressing interest in contesting the MMD presidency are doing it on behalf of other interests. Some are not brave enough so they are withdrawing. We know all this and with time, the truth will come out.”
And according to AFP, Gaddafi told the press in Tripoli last Tuesday before he left for the summit in Ethiopia that Libya would turn its back on Africa if the AU rejected, for the second time, his proposals for closer unity.
Wearing a shirt showing Africa's past political figures, Gaddafi said African leaders should stop wasting time and unite in a single government to stop foreign powers taking control of the continent.
"If unity is not achieved, then Libya will turn its back on Africa and reorient its foreign policy in other directions - Euro-Mediterranean or Arab-Mediterranean," he told a news conference on the eve of his departure.
Gaddafi said Libya was also prepared to move its investments in African countries, which he said totalled more than $5bn, to Arab and Mediterranean states.
He said: "The Addis Ababa summit must mark a decisive step in the establishment of African unity. Anyone who blocks the unity project is part of a conspiracy to sell Africa to the highest bidder. Libya will not be party to the betrayal of the continent and will expose whoever is behind it."
Gaddafi had been involved in intensive lobbying in the run-up to this year's summit after he failed to win support for his proposals for a federal African government among the African Union's 53 member states at its last summit in Ghana last July.
In the space of less than a week, he had received around 10 African leaders at his Tripoli residence in a bid to win their support for his unity project.
"The African Union Commission is a dead letter without any powers and ought to be replaced by an executive cabinet," Gaddafi said on Tuesday.
He blamed the governments of English-speaking African states with the exception of Nigeria for blocking the proposal on behalf of "colonial interests".
Labels: AU, INONGE MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, MBITA CHITALA
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It was a criminal act to liquidate Zambia Airways - KK
By Brighton Phiri
Wednesday January 30, 2008 [14:45]
It was a criminal act for former president Frederick Chiluba to liquidate Zambia Airways, Dr Kenneth Kaunda has said. In an interview, Dr Kaunda said his tour of duty to campaign for Inonge Mbukusita-Lewanika in West Africa reminded him of Chiluba's criminal act of liquidating Zambia Airways. And Dr Kaunda said Mbikusita-Lewanika was best suited for the position of African Union (AU) Commission chairperson. Meanwhile, Women for Change executive director Emily Sikazwe has said Mbikusita-Lewanika was capable of doing Africa proud.
Dr Kaunda said his recent trip to Burkina Faso to solicit support for Mbikusita-Lewanika's candidature could have been much cheaper if his campaign team used Zambia Airways plane to fly directly to Ouagadougou to meet leaders of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS).
"It was indeed painful in my mind when I was in the air flying to West Africa. In fact, I began to feel the pain from here when I was told that we were to fly to Ouagadougou where ECOWAS leaders were meeting and that our flight schedule would start from Lusaka via Johannesburg to the far North before coming back to our African continent.
That forcefully reminded me of Zambia Airways," Dr Kaunda said. " It took us about 18 hours to reach Ouagadougou. You can imagine how much that campaign cost us as a country in terms of time. Really, that man (Chiluba) has a criminal mind. There is no other way of calling him."
Dr Kaunda said his trip revealed more about Africa's poverty and how Chiluba contributed to it. He said it was unacceptable and painful for Zambians to be subjected to long travel and costly routes when they could have been enjoying short and cheap flights using their own national airline. Dr Kaunda wondered why Chiluba chose to liquidate a viable airline with assets worth more than its debt.
"We used to fly to America and around the continent. That is why we got those planes. Many Liberian women used Zambia Airways to transport their goods to the America. Zambia Airways was not only our airline but was also used by others on the continent. But for the hatred of one man, he decided to destroy such type of investment," Dr Kaunda said.
" In fact, one of my young men who served in his government as vice-president, Godfrey Miyanda, once told me that Cabinet was opposed to the liquidation of Zambia Airways. He told me that the country was opposed to that. He said he was among the people that told Cabinet that Zambia Airways debt was not equivalent to the value of its property. This confirms the criminal mind of this man (Chiluba)."
Dr Kaunda said Chiluba should be blamed for the liquidation of Zambia Airways as it resulted into loss of human life and trained staff. He charged that Chiluba's criminal actions delayed the country's development progression in measurable terms.
"Each time I remembered Zambia Airways, I became very annoyed indeed because some of our well-dressed and clean airhostesses, looking beautiful, perished as they could not stand the starvation," Dr Kaunda said. "For him to decide to go to London deliberately and decide to do away with Zambia Airways...and directs some one who is opposed to announce the liquidation, that is criminal."
But Chiluba yesterday defended his decision to liquidate Zambia Airways. Speaking through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba, Chiluba said unlike him, Dr Kaunda failed to take difficult decisions because he was politically weak.
"The decision to liquidate Zambia Airways was a business decision done in the interest of Zambians. Harsh and difficult decisions had to be made one day. Dr Kaunda postponed that decision for 27 years. He feared political repercussion and realised that his one party regime was sitting on a clay seat," Chiluba said. "Dr Kaunda kept on making popularist decisions that were detrimental to the economic development of the country."
Chiluba said his decision to liquidate Zambia Airways and other parastatals was supported by many progressive economists, IMF, World Bank and donor community. He said the economic growth, which Zambia was currently recording, was due to his hard and difficult decisions.
Asked about Brigadier General Miyanda's revelation that the decision to liquidate Zambia Airways was not supported by Cabinet and the country, Chiluba said: "Gen Miyanda as an individual opposed the liquidation of Zambia Airways, but the Cabinet voted for it."
Chiluba said at the time of its liquidation, Zambia Airways had accrued debt which was beyond its capacity to pay back. He said the national treasury could not sustain the luxury of Zambia Airways using taxpayers' money.
Chiluba said both himself and Dr Kaunda scored successes and made mistakes during their rein. He said he recognised the fact that there were casualties to his decisions such as job loses.
On his trip to Ouagadougou, Dr Kaunda - who was accompanied by Mbikusita-Lewanika, explained that his team travelled not as invited guests of ECOWAS but that they went there to beg for time to meet ECOWAS leaders separately over Zambia's AU Commission candidate.
"It was indeed an honour for me to have been allowed to witness the official opening of their summit," Dr Kaunda said.
Dr Kaunda said he was able to meet the host country's Prime Minister, Liberian President, Gambian Vice-President and Cape Verde Island foreign affairs minister, among others.
"What is wonderful is that the young lady (Mbikusita-Lewanika) is quite popular among the international civil society organisations," Dr Kaunda said. "We are very hopeful that President Mwanawasa has made the right choice and she will be chosen."
Dr Kaunda observed that ECOWAS seemed more focused on their developmental agendas than SADC countries.
"I think they are faster than us in SADC and keen about their desires," he said.
And Sikazwe said Mbikusita-Lewanika would contribute to peace building in Africa if chosen to the lead the AU commission.
"We at Women for Change and the women movement in Zambia, we wish Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika good luck because we know she is capable of doing Africa and Zambia proud," Sikazwe said. "We know that her victory will be for all African women. Above all she is a God fearing woman and she has contributed greatly to poverty reduction in Africa."
Labels: AU, CHILUBA, INONGE MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, KENNETH KAUNDA, ZAMBIAN AIRWAYS
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NGOCC backs Inonge's AU ambitions
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Friday September 21, 2007 [04:00]
THE Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has said Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States Dr Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika has the ability and calibre to adequately represent Zambia and the women at large as chairperson of the African Union Commission.
The Zambian government has nominated Ambassador Mbikusita- Lewanika as its candidate for the position in view of the election that will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2008 at the AU Summit Heads of State and government.
NGOCC board chairperson Marian Munyinda said the women’s movement was delighted that Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika had been nominated to such a high-profile position.
“We wish to state that NGOCC is behind her and will do everything possible to ensure that she wins. In light of this we shall lobby our colleagues in the region to support her because we have no doubt that she has the ability and calibre to adequately represent Zambia and the women at large at such high level,” she said.
She said Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika was an educationist and NGO activist.
Munyinda appealed to governments and member states of the African Union to support her in line with the 50 per cent SADC women representation.
Munyinda said Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika had done the women of Zambia proud at different fora and reference could be made to the effect that she won the 2006 Ambassador of the Year Award, by the Ambassadors Foundation and Howard University jointly.
The Award was given to Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika for outstanding representation of Zambia; connecting with people and organisations; sharing information on Zambia and publicising it widely.
“As NGOCC we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that women’s visibility is promoted at all levels of decision-making especially at such regional bodies,” said Munyinda.
Labels: INONGE MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, NGOCC
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