(STICKY) Chikwanda on growth, poverty
By Editor
Sat 29 Mar. 2014, 14:00 CAT
COMMENT - If anyone is still impressed by neoliberal economics, I would suggest checking out two books:
Reclaiming Development, by prof. Ha-Joon Chang
23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism, by prof. Ha-Joon Chang
- MrK
Finance minister Alexander Chikwanda says Zambia's current economic growth is not sufficient to reduce poverty. It is indisputable.
And despite what may be said to be "impressive economic growth" over the last decade, poverty levels are still high. Why? There is need to look at where this growth is coming from and where that growth is being consumed. Who is that growth really benefitting?
It is true that Zambia is lagging behind countries such as South Korea in reducing poverty despite the two nations' gross domestic product being at the same level at the time of our independence in 1964. As Chikwanda correctly observes, in 1964, Zambia's GDP stood at US$3 billion, while that of South Korea was US$3.8 billion. And currently, South Korea's GDP is 55 times higher than that of Zambia.
In 1961, eight years after the war with North Korea, South Korea's per capita income stood at US$82, less than half of Ghana's at the time (US$179). An internal USAID report in the 1950s described South Korea as a "bottomless pit". At the time, its main exports were tungsten, fish and other primary commodities. Today, South Korea is an industrial powerhouse, with per capita income in five digits.
It took the United Kingdom over two centuries - between the late 18th century and today - and the United States around one and half centuries (the 1860s to the present day) to achieve the same result. South Korea's progress is as if Malawi has turned into Switzerland.
General Park Chung-Hee, the father of South Korea's miracle, came to power in a military coup in 1961 and then went on to win three successive elections. Not democratic in the true sense of the word, Park propelled the country's success via Five Year Plans for Economic Development, which had a lot of indigenous economic empowerment schemes built into them. South Korea was developed by South Koreans.
Yes, they did everything possible to attract foreign investment but they were not totally dependent on it. They were more dependent on their own initiatives, on the contributions of their own people. The South Korean people were in the driving seat of their country's economic life. We are not. And very few in Africa are.
We are so dependent on the extractive industries in which we play no role. Even our government's role in it is very weak and in most cases, very easy to manipulate in terms of policy choices.
Variable foreign currencies were really the blood and sweat of South Korea's "industrial soldiers" fighting the export war in the country's factories. Those squandering foreign exchange on frivolous things, like illegal foreign cigarettes, were seen as traitors. Foreign travel was banned unless you had explicit government permission to do business or study abroad. The government took absolute control of the scarce foreign exchange, and violation of foreign exchange controls could be punished by death. Here in Zambia today, we are squandering the meagre foreign exchange we are earning in all sorts of ways. We do not have even ways of ensuring that whatever foreign exchange the country earns is accounted for. We have just removed very good statutory instruments - SI 33 and SI 55 - that were designed to maximise the country's use and benefits from its foreign exchange earnings. Pressure was mounted by foreign businesses and their local political agents and other representatives. Today in Zambia, one can export anything and keep the money abroad, bringing in only that which one needs to pay for local inputs. The SIs we have removed tried to mitigate that. But the government was being blackmailed - blackmail that resulted in the kwacha depreciating at a very fast rate.
How does a country like ours expect to develop when its important earnings are kept in other countries and for use by other countries? This is all being done in the name of economic liberalisation. This is not economic liberalisation, it is economic foolishness. Even the South Africans, with more money, a bigger economy than us, are not doing these senseless things we are doing. The rand was depreciating at some point but the South African government did not panic and allow itself to be blackmailed.
We should learn from South Korea. What South Korea actually did during these decades was to nurture certain new industries, selected by the government in consultation with the private sector, through all forms of government support until they "grew up" enough to withstand international competition.
The government owned all the banks, so it could direct the lifeblood of business - credit. Some big projects were undertaken directly by the state-owned enterprises. The government also took foreign investment under its wing, and heavily controlled it with a mixture of measures. In general, it welcomed foreign investment with open arms in certain sectors and shut it out completely in others, in line with the national plan at any one time.
And here comes the rub: the popular impression of South Korea as a free trade economy was created by its export success. But export success does not require free trade, as Japan and China have also shown.
Clearly, the South Korean economic miracle was a result of clever and pragmatic mixture of market incentives and state direction. We are where we are today because of our failure to come up with clever and pragmatic initiatives. We have allowed other people to see things for us, decide things for us, do things for us. If we think we can make progress this way, we are deceiving ourselves.
We are one of the easiest countries to manipulate. We get so excited with any little praise from foreign investors, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other donors. We are more interested in what these people say about us than anything else. But look at what South Korea did! Does it fit in the paradigms that are being bandied around by the agents of neoliberalism whom we seem to respect and listen to so much?
The example of South Korea Chikwanda is giving is a very good one. But it is important not to just throw around figures or statistics but to truly understand the substance, and not just form, of what really went on there to give them the development they are enjoying today and they so much deserve.
Labels: ALEXANDER CHIKWANDA, NEOLIBERALISM, POVERTY
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Handouts bad for people - Milanzi
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sun 22 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
KACHERE Development Programme director Father Dennis Milanzi says handouts have negative repercussions on the people.
Officiating at a KDP training workshop on agro forestry and conservation agriculture in senior chief Nzamane's Chipungo area on Wednesday, Fr Milanzi who is also Anglican Diocese of Eastern Zambia vicar-general, said it was unfortunate that some people do not work hard and only depend on handouts.
He said KDP would empower people in its operational area for them to become self reliant.
Fr Milanzi said there was need for people to embark on a behaviour change in agriculture.
He encouraged people to embrace conservation agriculture.
Fr Milanzi said people should change their attitude towards trees, adding that humans have contributed to the change of climate.
"I know that up to now, we are complaining about the delay of the rains, but somehow we have contributed to this delay. We have destroyed trees and this has contributed to the climate change that we experience today. You will be given tree seedlings by KDP and you are expected to plant these trees that are currently on the nursery," he said.
Fr Milanzi also informed the people about the programmes that KDP would embark on next year with support from donors.
He said people should bear in mind that development could only be done by the people who need it.
And Leniah Nyirenda of Chifuniro Women Project who also attended the workshop said many people had learnt the importance of trees after attending the two-day workshop which ended yesterday.
Nyirenda appealed to KDP to continue training the local people in various areas.
Labels: DENNIS MILANZA, POVERTY
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'PF determined to end poverty'
By Misheck Wangwe in Chingola
Mon 16 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
CHINGOLA district commissioner George Sichula says the PF government will always support women groups that have initiated progressive ideas of ending poverty in communities.
Speaking on Saturday when he presented cheques amounting to K139,181 to 14 women clubs in Chingola at Nakatindi Primary School, Sichula said the women that had received funding must work hard, graduate and allow their business ventures to grow.
He said it would be improper to continue funding the same groups without growth.
"The money you have received should be a stepping stone to your growth, we are giving you better capital for you to become good business executives to augment and penetrate the market. Women clubs are a very important component of our society and community at large and as such, we must at time recognise their efforts as partners in development. Government, through the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health, has a mandate to alleviate the suffering of the poor and empower the most vulnerable in the communities," Sichula said.
He said the government had come up with deliberate programmes for women at lowest community level aimed at dealing with their plight.
Sichula said of the 165 women clubs in the district, 91 have been funded and 10 received K90,000 worth of cheques last month, an indication that the government was seriously committed to empowering all women clubs in the district.
Labels: GEORGE SICHULA, PF, POVERTY, WOMEN
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PF running pro-poor govt, says Pemba DC
By Ben Mbangu in Pemba
Mon 09 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
PEMBA district commissioner Reginald Mugoba said the PF is running a pro-poor government whose objective is to create employment for all through empowerment programmes.
Presenting cheques to five women's clubs and two youth clubs from Pemba district who have benefited from the Gender and Youth empowerment funds, respectively on Friday, Mugoba said the government was determined to eradicate poverty among the less privileged in society through such initiatives aimed at uplifting their living standards.
The women's clubs that received cheques under the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health were Tugwashanye Widows' Club with K10,000 for a goat project, Luyando Women's Club who received K5,000, St Pauls' Club (K9,300), Chiyaambele Women's Club was given K7,500 for a poultry project and Simatope which received K10,000 for a piggery project.
The youth clubs that received cheques from Ministry of Youth and Sports are Mayuni with K40,000, Mutalange (K33,000) while Suntwe was given K50,000.
Mugoba urged the beneficiaries to utilise the money for the intended purpose so that all people in the community benefit from the revolving fund projects.
Labels: PF, POVERTY, REGINALD MUGOBA
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Matibini urges SADC to use its wealth for development
By Kabanda Chulu
Sat 07 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
SPEAKER of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini has challenged SADC countries to utilise their natural resources to drive their socioeconomic development agenda.
And Southern Africa Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) secretary general Esau Chiviya says there is need to change the current practice where the executive arm of government dominates the agreements on the exploitation and utilisation of mineral resources.
Officially launching the Southern Africa Development Community Parliamentary Forum Barometer for natural resource governance and monitoring in the region, Dr Matibini yesterday said the scramble for access to natural resources had intensified due to increased demand from emerging economies.
"This is reflected in commodity prices, which are currently at historic highs. This has opened up an opportunity for commodity-producing countries such as those in Southern Africa to utilise their natural resources to drive their socioeconomic development agenda," he said.
He said natural resources belonged to all the citizens of a country.
"Citizens therefore have legitimate expectations that exploitations of their natural resources will result in improved livelihoods. Thus, citizens have a right not only to be involved (through their elected representatives) in how these resources are exploited but also to benefit from such exploitation," Dr Matibini said.
"However, these expectations, legitimate as they may be, must be balanced with the need to ensure sustainability in the utilisation of these resources."
He said the Barometer was an instrument that parliaments, civil society groups, labour organisations, media and communities could use to monitor how governments and companies are managing natural resources.
"The Barometer has the potential to increase transparency, accountability in the management of natural resources as well as respect for human rights and protection of the environment," said Dr Matibini.
And Chiviya said there was need to change the current practice where the Executive arm of government dominates the agreements on exploitation and utilisation of mineral resources.
"The constitutional role of Parliament in exercising oversight on the utilisation and exploitation of the mineral resources is not recognised. Yet the three core functions of Parliament that include representing constituent interests, legislating and oversight on the activities and performance of the Executive are essential if the exploitation of mineral resources by mining companies is to benefit SADC citizens," said Dr Chiviya.
Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) director Claude Kabemba said the Barometer was designed primarily for parliamentarians.
"Due to nature of politics in many African countries, parliamentarians have little knowledge of what is happening in the extractive industries sector. They contribute very little to the debate on these issues and are disconnected from the demands of their people. Therefore, the Barometer will help parliamentarians to be able to ask serious questions about natural resources," said Kabemba.
Labels: PATRICK MATIBINI, POVERTY, SADC
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Widening gap between the rich and the poor
By Editor
Sat 16 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
Chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni people of Chipata has raised concern about the widening gap between the rich and poor and the need to foster tangible development to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
Madzimawe says his main preoccupation is to see development. We also know that this is the main preoccupation of this government. And this being the case, there is greater scope and need for co-operation between the government and the traditional authorities.
Moving our people out of poverty is not going to be an easy thing which the government on its own can solve. And as we have stated before, not even the best government in the world, the best ministers, the best president can achieve much on their own. It would also be wrong to expect a general remedy from them only. We are all required to make a contribution. And moreover, democracy includes participation and therefore responsibility from all of us. If we realise this, the hope of a future without abject poverty will return to our hearts.
Today's traditional leadership should be about the search for a better life for our people. And we must build a wise and committed leadership at all levels of our society, including at the traditional level, that can help us move the great majority of our people who are today wallowing in abject poverty out of it. We must do it together. The traditional authorities should work and co-operate with the government in their effort to narrow the poverty gap. They need to work together because this can only be done together.
The painful truth is that, despite the goals to eradicate it, poverty persists and tends to grow in our country. But stopping and reversing it is today, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the most decisive contribution that can be made to the betterment of the lives of our people and to defending and promoting their dignity and humanity.
The existence of so many poor people in our country constitutes an affront to all of us. A permanent solution must be found for this serious problem. Our leaders, our chiefs cannot remain indifferent in the face of the tremendous social injustices existing in our country today, which keep the majority of their subjects in dismal poverty, which in many cases becomes inhuman wretchedness.
Poverty is an evil thing that should not be tolerated. Poverty should be fought as tenaciously as we fight other evils. Poverty, as a lack of the goods of this world necessary to live worthily as human beings, is in itself evil. The prophets denounce it as contrary to the will of the Lord and most of the time as a fruit of human injustice and sin.
This poverty places before our traditional rulers and other leaders a challenge that they cannot side step and to which they must respond with a speed and boldness adequate to the urgency of the times.
And we shouldn't forget that Christ, our Saviour, not only loved the poor, but rather "being rich he became poor," he lived in poverty. His mission centered on advising the poor of their liberation and he founded his church as a sign of that poverty among men and women.
The poverty of so many brothers and sisters cries out for justice, solidarity, open weakness, commitment, strength and exertion directed to the fulfillment of the redeeming mission to which it is committed by Christ.
The present situation in our country, then, demands from our traditional authorities and other leaders the spirit of poverty which stimulates them to order organically the power and the finances in favour of the poor and the common good. We ought to sharpen the awareness of our solidarity with the poor, to which charity leads us.
This solidarity means we make ours their problems and struggles, that we know how to speak with them. This has to be concretised in criticism of injustice and denunciation of corruption, in the struggle against the intolerable situation that a poor person often has to tolerate, in the willingness to dialogue with groups responsible for that situation in order to make them understand their obligations.
In this regard, those like Michael Sata who have openly devoted themselves and their work to the self-denying apostolate with the poor deserve our support and encouragement. And they deserve to be defended from the parties interested in distorting their work.
Human advancement has to be the goal of the actions of all our leaders, traditional and otherwise, on behalf of the poor. There has to be an option for the poor. Since, in practice, the common good is not sufficiently highly cherished, and since too many people fail to live in solidarity with the community, it is inevitable that there are those who suffer out of these failures. These are the poor, those living on the margins of the community, those whose interests have been neglected or ignored. As such, they are especially entitled to solidarity, to the special commitment of the rest of the community to remedy the situation in which they find themselves. It is this special commitment that is often called "preferential treatment of the poor". In practical terms, it means that our economic actions and decisions must not only avoid harming the interests of the poor, but must actually contribute to their upliftment. For this reason, economic efficiency is not the primary consideration; the poor must be given privileged treatment, even at the cost of some measure of technical inefficiency. The option for the poor can be exercised not only in favour of the materially poor, about whom we are mainly concerned here, but also towards those who have been marginalised because of disability, gender, race, or for whatever reason. Indeed, such classes of people often tend to be materially poor as well, as a direct result of being marginalised.
Of course, the option for the poor is not an option against the rich.
As we have stated before, we are bound together and what serves the interests of the common good also serves our interests and individuals. Therefore, the option for the poor is a call to the rich to participate in the upliftment of the poor and reduce the widening gap between the rich and the poor to the benefit of the whole society.
And when we speak of "the economy", or "an economic system", we are speaking of the policies and plans which control the wealth and resources of a country, about how resources are distributed between people, and about how the means of production - such as land, factories and technology - are owned and controlled. It is also sometimes suggested that economic laws, like the basic laws of nature, are beyond human control; that we can no more influence them than we can defy gravity or stop the motion of the planets. Therefore, it is argued, the existence of poverty and inequitable distribution of wealth, are the result of inescapable economic laws, and must be accepted as such. When suffering and even death flow from these "inevitable facts of economic life," that is simply unfortunate, it is said, just as it is unfortunate when suffering and death result from a natural disaster.
Although we sympathise with the victims of an earthquake or a flood, we do not consider such natural occurrences unjust or immoral. In the same way, the argument continues. We should not regard an economic system as unjust or immoral, though we regret the suffering that may be part of such system. Some people will be poor and some rich, inevitably and unavoidably, just as some will be the victims of earthquakes and floods, and some will not.
This argument, this type of reasoning must be rejected. It fails to take into account the fact that economic consequences come about as a result of human urgency. At the heart of every economic system lies human needs, human abilities and human decisions, and it is the choices which we make in addressing those needs, sharing those abilities, and making those decisions, that determine the justice or injustice of a economic system. There is thus a moral quality about an economy, a quality which has its roots in the morally correct or incorrect choices by people; and it is the moral quality of the economy that enables us to make choices about whether or not it is a just economy.
It is therefore very important for our chiefs and other leaders who want to see their people out of poverty to pay attention to the decisions and actions being taken by the government. If a decision or an action is taken that disadvantages the poor, they must speak out without respite. And if a decision or an action is taken that defends or promotes the interests of the poor, that needs to be supported and defended openly and without respite. Corruption and other abuses of power disadvantage the poor and deserve to be fought without respite by the defenders and supporters of the poor. We would therefore like to see a day when Madzimawe and other chiefs join, without reservations, the fight against corruption and other abuses. And a government that fights corruption deserves their support.
Labels: POVERTY
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Fr Mpasa encourages more pro-poor policies
By Henry Sinyangwe
Sat 16 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
CATHOLIC Church Vicar General for Mansa Fr Mambwe Mpasa has implored leaders to have the wellbeing of the people at heart. Commenting on chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province who recently expressed concern at the widening gap between the rich and the poor, Fr Mpasa said it was saddening that the gap was so wide.
He said there was need to encourage pro-poor policies to address the challenges facing the majority of the population which was poor.
"So I think if the government would come up with policies which would be pro-poor, like creating job opportunities and then creating the environment where the national wealth is equally distributed, instead of concentrating in some areas and putting the national wealth much more into few individuals," Fr Mpasa said.
He said there was need to also address the salary differences among the employed.
"When people are employed, how much money are they getting? Because you find that very few people get very high salaries while the majority get very low salaries. Those are the things which need to be addressed. If the government can come up with policies which would balance the gap, then that will be good. Indeed, the poor will always be there, but there is need to bridge the gap," Fr Mpasa said.
He said there was need for a caring attitude for the poor and to look at what could be done to reduce poverty levels.
"Those in leadership should have the wellbeing of the poor at heart. They should be concerned and acknowledge that the majority poor would like to live better lives. If they get concerned, then they will be putting in place policies which would favour the poor," said Fr Mpasa.
Featuring on Feel Free FM's 'Big Issue' programme recently, chief Madzimawe said there was need to foster tangible development to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
Labels: MAMBWE MPASA, POVERTY
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KK urges Africa's concerted effort to alleviate poverty, disease
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Mon 11 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
DR KENNETH Kaunda says he believes that Africans can work together to ensure the liberation of the continent from economic underdevelopment, poverty and disease.
And National Bank of Commerce Tanzania chief executive officer Mizinga Melu and Zambeef Products Plc's managing director Francis Grogan on Friday won the African Business Woman of the year and Entrepreneur of the year awards respectively, during a gala dinner organised by ABN360 and CNBC Africa in Durban, South Africa.
Speaking when he officiated at the 3rd African Consciousness Leadership Award 2013, Dr Kaunda said the awards event signified the resilience and determination of the continent's founding fathers and the aspirations of young people that the struggle for Africa's total liberation must be won.
He said despite the many challenges faced, African people can rise and unleash their creative potentials like other peoples of the world.
Dr Kaunda congratulated the award recipients and hoped that the recognition would spur them to greater exploits for the continent.
"To whom much is given, much is expected," he said, according to a statement issued by first secretary for press and public relations at Zambia's High Commission in South Africa, Patson Chilemba.
Dr Kaunda said he hoped other men and women of goodwill would emulate the awards recipients' selflessness and commitment to the enthronement of a just society where people would have an opportunity according to their abilities to contribute meaningfully for the good of all.
He said African countries should build a critical mass to collectively address challenges such as malaria, HIV and AIDS and maternal death.
"Let us sharpen our resolves to do more and to overcome; let the faint-hearted pick courage and cynics, faith," said Dr Kaunda. "For like our brother Barack Obama across the sea would say: Yes, We Can!"
During the celebrations, Nigeria's Central Bank Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who won the Africa Central Bank Governor award, paid tribute to Dr Kaunda for the role he and other forefathers such as Julius Nyerere, Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkrumah and Nelson Mandela played during the liberation struggles on the continent.
Sanusi said his greatest honour from the ceremony was that he had finally met Dr Kaunda.
He said he would often talk about the leaders who spearheaded the continent's liberation struggles during family time, but he was now honoured that he had met one of them.
Sanusi said the recognition he had received as Nigeria's Central Bank Governor world-over was good for Africa.
Stabilising Nigeria's banking sector and reducing inflation to single digit are some of the many successes credited to Sanusi's reign.
In a related development, Melu and Grogan were awarded winners in two of the four categories on contest.
Speaking shortly after receiving the award, Melu dedicated the award to women, whom she said had a lot to offer, but were disadvantaged in terms of access to financing.
She said she would focus on mentoring women and promoting them to think beyond mental and physical barriers.
Grogan said the award was a huge honour not only for Zambeef but Zambia in general.
Grogan said he felt proud to receive the award following stiff competition from the rest of the continent.
Melu and Grogan recently won the Southern Africa regional All Africa Business Leaders Awards and automatically qualified for the finale in Durban, which they also won.
In the businesswoman of the year category, Melu overcame Biola Alabi (Nigeria) and Priya Budhabatti (Kenya), while Grogan overcame the challenge of Peter Nduati (Nigeria) and Shim Shagaya (Kenya) in the entrepreneur of the year category.
And at the event in Pretoria where Dr Kaunda also officiated, Nigeria's Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal won The Speaker of the Year Award.
The Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation in collaboration with the Africa Media company hosted the Consciousness Leadership Awards.
This is in recognition and honour of African leaders who have worked tremendously hard to make a positive difference in Africa and the world.
Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, MIZINGA MELU, POVERTY
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Posterity will judge opposition leaders harshly, says Monde
By Gift Chanda in Itezhi-tezhi
Mon 11 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
ITEZHI-TEZHIi UPND member of parliament Greyford Monde says posterity will harshly judge opposition leaders resisting to work with the PF government for the betterment of people's lives.
Monde, who is also agriculture deputy minister, said leaders resisting to work with the the current government would have themselves to blame in future when the tables turn against them during elections.
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema recently asked UPND members of parliament to denounce President Michael Sata in the House over what he termed a poor governance system.
Hichilema said it was the duty of Parliament to moderate 'extremist leaders' like President Sata.
But reacting to Hichilema's statement, Sinazongwe UPND member of parliament Richwell Siamunene said the opposition leader wanted to use Parliament to champion his selfish interests and advised him against using the House to gain political mileage.
"Hakainde Hichilema should look at the broader picture and the bigger picture is Zambia. The people of Zambia must be central in whatever he is doing; whatever decision you make. Parliament is a very important important body in this country which approves the budget and the budgetary allocations help the people of Zambia," Siamunene had said.
"Frustrating the government means that he is frustrating the development of the country. He is achieving nothing. There is need for HH to realise that the country is much more important than him."
And Monde said the people's expectations go beyond political parties.
"All of us are voted in our positions by the people and the expectations of the people go beyond political parties," he said.
"Therefore, we need to place the people's interest first."
Monde, who accepted an appointment as agriculture deputy minister by President Sata amid opposition from his party, said leaders including councillors in the opposition who do not want to work with the PF government in order to foster development would have themselves to blame because people would judge them according to what they have delivered.
Monde took time over the weekend to inspect some of the projects in his constituency funded by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and said there was no point in opposition leaders continuing to criticise and frustrate progressive projects by the government.
"There are people who always want to oppose. Why should they always oppose? These works that we are trying to do are positive. Talk about schools, health posts, that is what we need to do..." he said.
Monde, however, noted that he was impressed by the Itezhi-tezhi council chairperson, Fanuel Sitongwa, who is also UPND district secretary, for accepting to accompany his entourage on the tour of the CDF-funded projects.
Meanwhile, Monde said there was urgent need to address both the learning and teaching environment in schools in his constituency.
Citing Iyanda Primary School which only has a one by two classroom block for grade one to seven pupils, Monde said the situation was desperate.
He said another one by two classroom block was need at the school where some teachers houses have been built using CDFs.
"We also need to plaster and ventilate these houses. Our teachers need to work and live in a very conducive environment," said Monde.
Monde also visited Mahungu and Luubwe primary schools where classroom blocks and teachers' houses are being built using CDFs.
Labels: GREYFORD MONDE, PF, POVERTY, UPND
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Govt determination to improve lives impressive - Kabanda
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Sun 03 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
SIMON Kabanda says the government's determination to improve the lives of many Zambians has been impressive.
Speaking at Kitwe's St Joseph Catholic Church in Buchi after a thanksgiving mass on the occasion of his 50th birthday, Kabanda who is Citizens Forum executive secretary said the change of government in 2011 had given many leaders an opportunity to contribute positively to national development.
He said many good things were happening in the country after a long time because of a leadership that had a heart for the people of Zambia.
"Regarding my life, some people have told me that Kabanda you have abandoned us, that these days I'm lukewarm about issues of governance, that I'm not speaking on behalf of the people and that maybe I just hated the MMD that's why after the change of government I have gone quiet.
My straight answer to all this is that I have not abandoned anybody. I have not abandoned the cause of justice...the change of government in 2011 has given us an opportunity to work hard to better the lives of many people, especially the poor," Kabanda said.
He said the energies that were being used to make constructive noise when there was a call for the change of government, have to be directed towards ensuring that the opportunities to better the lives of the people were fully utilised, so that the country could become a better place for everyone.
Kabanda said there was need to direct more energy towards promoting a culture of responsible citizens.
"As I am ageing now beyond 50 years old, my duty is to ensure that I participate actively and responsibly in bettering the lives of people. It is not time to simply speak on behalf of the people, it is time to work, to mobilise people into being more responsible citizens who should participate actively and responsibly in bettering the lives of others," Kabanda said.
And speaking in his homily during mass, Fr Peter Mwila commended Kabanda and a Catholic nun, Sr Mary Beti who were celebrating their 50th anniversary, to remain focused and determined in their work to serve the majority poor through promotion of human rights and the cause for social justice.
Labels: PF, POVERTY, SIMON KABANDA
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Madzimawe says concerned with wide rich, poor gap
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Thu 31 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
CHIEF Madzimawe of the Ngoni people in Chipata says he is concerned with the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Featuring on Feel Free FM's Big Issue programme yesterday, chief Madzimawe said his main preoccupation was to see development.
He said there was need to foster tangible development to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. He refuted claims that he wants to join politics and that was the reason he was speaking about various matters in the constituency.
"I will never be a politician. I am very, very much satisfied with what God has given me. And this does not mean that I should stop giving guidance to our children that have joined politics," chief Madzimawe said.
He said there were a number of issues that could be sorted out easily if elected leaders were working together.
"People need to understand me clearly; on the MP (Kasenengwa legislator Victoria Kalima) they have been saying we have been in bad books or what, but that's the arrogance that is culminating from the other side. I am not a difficult person," chief Madzimawe said.
Chief Madzimawe said people should understand that the traditional institution had now devolved compared to the way it was in the past.
"Now, the scenario is changing, people are saying chiefs have influence, if we don't use this influence productively, properly or positively, then I think we don't even deserve to be in these positions," chief Madzimawe said.
He said he could not sink so low to be driven by politics.
"There was an issue to say, we (chiefs) want the MP to visit us because we want a brown envelope, no, I am not part of such chiefs," chief Madzimawe said.
Recently chief Madzimawe banned Kalima from holding meetings in his area until differences that she allegedly had with councillors were resolved.
Labels: CHIEF MADZIMAWE, INEQUALITY, POVERTY
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Kasese-Bota urges concerted efforts against poverty
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Fri 11 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
ZAMBIA's permanent representative to the United Nations Dr Mwaba Kasese-Bota has called for concerted efforts to combat poverty with special attention on employment generation especially for the youth and other vulnerable groups.
Addressing the Third Committee of the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, Ambassador Kasese-Bota said the government was committed to the social development of its people through policy and structural transformation aimed at improving their social economic wellbeing.
She said the Zambian government had repositioned its national development plans to be all-inclusive, people-centered and focused on achieving desired growth outcomes with social integration elements.
She said the government was cognisant that empowerment of women, youths and the needy in the country was the quickest way to reduce poverty.
"High poverty levels, social vulnerability, inequality and social exclusion, higher rates of unemployment especially for the youth, and major health challenges and illiteracy rates still pose challenges to sustainable development," she said.
She told the UN meeting that Zambia was one of the countries with the "success stories" in attaining the MDGs on universal provision of primary education.
Ambassador Kasese-Bota said Zambia had reached over 90 per cent enrolment in primary school, coupled with gender parity.
"Commitments towards significant improvement of literacy levels for all at both national and the international level should be prioritised as education remains key to inclusive social development and empowerment of the vulnerable in our societies," she said.
"The MDGs contributions are tremendous, but more needs to be done to accelerate the progress for the attainment of the MDGs."
She said the post-2015 Development Agenda - expected to succeed MDGs - should aim at expedited elimination of "all forms of poverty".
Ambassador Kasese-Bota said Zambia, in collaboration with relevant partners, had embarked on review and amendment of labour laws to update and align them to international labour instruments, and harmonise them with other national policies and legislation.
On women's protection, Ambassador Kasese-Bota said Zambia was cognisant of the current society imbalances that subject women to social exclusion, vulnerability and inequalities.
She said the government was implementing the gender policy that addresses gender inequality and made deliberate effort to appoint women in influential positions in Government to address the inequalities.
Ambassador Kasese-Bota urged the international community to prioritise social development in the post-2015 Development Agenda.
Labels: MWABA KASESE-BOTA, POVERTY, UN
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Give and take
By Editor
Tue 03 Sep. 2013, 14:00 CAT
"TODAY we have a situation in Zambia where not only politicians but successful business persons don't want to look back and ask how they got rich and think of helping those that are suffering. Those who are rich want to continue being rich, disregarding those that are poor." This is an observation of Ng'andu Magande, president of the National Movement for Progress.
What Magande is saying is an objective reality underlining the fact that we are all passengers of the same ubwato - this country of ours in which we all live.
A trifling minority is travelling in the comfort of luxurious cabins on this ubwato. They enjoy a nutritional, abundant and balanced diet as well as clean water supplies. They have access to sophisticated medical care here at home and abroad, where they are often evacuated.
The overwhelming and suffering majority on this ubwato of ours is travelling in conditions that resemble the terrible slave trade of previous centuries. That is, the majority of the passengers on this ubwato are crowded together in its dirty sections, suffering hunger, disease and helplessness.
Obviously, this ubwato is carrying too much injustice to remain afloat, pursuing an irrational and senseless route.
It is our collective duty to ensure that all passengers on this ubwato of ours can travel in conditions of solidarity, equity and justice.
And as we have repeatedly stated, we all know that this country of ours will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless it is a good place for all of us to live in.
We are reminded by the Bible: "When you have all you want, think what it is like to be hungry, what it is to be poor. Things can change in a single day; the Lord can act very quickly" (Sirach 18:25-26).
There is need to have concern for others. When we do not know someone or do not feel connected to an individual or group, we tend to overlook their needs. Yet the development of human society requires that people help each other.
We have mutual interests. The more we become interdependent, the more it is in our interest to ensure the wellbeing of others. And when we are motivated by wisdom and compassion, the results of our actions benefit everyone, not just our individual selves or some immediate convenience.
It is very difficult to achieve harmony in a nation without concern for others. So the practice of kindness is very, very important and very, very valuable in human society. Through kindness, we will get happiness and we will get genuine satisfaction.
Peaceful living is about trusting those on whom we depend and caring for those who depend on us. This is what brings harmony in a nation, in a community.
If we cherish others, then both others and ourselves, both deeply and superficially, will be happy. When we cherish ourselves more than others, we produce various types of suffering, both for ourselves and for those around us.
We need to start taking responsibility as individuals and as a collective for those in need. It is the nature of human beings to yearn for freedom, equality and dignity. If we accept that others have a right to peace and happiness equal to our own, do we not have a responsibility to help those in need? Of course, no one can afford to assume that someone else will solve their problems. Every individual has a responsibility to help guide our human family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient.
We need to start working for the welfare of others. Our daily thoughts and actions should be directed towards the benefits of others. We should share the sufferings of our fellow human beings and practice compassion and tolerance, not only towards our beloved ones but towards those we detest.
It is a give-and-take situation. By showing concern for other people's welfare, sharing other people's suffering, and helping other people, ultimately one will benefit. If one thinks only of oneself and forgets about others, ultimately one will lose. Most of the good or beneficial effects that come about in the world are based on an attitude of cherishing others. The opposite is also true.
There is need to work for the welfare of all. With a pure heart, you can carry on any work and your profession becomes a real instrument to help your fellow citizens. Once you have pure and sincere motivation, all the rest follows. You can develop this right attitude towards others on the basis of kindness, love and respect, and on the clear realisation of the oneness of all human beings.
And true compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. A truly compassionate attitude towards others does not change, even if they behave negatively. And to experience genuine compassion is to develop a feeling of closeness to others combined with a sense of responsibility for their welfare. Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people's hearts.
And compassion compels us to reach out to all living beings, including our so-called enemies, those people who upset or hurt us. Irrespective of what they do to us, if we remember that all beings like us are only trying to be happy, we will find it much easier to develop compassion towards them.
Our doings and thinkings must be motivated by compassion for others. The way to acquire that kind of outlook is to accept the simple fact that whatever we desire is also desired by others.
And the development of a kind heart, or feeling of closeness to all human beings, does not involve any kind of religiosity we normally associate it with. It is for everyone irrespective of religion or political affiliation.
And here we are reminded of what Dr Ernesto Che Guevara once said: "At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that a true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality."
Since at the beginning and end of our lives we are so dependent on others' kindness, how can it be that in the middle, we neglect kindness towards others?
As human beings, we are social creatures, and a concern for each other is the very basis of our life together.
For these reasons, we need to pay a lot of attention and act on what Magande has said.
Labels: NG'ANDU MAGANDE, POLITICS, POVERTY
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(NYASATIMES) Activists accuse SADC leaders of laxity in dealing with issues of poor
By Nyasa Times Reporter
August 18, 2013
COMMENT - Edited for grammar and sentence structure. An important topic, but poorly written. - MrK
The Southern African Development Community leaders have come under intensive attack from regional civil society organizations for what they say its failure to put the welfare of poor people at the center of their discussions.
Coordinator for the People’s Dialogue, Dumezweni Dlamini said in an exclusive interview that the problem is that the heads of state take such summits as merrymaking events, sweeping issues poverty and democracy under the carpet.
“SADC summits have been looked at as one of those Christmases for the heads of state where they say ‘let us come and dine and wine’ and not to attack each other. We have never heard any of these heads of state taking on eachother so as to ask: ‘why are you conducting yourself in this manner while as a region we uphold the principles of democracy, why the outcry in Zimbabwe,” he says.
Dlamini who comes from Swaziland says the SADC leaders are only good at signing declarations after declarations but with no actions.
“In fact we have been seeing much more exclusion of the people on the ground in terms of addressing those issues and it tells us to the point that it is sometimes useless to sign those declarations,” he says.
He says the heads of state should consider including people in whatever they do, saying no matter how minor those people may look they still talk about something that affects them and therefore it is important that those voices are heard.
“When you talk about the GDP per capita of these countries like where I come from in Swaziland, it says most of the people there are living above a dollar day. But what happens to those people, who are living far below [that]? They are not considered when it comes to that equation. Which means that the GDP per capita in this region does not reflect what is on the ground,” he says.
COMMENT - GDP was construed as a measure to obscure the stealing of natural resources. Former World Bank economist Joseph Stiglitz said it all - see: (YOUTUBE) Joseph Stiglitz - Problems with GDP as an Economic Barometer, when he explained why the World Bank switched from GNP (which is production by a country's nationals at home and abroad, to GDP, which is production within a country's borders, including by transnational corporations. When those corporations steal natural resources, it is counted as GDP or 'growth'. When they create a huge mess and the state must pay up to clean it up, it is also counted as GDP or 'growth'. This means that GDP is not a proper measure of economic growth, and that dividing GDP by the number of people in the country to get a Per Capita GDP is useless as a measure of wealth. In fact, it is extremely deceptive. - MrK
A board member of the Eastern and Southern African Small Scale Farmer’s Forum Grace Tepula from Zambia says the problem with SADC governments is that they take more care on the people from developed countries who come into the country ‘to deplete our resources’ in terms of investments.
“So our concern from our experience as a rural farmers are the challenges we get like land grabbing , lack of water, the indigenous seed that are being moved away replaced by other seeds that are being introduced on the market in our countries and in the region as a whole,” she says.
Tepula who is also a member of Rural Women Assembly a member says rural farmers need to have seeds that they have been using unlike imposing seeds on them which she says do not last long.
“Another worrying issue is that our ancestral lands are being given to multinational companies because they want to mine forgetting that we are the people who are contributing to the food basket in the region, for our families and our neighbors,” she says.
Collins Magalasi a social commentator in Malawi is also accusing SADC of failing to act of issues affecting ordinary people.
“We have seen SADC becoming a club of the rich, when it is supposed to be a club of the people. SADC needs to bring people back into the discussion issues that affecting people. So if you are talking about whether it is elections or the lake or whatever the issue is has to be where we see the common person,” he says.
But speaking during the official opening of the summit, new chairperson President Joyce Banda of Malawi says that she will strive to put issues of poor people at heart during her tenure.
“No discussion about the poor without the poor. No meetings about the poor without the poor. And so passing of declarations about the poor without the poor,” she said.
Labels: DUMEZWENI DLAMINI, POVERTY, SADC
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SADC development should start with eliminating poverty - Joyce Banda
By Christopher Miti in Lilongwe, Malawi
Sun 18 Aug. 2013, 14:01 CAT
MALAWIAN President Joyce Banda says achieving economic development in the SADC region must start by winning the war against poverty. And Southern African Development Community delegates yesterday cheered Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe during introductions.
In her acceptance speech after taking over the SADC chairmanship from Mozambican President Armando Guebuza at the Bingu International Conference Centre yesterday, President Banda said many people in the region struggle to survive the condition of poverty.
She said the expectation of the people from the SADC region was very high.
"Millions of our young people in the region face severe troubles to survive. They do not have jobs, they don't go to school. Millions of our men and women struggle to survive the conditions of poverty and unemployment. They die from preventable diseases," President Banda said.
She said SADC must continue fighting the war against poverty and other vices that were affecting the people.
President Banda also appealed to SADC member countries to promote inclusive politics.
"We cannot afford to leave the poor to look after the poor. As chair of this great community, I would like to try initiatives that would bring SADC closer to the people for whom it works. In short we want a SADC for the people and of the people," President Banda said.
She said there was need for the region to move towards regional integration.
President Banda congratulated her predecessor for a wonderful performance during his tenure as chairman of SADC.
She said she would focus on agriculture development and agro industries during her tenure.
President Banda said it was time for SADC to focus on agriculture for economic development.
She also said she would complement the work of the outgoing chairman on developing corridors within the course of SADC regional integration.
President Banda said SADC had done very well in promoting women in leadership positions.
Earlier during introductions, delegates cheered President Mugabe when he was introduced at the beginning of the summit.
After discovering that delegates were cheering him, Mugabe stood and waved at them.
President Mugabe recently won the presidential election in Zimbabwe for another five-year term. The 89-year-old leader has been in power since 1980 when the country gained independence from Britain.
Zambia is being represented by Vice-President Dr Guy Scott, Dr Ngosa Simbyakula and Keith Mukata.
The summit is expected to come to an end today, with several SADC journalists, including this author, being awarded in different categories.
Meanwhile, the civil society in Zambia has petitioned SADC to table the issue of the just ended Zimbabwe elections during the on-going Lilongwe summit.
The civil society has also called for the commissioning of an independent election audit with a view of clearing alleged malpractices in the recently held general elections in Zimbabwe.
Ten civil society organisations stated in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that taking stock of what happened in the Zimbabwe election at the summit would help clear the air on alleged malpractices by stakeholders that participated in the polls.
"As civil society organizations in Zambia that observed and analyzed the just ended harmonised elections in Zimbabwe, we demand that as the SADC Heads of State Summit takes place in Lilongwe, Malawi this weekend, the regional body tables the just ended Zimbabwe harmonised elections at the summit and commissions an independent election audit on the Zimbabwean elections to clear the alleged irregularities cited by the various stakeholders who participated in the elections either as candidates, agents and or observers," the statement stated.
The ten civil society organizations include the Foundation for Democratic Process, the Southern African Center for Constructive Resolution of Disputes, Gallant Youth Zambia Foundation, Zambia National Women's Lobby and Operation Young Vote. Others are Anti-Voter Apathy Project, Young African Leaders Initiatives, Chikondi Foundation, Democratic Governance and Human Rights Advocates and the Constituency Plan of Action for Children.
"We also demand that SADC puts in place a mechanism to respect the provisions of the regional, continental protocols, guidelines and treaties governing democratic elections in the region by members states and the regional body that harmonises national laws on elections with those of the regional and continental standards," the civil society organisations stated.
Labels: ARMANDO GUEBUZA, JOYCE BANDA, POVERTY, SADC
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'It's painful to see children suffering on the streets'
By Editor
Sat 17 Aug. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE presence of so many children on our streets constitutes an affront to all of us. A stable, permanent solution must be found to this serious problem.
This is an affront to our collective conscience. It is an imperative need of our times to be aware of these realities, because of what a situation affecting so many children entails in terms of human suffering and the squandering of life and intelligence.
We agree with Godfrey Simukonde, Child Rights activist, that the prevalence of street children is a huge problem in Zambia and that not much has been done by our successive governments, including the current one, to address the problem. We also agree with Simukonde when he says that, "if the government does not look after the street children, no one will, so they should just budget for them and remove them from the streets".
The Zambian government is a signatory to a number of international instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children and the African Union Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children. And all these instruments emphasise taking appropriate measures and strategies to promote and protect the rights and welfare of the children in Zambia, including street children. These instruments provide for enhancement of dignity for every child in a
non-discriminatory manner and equal access to children's rights, child participation, family unity and best interests of the child. These are vital principles of the human rights best approach to the protection of children's rights.
Every child has a right to live with his or her parents or guardians and every parent has the responsibility for his or her child.
While these children are on the streets, they are exposed to multiple hazards. For example, children on the street are exposed to sexual abuse, poor health conditions, crime, child labour, drug abuse and child prostitution. They are often prey to every physical and moral danger and as they grow older, they could become a danger to the community.
Street children face untold hardship and danger on the streets. They lack food, clean water and adequate health care. Living on the streets exacts a terrible toll on street children.
The causes of the problem of street children are many and varied; they include loss of parental control, orphanhood, peer pressure, impact of HIV/AIDS and others.The situation has been aggravated by poverty and limited opportunities for alternative livelihoods.
Street children have a right to be entitled to adequate food, shelter, education, healthcare and protection, just like any child.
There is no quick fix to this complex problem. It should be pointed out that resettling and rehabilitating street children without addressing the factors that send children to the streets is an unstable solution in the long run. There is an urgent need to address the causes and not just the symptoms. The factors that push children on the streets must be addressed.
The family institution in Zambia is going through a lot of uproar. Few children have stable and loving family environments. Many families are also increasingly characterised by absent parents, lack of communication between parents and children, alcoholism and domestic violence. Many children run away to the streets to avoid violence and abuse in the family.
In Zambia, it is now a frequent issue to hear of horrifying stories of abuse of children by parents or family members. So many stories are published on these issues every week in our news media outlets. Children as young as eight months are increasingly being sexually abused, starved and ignored by the family and community at large. In most cases, children are lured to the streets by the peers or by individuals promising better opportunities. Adults are increasingly using children as sources of income and thus violating and denying children of their basic human rights.
As things stand today, there seems to be little likelihood of finding a lasting solution to the problem of street children without involving the street children themselves. While coming up with policies, strategies and programmes that affect them, it is the role of all of us to ensure that their rights are promoted and protected.
A society which values its future affords the highest priority to looking after all its children.
Children are the most vulnerable citizens in any society and the greatest of our treasures.
Our children must no longer be tortured by the pangs of hunger or ravaged by disease and forced by neglect to live on the street.
Our children should no longer be required to engage in deeds whose gravity exceeds the demands of their tender years. We have heard enough about the molestation and abuse of children. An end must be put to this.
As we approach 50 years of independence, the value of the work that has been done over these decades will and must be measured by the happiness and welfare of our children.
The children who live on the street, reduced to begging to make a living, are a testimony of an unfinished job.
There can be no keener revelation of our nation's soul than the way in which we treat our children. The true character of our nation is revealed in how we treat our children.
The basic clay of our work is our children. We should place our hope in them and prepare them to take the banner from our hands. Each of our children has a right to special care and attention. The welfare and interests of the child should be recognised and protected. The children are vulnerable and therefore need special protection. The interests of the child should take precedence in all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies.
The rights and welfare of the child are best realised in the context of the welfare of the family. The promotion of the welfare of the child therefore requires the promotion of the welfare of the family.
Labels: POVERTY, STREET CHILDREN
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'It's painful to see children suffering on the streets'
By Editor
Sat 17 Aug. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE presence of so many children on our streets constitutes an affront to all of us. A stable, permanent solution must be found to this serious problem.
This is an affront to our collective conscience. It is an imperative need of our times to be aware of these realities, because of what a situation affecting so many children entails in terms of human suffering and the squandering of life and intelligence.
We agree with Godfrey Simukonde, Child Rights activist, that the prevalence of street children is a huge problem in Zambia and that not much has been done by our successive governments, including the current one, to address the problem. We also agree with Simukonde when he says that, "if the government does not look after the street children, no one will, so they should just budget for them and remove them from the streets".
The Zambian government is a signatory to a number of international instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children and the African Union Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children. And all these instruments emphasise taking appropriate measures and strategies to promote and protect the rights and welfare of the children in Zambia, including street children. These instruments provide for enhancement of dignity for every child in a
non-discriminatory manner and equal access to children's rights, child participation, family unity and best interests of the child. These are vital principles of the human rights best approach to the protection of children's rights.
Every child has a right to live with his or her parents or guardians and every parent has the responsibility for his or her child.
While these children are on the streets, they are exposed to multiple hazards. For example, children on the street are exposed to sexual abuse, poor health conditions, crime, child labour, drug abuse and child prostitution. They are often prey to every physical and moral danger and as they grow older, they could become a danger to the community.
Street children face untold hardship and danger on the streets. They lack food, clean water and adequate health care. Living on the streets exacts a terrible toll on street children.
The causes of the problem of street children are many and varied; they include loss of parental control, orphanhood, peer pressure, impact of HIV/AIDS and others.The situation has been aggravated by poverty and limited opportunities for alternative livelihoods.
Street children have a right to be entitled to adequate food, shelter, education, healthcare and protection, just like any child.
There is no quick fix to this complex problem. It should be pointed out that resettling and rehabilitating street children without addressing the factors that send children to the streets is an unstable solution in the long run. There is an urgent need to address the causes and not just the symptoms. The factors that push children on the streets must be addressed.
The family institution in Zambia is going through a lot of uproar. Few children have stable and loving family environments. Many families are also increasingly characterised by absent parents, lack of communication between parents and children, alcoholism and domestic violence. Many children run away to the streets to avoid violence and abuse in the family.
In Zambia, it is now a frequent issue to hear of horrifying stories of abuse of children by parents or family members. So many stories are published on these issues every week in our news media outlets. Children as young as eight months are increasingly being sexually abused, starved and ignored by the family and community at large. In most cases, children are lured to the streets by the peers or by individuals promising better opportunities. Adults are increasingly using children as sources of income and thus violating and denying children of their basic human rights.
As things stand today, there seems to be little likelihood of finding a lasting solution to the problem of street children without involving the street children themselves. While coming up with policies, strategies and programmes that affect them, it is the role of all of us to ensure that their rights are promoted and protected.
A society which values its future affords the highest priority to looking after all its children.
Children are the most vulnerable citizens in any society and the greatest of our treasures.
Our children must no longer be tortured by the pangs of hunger or ravaged by disease and forced by neglect to live on the street.
Our children should no longer be required to engage in deeds whose gravity exceeds the demands of their tender years. We have heard enough about the molestation and abuse of children. An end must be put to this.
As we approach 50 years of independence, the value of the work that has been done over these decades will and must be measured by the happiness and welfare of our children.
The children who live on the street, reduced to begging to make a living, are a testimony of an unfinished job.
There can be no keener revelation of our nation's soul than the way in which we treat our children. The true character of our nation is revealed in how we treat our children.
The basic clay of our work is our children. We should place our hope in them and prepare them to take the banner from our hands. Each of our children has a right to special care and attention. The welfare and interests of the child should be recognised and protected. The children are vulnerable and therefore need special protection. The interests of the child should take precedence in all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies.
The rights and welfare of the child are best realised in the context of the welfare of the family. The promotion of the welfare of the child therefore requires the promotion of the welfare of the family.
Labels: POVERTY, STREET CHILDREN
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Inonge blames MMD for poverty in WP
By Edwin Mbulo in Mulobezi
Sat 10 Aug. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE relegation of Western Province into high levels of poverty by the MMD contributed to talks of secession, says Inonge Wina. And the Green Party says it will field Esau Mwanza, 65, in the Mulobezi parliamentary by-election.
In an interview, Wina, who is the PF's national chairperson, said soon after assuming office, President Michael Sata looked at a larger picture and introduced the Link Zambia 8000, which aims to have road networks across the entire nation.
"The MMD national development plans were just on paper. The implementations of the provisions of these plans were not put in place. This differentiates in the way we do business in PF. We are very pragmatic, we are also focusing on the whole country as our mandate, whereas the MMD was very choosy and relegated the Western Province in very high levels of poverty; not that other areas in this country are not in poverty but the CSO statistics show that the area is the worst. That is why there were sentiments of breakaway," Wina said.
She said President Sata was thinking beyond one or two provinces in the development agenda.
Wina, who is Mulobezi Constituency campaign manager, said Mulobezi district was very rich in agricultural and forestry products, which needed to be enhanced with good road networks.
Wina said the PF member of parliament would focus on infrastructure development.
And Peter Sinkamba, who is Green Party president, said Mulobezi Constituency was one area that had degenerated in human resource, infrastructure and social services and needed a member of parliament like Mwanza, who knew the problems affecting the area.
"There is a total mess in terms of health access and there is nothing the in PF that seems to mean well for the people. I have lived in Mulobezi in the 1970s up to the 1980s and I have seen it degenerate in terms of infrastructure and social services. The train was reliable at one point but now it take days to cover just 160 kilometers from Livingstone," said Sinkamba.
Labels: INONGE WINA, MMD, POVERTY, WESTERN PROVINCE
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'Poverty would be eradicated if everyone worked hard'
By Editor
Sun 04 Aug. 2013, 14:00 CAT
PASTOR Angelina Sichilongo, of Kitwe's Pentecostal Holiness Church, urges Zambians to "take advantage of the tranquility the country enjoys and use it as a God-given opportunity to work hard to improve their living standards".
Truly, as it is said, 'Lesa tapela ku minwe, apalamikafye'. It is up to us all, as citizens of this country, to take advantage of the opportunities available and exploit them for our benefit. Our daily deeds as ordinary Zambians must produce an actual reality that will help improve the conditions under which we live and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.
The political leadership of this country alone cannot deliver all the things we hope for. We cannot build and economy or a society purely on the basis of entitlement. The state will provide the necessary infrastructure required for development and our progress, but the responsibility to turn this into tangible personal benefits will depend on mobilising our own sweat equity as individuals. We have to make a contribution to our own wellbeing.
What is going on, the development projects government is undertaking, in themselves, guarantee us nothing as individuals. They offer us instead the opportunity to succeed as well as the risk of failure. They are both a promise and a challenge. They are a promise in the sense that if we work hard, we can utilise them to improve our lives. They are a challenge because what we get out of them will depend on what we ourselves do and on no one else.
A decent society is not based on handouts from government, on rights. It is based on the duties we have for our own wellbeing. And, of course, to all should be given opportunity, and from all responsibility demanded.
Attitudes have to change. The world in which we live has changed.
A life of ease is a little worth of a nation as of an individual. People who do nothing, who don't work, who don't strive after great things should not be admired. We should admire those who embody effort.
In this life, we get nothing save by effort. It is hard to fail; but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. Far better is to dare mighty things, even though checkered by failure, than to take the rank of those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
It is also important to pay attention to the observations made by Pastor Sichilongo on extravagance: "As women, let us not just think of going shopping or jumping on every latest fashion every time our husbands give us money. It is such tendencies that breed poverty at household level…" There is too much money being wasted on unnecessary consumption and luxuries. We have people in this country who are spending so much money on clothes, cosmetics and cars but don't have even a hut they can call their own. And as pastor correctly observes, they continue to live in rented accommodation. It doesn't make sense.
Clothes are not an investment. There should be a limit on how many clothes one has. And one should seriously consider other things before buying a car. It is difficult to understand how someone can spend so much money on so-called Brazilian hair yet they don't have even a hut of their own. When you look at some of our women's annual hair budgets, they would complete the construction of a reasonable house. Look at the cell phones they carry - extremely expensive ones. For what? And look at their airtime bills per month. And look at how relatively little they are spending on the welfare of children, on things such as a good diet for their family! This unbridled consumerism if not well managed will derail us as individuals and as a nation. There is need to put a lid on it. But, of course, the state will not do that for us. That will be infringing on our rights. It is up to us as individuals to do something about it.
No country can long endure if its foundations are not laid deep in the material prosperity which comes from thrift, from hard and unsparing effort.
What Pastor Sichilongo is preaching to us is that what our country needs is not the life of ease, but the life of strenuous endeavour. There is no substitute to hard work. There is no substitute to being thrift.
And Pastor Sichilongo is right when she says: "Poverty would be eradicated if everyone worked hard." It is only through individual and collective hard work that we shall ultimately eradicate poverty. If we stand idly by, if we seek merely swollen, slothful ease, if we shrink from hard work, then the bolder and stronger peoples will pass us by and win for themselves greater material benefits from our own opportunities, the opportunities God has given us.
Labels: ANGELINA SICHOLONGO, POVERTY
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'Poverty reduction needs concerted efforts'
By Fridah Nkonde
Mon 15 July 2013, 14:00 CAT
LADIES Circle Zambia president Charity Banage says it will be impossible for the country to reduce the levels of poverty if the private sector does not support the government.
In an interview yesterday, Banage said the levels of poverty in the country were very high, adding that there was need to do a lot to support those that were less fortunate.
"We as the Ladies Circle Zambia are overseeing a number of projects in the country because we want to ensure that we take the service to the public. We formed an association as a group of ladies to see what we can do to ensure that we reach out to the people. The first lady (Christine Kaseba) called on all corporate and private institution to help government to ensure that poverty levels are reduced, so we are trying all means to see what we can to do contribute to the reduction of poverty," Banage said.
She said the Ladies Circle Zambia was formed to assist the vulnerable because there were a lot of people in the country that needed help.
Banage said the passion that the ladies had was pushing them to help the vulnerable.
"Last year, we supported the Kansenshi prisons, we donated a number of items, including stoves, fridges to the women's ward. We also set up boreholes in Mandevu, we have constructed a TB shelter, we are looking at children with special needs at the University Teaching Hospital and we are also supporting House of Moses," she said.
And Banage said the Ladies Circle Zambia was expecting over 400 women to attend the Ladies Circle International Conference, which will take place in Lusaka next month.
"We need about K50,000 to host the conference but we have so far pumped in about K20,000 and we are asking the cooperating partners to help us," she said.
Meanwhile, briefing the media on the Ladies Circle International Conference, LCZ 2013 convener Priscilla Choonga said the conference would boost tourism in Zambia.
Labels: CHARITY BANAGE, LADIES CIRCLE ZAMBIA, POVERTY
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