FAWEZA/ MASTERCARD FOUNDATION EMPOWERS BURSARY STUDENTS

By Daily News Reporter

The Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia (FAWEZA) has Handed over 200 Laptops to the 2024 Mastercard Foundation program beneficiaries. 

This program underscores FAWEZA's commitment to empowering young people through education and technology. 

This program is in line with commemoration of the International Day of Education under the theme: “AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automations"

Speaking during the handover ceremony to 12 students at Lusaka Business Technology College in Lusaka FAWEZA Chairperson Enala Tembo Mwase stated that this is to empower youth in accessing quality education through empowerment program.

She also added that this program is an advancing the cause of Gender equity and equality in education sector and ensuring that education remains a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and through unlocking the potential of every child in Zambia.

And some of the beneficiaries students of the empowerment at LBTC by the name of Sandra Soko said that this gives her the opportunity to explore her education skills through this intiavites by Mastercard Foundation.

And a student by the name of Simuyemba Adolf added that this empowerment has improved his education skills and knowledge.

This program is a seven years project which is supported by Mastercard Foundation through FAWE programs by empowering young boys and girls in schools in Zambia.

PRIVATE HEALTH SECTORS SUBMIT THEIR NHIMA CONCERNS

By Daily News Reporter 

National Health Insurance Management (NHIMA) which was established under National Health Insurance Act of 2018 which aims provide financial health services to communities through the national health system and universal access to quality insured healthcare services.

Zambia's health Sector through private sectorss submitted their concerns on the operation of National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) to the National Assembly's Committee on Health, Community Development, and Social Services.

Speaking during the submissions to the committee Amos Mwale, Executive Director of the Centre for Reproductive Health and Education,  stated that NHIMA plays a crucial role in promoting Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in all 10 provinces of this country.

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 ZAAB AGAINST RIGHTS WHICH DON'T SUITS FARMERS

Daily News Reporter

Plant breeders' rights (PBR) or plant variety rights (PVR) are rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant that give the breeder exclusive control over the propagating material and harvested material of a new variety for a number of years.

Farmers’ Rights play a crucial role in shaping inclusive seed legislation. These rights recognize the essential contributions of farmers to agricultural biodiversity and the conservation of plant genetic resources. So Farmers have the right to save, use, exchange, and sell seeds from their own harvest. This practice helps maintain local crop diversity and adaptability.

And in addition farmers should be actively involved in decisions related to seed policies, research, and development. Their traditional knowledge and practices contribute significantly to sustainable agriculture.

Farmers should have access to diverse genetic resources, including traditional varieties. This access enables them to adapt to changing environmental conditions and improve crop resilience.

When commercial varieties are developed using farmers’ genetic resources, fair and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms should be in place. This ensures that farmers receive compensation for their contributions.

Farmers’ Rights protect against unfair practices such as seed patents and restrictive intellectual property rights that hinder farmers’ ability to save and exchange seeds.

And Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB) is against Zambia’s intention to join the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). They express concern about the undue influence of the UPOV secretariat in drafting Zambia’s new Bill.A

Speaking to Daily News Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB) country coordinator Mutinta Nketani, stated that amending a sovereign law solely to further outside and private interests at the expense of national interests, particularly farmer’s rights, is unacceptable. The proposed amendments aim to align Zambia’s laws with the UPOV 1991 standards, but Nketani argues that this model is ill-suited for Zambia’s context. It fails to support the country’s diverse food and farming system and limits adaptation to climate change.

Nketani has urged the government to abandon efforts to pass, repeal, and adopt the proposed new Bill to officially join UPOV. Let them Facilitate an open and transparent national discussion on farmer’s rights.

“Develop and adopt a comprehensive legal framework to fully implement Zambia’s obligations regarding farmer’s rights” Nketani said.

She further said that if enacted, the Bill could pose a threat to Zambia’s agro-biodiversity, lead to increased seed prices, and potentially result in corporate control over the seed and food system. It’s essential to balance international standards with local needs and priorities. (© Copyright Reserved) 

 

 BETUZ SCOPIES BEST UNION PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL FOR YEAR 2024 MONITORED BY MORETA ZAMBIA

THE performance was monitored by MORETA ZAMBIA 

By Daily News Reporter 

The following update performance is as follows:

1. Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) 20.5%

2. Secondary Schools Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) 27% 

3. Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) 41.5%

4. Professional Teachers Union of Zambia (PROTUZ) 1.5%

5. National Union of Private and Public Educators in Zambia (NUPPEZ) 2.5% 

6. United Teachers Union of Zambia (UNITUZ) 5%

7. Special Educators Teachers Union (SPETUZ) 1.5%

8. Professional Educators Union of Zambia (PEUZ) 0.5%

9. Amalgamation Rural Teachers Union of Zambia (ARTUZ) 0.0%

10. Zambia Teachers Union (ZATU) 0.0%

11. 12. National Teachers Union of Zambia (NATUZ) 0.0%

12. National Educators Union of Zambia (NEUZ) 0.0%

13. Dynamic Teachers Union of Zambia (DTUZ) 0.0%

14. Zambia Union of Professional Educators (ZUPE) 0.0%

15. Zambia Union of Teacher Empowerment (ZUTE) 0.0%

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 4.5 billion people lack essential health services and 2 billion face financial barriers-Chitindi

By Daily News Reporter

This year’s theme—Health: It’s on the government! It urges world leaders to uphold their commitments to Universal Health Coverage, as promised in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and recent Universal Health Coverage political declarations. With over global 4.5 billion people lacking essential health services and 2 billion of them facing financial barriers, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

On behalf of Zambia Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance representing organization members of Non-Communicable Diseases including Heart Diseases, Strokes, Cancers, Diabetes, Mental Health, Diabetes, Asthma, Epilepsy and many more would like to request the Government of Zambia for an urgent attention to the surge in health-related poverty in Zambia.

Zambia committed to accelerate progress on Universal Health Coverage, which emphasizes establishing policies that increase access to quality essential health services and reduce out of pocket expenditures which lead to financial hardship and ensure financial risk protection for all throughout the life course, especially for the poor and those in vulnerable situations as they are experiencing financial hardship due to health spending. The Zambia NCD Alliance is therefore asking the Government of Zambia to Champion a targeted set of actions to achieve the commitment to ensure financial protection for all when accessing essential health services.

The cost of health services is the leading reason for people to forego essential care and refrain from purchasing all the medicines they need. These costs can force families to choose between paying for a visit to the doctor and other necessities, such as food, education or other essentials. Such trade-offs can hinder early treatment of disease and, at a later stage, lead to severe illness or become life threatening.

Ms Brenda Chitindi Member of the Zambia Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance issued a statement to Daily News that the government of Zambia need to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket payments for health services and products and remove financial barriers to access a package of essential health services, education improves as healthy children learn better, equality of women and girls increases, worker absenteeism declines, and health-related poverty decreases. Furthermore, when the population is healthy, economies prosper and productivity rises.

Ms Chitindi also urged the government to introduce laws, budgets, policies and programmes to reduce financial barriers and protect people from financial hardship when accessing essential health services, prioritizing those in the most marginalized and vulnerable situations.  In particular, we ask that the government of Zambia should:

“they is need to Establish or strengthen the National Health Insurance Scheme that should cover health care costs for the entire population and guarantee access to an affordable core package of essential health services, including quality medicines”, Ms Chitindi Said.

They is need to Prioritize the financial protection needs of people in vulnerable and marginalized situations and minimize or remove user charges for people with low income or chronic conditions.

And Implement social protection interventions like cash transfers where necessary to cover direct medicine costs or opportunity loss of income costs related to sickness.

Ms Chitindi has called on the government to implement the World Health Assembly resolution on social participation for Universal Health Coverage, health and well-being endorsed by WHO Member States in May 2024. It is important that people can express their voice in policy making and how they want their tax money to be used. Including them in decision making on matters that affect their health and well-being as it is the most effective way to build trust with communities and ensure public policies respond to their needs.

She has also further urged the Ministry of Health to refer to the Universal Health Coverage 2030 action agenda an action-oriented policy recommendation to strengthen resilient and equitable health systems.

“We strongly urge the government of Zambia to take action to reduce health-related poverty by implementing financial protection for health,” Ms Chitindi added.

  UN’S SDGS ARE EQUALIZER AND LIBERATOR, ROSEMARY MUMBI

 By Moses Walubita

Rosemary Mumbi runs a Christian community school in one of Lusaka’s squatter compounds. From two pupils at inception to 2,000 have passed through the school which has sent out into different career paths nearly 105 ‘O’ Level students who have graduated.

Rosemary, a retired teacher (though she is still teaching at her school), shares inspiring stories of her life. For example, when Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) was preparing for Independence she overheard a very familiar conversation between two white colonialists who said: “This country will go to the dogs if we (Europeans) lost the elections.”

It did not surprise young Rosemary because those were the usual sentiments among the white population, that blacks had neither education nor the intelligence to govern themselves. She set out to help change the narrative through education for the indigenous Zambian. Her whole life’s formal Education was done under colonial rule.

To her shock one day returning home for a school vacation, Rosemary (then aged 15 years), had to be run out of the village like a thief by her mother when news broke out that she was to be married off to a 40-year old man as per tradition. The man had already his built a hut in village.

 Rosemary’s mother preferred she continued with education. Rosemary has been a secondary school teacher since January 1964, the year Zambia gained her Independence from British Colonial Rule.

Rosemary made a serious commitment to God and herself that she should stand as a role model by successfully completing her education. She did this in December 1963. Because education is an equalizer, she chose to become a teacher.

Education is the only tool to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her 58 years’ of teaching has made her realize that education is matter of either life or death for girls. As to how education fits into SDGs, Rosemary believes they are the equalizer, liberator and a promoter from one level of understanding to another level.

Because of her education Rosemary was able to represent Zambia at Independence on 24 October, 1964. She was in Independence Stadium in capital city when the British flag was lowered down for the last time and the country’s One Zambia New Nation flag went up and seeing the founding father Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda sworn in as Republic’s first President.

Rosemary’s school started in 2003 without a budget in a small rented room that neither had running water nor electricity. Forty students have finished their tertiary education in 2022. Support from well-wishers in Zambia and abroad is big.

Rosemary Chanda Mumbi aged 82, is a widow, a mother of five grown children and a grandmother of ten, five boys and five girls.

OUR DEMOCRACY IS AT CROSS ROADS 

By Edwin Lifwekelo

The just ended ruling on the eligibility of Former President Edgar Lungu has validated our scepticism on the UPND appointed judges of the Constitution Court.

The Court failed to redeem itself from it's earlier position in the process eroding Confidence and Credibility in the Judiciary.

The UPND government must free the judiciary from harassment and intimidations,they have instilled fear in the Men and Women who are afraid of losing their Jobs.

iam afraid the current crop of Constitution Court Judges do not instill and inspire Confidence in the people.

if the ruling on Edgar Chagwa Lungu is something to go by it simply means the road ahead of the 2026 Presidential and Parliamentary elections will highly be contentious and turbulent.

Our democracy is at Cross roads and we need to immediately start looking at ways of addressing these challenges before the 2026 General Elections.

The Constitutional Court ruling failed the test of impartiality.

We appeal to our citizens and our party Membership to remain focused and Vigilant and not to loose sight of the bigger picture that of removing this tyrant regime from power come 2026.

Our Democracy is being mutilated and overrun by the UPND government which does not mean well for the people of zambia.

it's hell bent on pillaging our democracy through hook and crook.

The UPND government has failed to observe the tenant's of Democracy

Congratulations for winning the Constitutional judgement but I can tell you come the General Elections WINA AZALIlA

l think anyone Celebrating the Constitutional ruling is deceiving themselves, they should wait for the verdict of the people in 2026

.Our advice to the UPND government is Stop deceiving yourselves,learn from mistakes of others.

You promised the people of zambia Free independent judiciary,respect of the rule of law and Free Fair elections,none of these has happened under the watch of President Hakainde Hichilema.

The ruling by the constitutional court is not a loss for the PF,it's a loss for democracy in Zambia.

This matter now even gets worse with the concerns that has now been rendered by the law association of zambia on the u turn by the constitution court regarding President Lungu s eligibility matter,could it be that the men in robes rendered a political judgement rather than a sound legal judgement?

it looks like this matter is far from over and pray for it's logical conclusion.

President Hakainde Hichilema must stop Chosing his political opponents who should face him in 2026,let him face Former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu squarely instead of hiding in legal faucets.

Let him not hide in immingalato,that is being a coward.

The five Men in robes cannot choose a President for Zambia,let Zambians choose a President for themselves.

This is an opportunity for Zambians to step ahead in reclaiming this country from the UPND Mala administration.

These Egyptians you see today you Shall see them no more beyond 2026.

Edwin Lifwekelo 

PF media director