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Lifestyle

The Zambia National Mens Network for Gender and Development (ZNMNGD) has called for the abolishment of dowry or bride price commonly as Lobola charging that most families are now using it as a tool for profit making.

Dowry or bride price commonly known as Lobola is a pre-wedding African practice that has been in existence since 300 BC where money and gifts are presented to the girl’s family in form of compensation for the lost services of the girl and for raising her well.

In earlier times cattle was often used as Lobola payment but today, payment inform of cash is also accepted.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times -ZBT, ZNMNGD National Coordinator Nelson Banda charged that some families are now going as far as charging some men over K50,000 for reasons that their children are well cultured and educated which he said is unfair to the men whose parents also spend a lot of money on their education and upbringing.

Banda said that as opposed to most families using Lobola as a tool for profit making by charging men exorbitant amounts, Lobola is meant to be an appreciation to the parents of the girl for having looked after their daughter and should be done accordingly.

He further added that the huge amounts of dowry being charged to most men is also the major cause of gender based violence.

Banda noted that most men are using the huge payments they make to the woman’s family as a justification to mistreat and abuse their wives.

He reiterated that Lobola is unfair to the men and should be done away with .

Banda further added that he sees no reason as to why some families charge men huge amounts of money as bride prices when the wife’s relatives will still be asking for help from the man and when the money in question can also be used by the couple to start a new home.

“For us our argument is that Lobola payment is a trigger point for gender based violence because you don’t need to own someone like the way one owns a car that is a human being who needs a companionship and that is why we are saying that this Lobola payment should be done away with. Lobola payment is not fair because the man could even be more educated that the woman. What we should be looking at is that both parents contribute towards their children’s education. The man’s parents could have struggled to take their son to school and equally the parents of the girl could have also sacrificed sending that girl to school,” he said.

“There is therefore no justification as to why some people demand for astronomical amounts from the man’s side and when the man becomes violent they start complaining because most men use the huge amount they are charged with as a justification to mistreat their wives.I also see no reasons why some people charge huge amounts when those relatives will still be coming to the couples house to ask for help of which the guy will also be helping.In the olden days people could pay a simple Chitenge or an axe like where I come from. “

“Lobola should be an appreciation to the parents of the girl for having looked after their daughter and should be done accordingly unlike going commercial because now Lobola has now gone commercial and that is why we have a problem with Lobola payment. I have heard of people who get charged as much as K50,000. A human being is not supposed to be sold but appreciated. What we are seeing now is that people are paying as much as K40,000 to K50,000 and some of the reasons people are giving for charging that much are reasons such as their children being well cultured, their being educated and being university among other funny reasons. What is more important is love if people love each other let them begin from there but to demand for K45,000, I think that is too astronomical because that money can be used by both parties when that are married to start a new home,” said Banda.

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The Zambia National Mens Network for Gender

Tech

The 2023 School Certificate (Grade 12) examination results highlights have revealed that mathematics recorded the lowest mean percentage score among all subjects down to about 26% from about 28% recorded in 2022 which is a worrying trend, as Mathematics is one of the core subjects and critical for many fields of study.

The highest mean percentage was recorded in Food and Nutrition (70.0%), followed by Fashion and Fabrics (66.76%) and Art and Design (64.33%). However, there was a decrease in the range of highest mean percentages in 2023 compared to 2022.

According to the 2023 School Certificate (Grade 12) Examination Results Highlights seen by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, mean percentage scores ranged from 26.62 percent in Mathematics to 70 percent in Food and Nutrition, almost similar to the range of 27.51 percent in Mathematics to 70 percent in Food and Nutrition in 2022.

On the other hand, the lowest mean percentage was recorded in Mathematics (26.62%), followed by History (26.99%) and Science (27.24%).

This has left citizens concerned about the state of education in the country and has raised questions about possible solutions to improve students’ performance, especially in this crucial subject.

The natural sciences subjects did not fare well either, with five out of eight subjects recording a decline in percentage points compared to the 2022 examinations. Biology decreased the most by 17.45 percentage points, followed by Computer Studies by 6.85 percentage points.

Similarly, Literature and Languages subjects also saw a decline in performance, with seven out of eleven subjects recording a decline in percentage points compared to 2022. The most decreased was Literature in English with 8.73 percentage points, followed by French (8.35 percentage points), and the third was English Language (4.28 percentage points). However, Chitonga and Lunda saw an increase in their percentage points.

In Social Sciences, four out of the five subjects recorded a decrease in percentage mean score. The largest decrease in percentage mean score was recorded in History at 7.25 percentage points, followed by Civic Education (4.07 percentage points) and Geography (1.7 percentage points). The only subject that recorded an increase is Christian Religious Education, with 0.92 percentage points.

Performance in practical subjects also decreased, with six out of the seven subjects recording a decrease in percentage points. The highest percentage point decrease was observed in Musical Arts at 8.11 percentage points, Home Management at a 5.75 percentage point decrease, and Physical Education at a 4.60 percentage point decrease. Only one subject, Food and Nutrition, did not record a decrease but maintained the same score of 70 percent as observed in the 2022 examinations.

The percentage mean scores for Practical subjects in 2023 were however above the natural pass mark of forty percent (40%), similar to 2022 and 2021. The authorities have since been challenged to investigate the reasons for this trend and replicate it in other subjects to improve overall performance in the exams.

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The 2023 School Certificate (Grade 12) examination

Companies

The First National Bank (FNB) Zambia has announced that the Bank has acquired land and will commence construction of a new Head Office Premises in Lusaka, Zambia.

FNB which started operating in Zambia on 1 April 2009 has over the years enjoyed significant growth and now has presence across all 10 provinces of Zambia through a network of ATMs and Advanced Deposit Terminals (ADTs), Branches and CashPlus agency banking solutions.

Speaking on the new head office plans, FNB Zambia Chief Executive Officer, Kapumpe Chola disclosed that the Bank has acquired a piece of land on Tito Road in Rhodes Park – Lusaka, where it intends to commence construction of the FNB Zambia new Head Office premises within the next months.

According to a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, the Bank will endeavor to carry everyone along on this growth journey as the construction projects require elaborate planning and extensive stakeholder engagement.

“This is an exciting milestone in our journey as a leading digital and innovative bank adding to our continued commitment of operating in Zambia, particularly that this year we celebrate 15 years in the country. It also aligns with our optimization focus where we are refurbishing some of our branches across the country to enhance our customer touchpoints. We would like to most sincerely thank our customers for the continued support which has led to our success in Zambia”, Chola added.

The award-winning FNB Zambia which was named “2023 Digital Banking Brand of the year, Zambia” by the Zambia Institute of Banking & Financial Services, and Global Brands Magazine respectively, continues to focus on providing Helpful, Easy and Safe banking solutions across its different touchpoints.

The Bank has recently unveiled the refurbished Kabwe and Chipata branches which have been modernized to better serve customers.

FNB Zambia remains committed to operating in Zambia and providing innovative products to support its diverse customers and stakeholders.

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The First National Bank (FNB) Zambia has

Tech

Software piracy has become a worldwide issue affecting many countries, Zambia inclusive. Globally, almost all personal computers are operating with software illegally obtained and installed. The number of computers with illegal software keeps increasing year by year.

According to the Business Software Alliance (BSA)’s most recent Global Software Survey in 2023, revealed that 37 per cent of software worldwide is unlicensed. This means more people are now using pirated software on other computers. The rise of software piracy is a concern because it has many devastating effects on society. 

Just this year, Pratibha Syntex an Indian textile firm was ordered by the court to pay a fine of $100,000 as a settlement for using pirated software, including products from Microsoft and Adobe. The settlement reached the Los Angeles Superior Court, and they approved it.

This case is one example of the many cases where companies or people copy software to multiple computers or share software with without licenses. In most cases, companies or even people download pirated software from the Internet and share software without having the rights of the owners to do so. This is illegal and an offence.

Perhaps, some people involved in software piracy might not know what it is. Software piracy is the use of software that is not properly licensed. This might include copying, modifying, distributing, or selling the software in ways that contravene copyright laws or license terms. Today, there are many cases of software piracy, and some are committed knowingly. Sadly, many of these go unreported.

Davison Munsanda, President of the Zambia Association of Musicians (ZAM) once noted: “Software piracy has been in Zambia. People use and distribute copyrighted computer software almost all the time, this is a violation of the copyright law and robs companies of their revenue”.  He adds: “The increase of illegal music apps has allowed the downloading of music without any person, and this has affected the music and film industry.”

There are many consequences of software piracy to society. Here are a few. One effect of software piracy is that, once software is installed illegally on a computer, it increases the chances of that software malfunctioning or even failing someone’s computer.

The other effect of software piracy is that once you install it, you forfeit access to support any program on your computer properly. This might affect the perfect operation of your computer. 

The other major problem of software piracy is that there is no warranty on the software. This means that the software cannot be updated once it has been installed in the computer and so it will be operating on the same software for years.

Apart from these effects, software piracy has a more devastating effect on society. Any illegal installation of software on another computer takes away money from the programmer or developer who created the software. It takes more time to develop software and it is expensive. Thus, when software is pirated, it prevents the programmer or developer of that software from affording future development and in most cases, software is not easy to create.

Again, when software is pirated companies or businesses that invest in software tend to lose money or revenue because software has been pirated. The business that owns the software will not gain or receive any payment for the use of that software. This results in significant financial losses for the business especially when the pirated software has been distributed widely. According to the Business Software Alliance (BSA) report 2023 its estimates that the commercial value of unlicensed software globally was $46.3 billion. This is a huge cost to businesses.

Reuben Kajokoto, Director Legal at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) notes, “it costs ZNBC a lot of money to acquire and produce its content and if it is pirated using pirated software, ZNBC cannot recoup the expenses and will eventually fail to produce and acquire new content.”

He adds: “The impact of piracy on our business is that viewers will not watch ZNBC on the traditional platforms. The traditional platforms belonging to ZNBC help the Corporation to attract advertisers. The more viewers ZNBC has on its channels the more advertisers we attract. But if these viewers go to the other illegal online sites, the damage to ZNBC is that they would have lost viewership, therefore may lose advertisers,”

Something to note also is that software piracy affects innovation. Businesses whose software has been pirated might be unable to generate sufficient revenue to invest in the development of new software products.

Software piracy has a huge negative economic impact on society. When software is pirated, the effects trickle down all the way down from the content creator to the employees of the affected business or company. This means that revenue loss will affect employees in getting salaries to feed families.

Overall, software piracy is a major issue affecting society. Consequently, companies need to implement anti-piracy protection systems on their software-based products to help prevent the vice.

Although software piracy hasn’t shown any signs of abating, it is encouraging that various institutions have taken up initiatives to fight piracy in general. Institutions like MultiChoice, MISA Zambia, Partners Against Piracy (PAP), Zambia Association of Musicians (ZAM), National Arts Council (NAC) and the Zambia Police among others have been on the radio and TV conducting interviews on the need to stop piracy. They have gone a step further to produce educative articles in the press and conducted workshops to raise awareness about the fight against piracy.

All the initiatives that have been done so far signify that the creative industry has remained vigilant about fighting software piracy.  

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Software piracy has become a worldwide issue

Agribusiness


The auditor general’s report for the financial years ended 31st December 2021 and 2022 has exposed the Food Reserve Agency – FRA’s failure to discipline its members of staff who were found to be involved in maize and soya beans stock theft valued at over K2 million.

According to the AG’s report, a review of the 2022 Annual Stocktake Report showed that there were negative variances of maize and Soya beans Stocks and empty grain bags valued at over K2 million.

The stocktake report attributed the negative variance to theft, unaccounted-for stock, and under-delivery by suppliers.

And according to the AG’s report, FRA management in their response to the the negative variance,   submitted that the suspected theft cases of maize and soya beans were reported to police and once investigations were concluded, cases were either advanced to courts for litigation or disposed of accordingly in their response dated 9th October 2023.

The report further revealed that FRA also submitted in their response to the negative variance that in cases where members of staff were found to be involved in stock theft, administrative disciplinary action was taken.

But according to the AG report, no evidence of the said disciplinary action was availed for audit by FRA.

“A review of the 2022 Annual Stocktake Report revealed that there were negative variances of maize and Soya beans Stocks and empty grain bags costing K2, 054,480. The negative variance was attributed to theft, unaccounted-for stock, and under-delivery by suppliers. However in their response dated 9th October 2023, management submitted that suspected theft cases were reported to police and once investigations were concluded, cases were either advanced to courts for litigation or disposed of accordingly. In cases where members of staff were found to be involved, administrative disciplinary action was taken. However, as of 30th September 2023, no evidence of the said action was availed for audit,” revealed the report.

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The auditor general’s report for the financial

Companies

Airtel Networks Zambia Plc has released its full-year results for the year ended 31 December 2023 and disclosed income growth by 28.4% from ZMW 4,451 million (as at 31 December 2022) to ZMW 5,716 million as of 31 December 2023.

The above performance is largely attributed to the increase in the customer base by 11.2% from 9.195 million on 31 December 2022 to 10.227 million on 31 December 2023.

Airtel Board Chairperson Katebe Monica Musonda announced the results in Lusaka at the Company’s Annual General meeting and told the shareholders that there had been an increase in the operating profit at ZMW 2.2 billion for the period under review, which was an increase of 26.9% compared to the same period last year.

She said this was mainly as a result of the strong performance on revenue, and management’s consistent optimization of operating expenses in view of the harsh economic environment.

“The Zambian economy like many other global economies faced a number of challenges in 2023 from hikes in commodity prices, leading to tightening of the monetary policy, climate change and geopolitical tensions in most parts of the world which has had major impact on world trade and investments,” Ms. Musonda said.

“As of 31st December 2023, the Kwacha had depreciated compared to 31 December 2022, trading at K25.72/$1 compared to K18.11/$1 in the prior year. Inflation increased to 13.1%% in December 2023 from 9.9% in December 2022. The depreciation of the Kwacha against the US dollar, higher maize grain and mealie-meal prices, upward adjustment in electricity tariffs and increase in transportation costs were major drivers of inflation in 2023.” She said.

The Chairperson also announced that the company performed extremely well throughout the year. This is evidenced by the record-breaking declaration of three interim dividends for the period 1st January 2023 up to 30th September 2023 and a final dividend declaration of K3.50 per share for the period ending 31st December 2023.

And Airtel Managing Director, Hussam Baday informed the shareholders that Airtel had continued to make investments in the country’s 100% 4G Network and 5G deployed in major towns as a response to customers’ continued demand for high-quality Data and Voice Services as well as fulfilling the regulatory Quality of Service (QoS) guidelines issued by the Zambia Information Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA).

“We have invested a total of K1.3 billion in our network infrastructure in the year under review and have expanded our distribution exclusive channels by 39% YoY. This underpins Airtel’s long-term commitment to invest in the country and continue to improve the quality and coverage of our network and make our distribution points closer to customers,” Baday said.

The Profit after tax increased to ZM1,139 million compared to ZMW  921 million for the same period last year. This was mainly a result of strong revenue performance, operating efficiencies, and a robust War on Waste agenda despite inflationary pressures and the devaluation of the local currency movement against the US dollar.

“Our staff exhibit a high-performance culture as they continue on an ambitious innovation agenda with a strong customer focus mindset in order to provide an excellent customer experience for our exhibits customers,” Baday said.

In the picture is Company Secretary, Mrs. Sonia Chinganya (in blue) and Board Chairperson Ms Monica Katebe Musonda listening to a shareholders’ question at the Airtel AGM

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Airtel Networks Zambia Plc has released its

Tech

Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) is facing a major crisis in its recapitalization and modernization project, which was aimed at rehabilitating and modernizing the country’s railway infrastructure.

The project was expected to improve the efficiency and safety of the railway network, reduce transit times and costs, and increase revenue for the company.

However, the project has been marred by safety concerns, financial mismanagement, and delayed deliveries, resulting in increased transit times, reduced freight volumes, and financial losses.

One of the major issues affecting the project is the poor state of the railway infrastructure, including the tracks, bridges, culverts, and drainages.

A review of the 2022 Safety Report by the auditor General’s office, revealed that the number of safety occurrences reported during the period under review increased to 696 from 642 occurrences in 2021, with 537 attributed to track failure. As a result, sections of the rail were placed on a temporal speed limit of 15 km/hr from an average speed of 50 km/hr, resulting in increased transit time for passengers and cargo. This resulted in increased transit time for passengers and cargo from an estimated 36 hours to an estimated 72 hours for a distance from Victoria Falls in Livingstone to Chililabombwe.

As a result of the increased transit time for passengers and cargo, ZRL failed to haul the planned 2,147,681 tonnes of freight for which revenue amounting to K780,861,229 was expected to be generated. Instead, ZRL hauled 1,612,486 tonnes which generated revenue of K389,506,100 resulting in a negative variance of 535,195 tons worth K391,355,129.

Another issue affecting ZRL is the failed delivery of fifty (50) wagons from Transnet – Freight rail -TFR, which was meant to compensate for the fifty (50) wagons that were either lost or damaged beyond repair on TFR lines in South Africa. However, as of 30th September 2023, the wagons had not been received, causing further delays and disruptions to ZRL’s operations.

According to the Auditor General report on the accounts of parastatal bodies and other statutory institutions for the financial year ended 31st December 2022, the recapitalization and modernization project has also been plagued by financial mismanagement. ZRL entered into a contract with Team Sweden Railways (TSR), a consortium comprising Yapiray and Yapi Merkezi companies established and existing in Turkey, for the rehabilitation and modernization of Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) at a contract sum of €978,093,639 VAT exclusive. However, the company failed to secure financing for Phase 1 before the contract award, casting doubts on its ability to service the remaining 75% of the contract sum of €12,179,723 within the contract period of 6 months from the commencement date.

The delayed settlement of certified interim payment certificates resulted in the suspension of works by the contractor, with project completion being at 84% as of 31st August 2023.

The delay in completing Phase 1 has failed to execute Phase 2, which includes the rehabilitation of 1,029 km of the railway line from Livingstone to Sakania Border (including Chingola, Chililabombwe, and Mufulira branch lines) and the procurement of 500 locomotives and 1500 wagons.

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Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) is facing a

Tech

In the turn of events, the Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia – BETUZ, has revealed that the actual number of houses it plans to build for its teachers is 60,000, and not the previously stated 100,000, leaving out a significant 40, 000 with no clear explanation.

In 2022, BETUZ President Binston Tembo, and the union Secretary General, Henry Sinkala publicly announced that the union intends to invest about $9 billion to build 100,000 low-cost houses for its members across the country but has now u-turned the position suggesting that only 60, 000 houses will be constructed by the union.

The commencement of the construction of the now 60, 000 low-cost houses has also dragged after some sources indicated that the Union does not have the capacity to undertake such a massive project.

Earlier a financial expert exclusively with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, questioned the $9 billion deal that the Basic Education Union of Zambia BETUZ signed with a United Arab Emirates-based Company to build 100, 000 houses on a rent-to-own initiative for teachers.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, when reminded that he is on record announcing the 100, 000, BETUZ General Secretary Henry Sinkala, denied that he does not recall mentioning the 100, 000 teachers’ houses nor remember stating that figure.

“I do not know where that number is coming from and I don’t know who said it because we plan to construct 60, 000 houses for our teachers that are currently registered. Betuz only has about 60, 000 teachers.” He remarked.

The reduction in the number of houses and the lack of clarity on the timeline for construction have made some teachers lose hope in the promise the union made to the teachers. There have also been some allegations pointing out that the union was only making false promises and using the housing initiative as a political tool to gain support.

The promise to construct the houses was made by BETUZ in 2022, where it was touted as a major breakthrough for the country’s teaching profession.

The union had pledged to work with the government and other stakeholders to ensure that the houses were built and bought by educators over a 15-20-year period.

Meanwhile, Sinkala said the construction of the now reduced 60, 000 houses, depends on when the resources will be made available from the engaged funders of the project.

Sinkala said the union said that it had explored various funding options, including partnerships with private investors, but had been unable to secure the necessary resources as the funds have not yet been made available.

Asked why the construction had been delayed and whether it was true that the union did not have the capacity to undertake such a massive project, Sinkala denied to comment adding that he was attending to something else important.

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In the turn of events, the Basic

Uncategorized

The Zambia National Service (ZNS) involvement in the importation of genetically modified organism (GMO) mealie meal from South Africa to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) seems to have been lacking the necessary legal support as both ZNS and the ministry of agriculture have failed to clearly state which law supports ZNS to participate in such trade.

The Zambia National Service (ZNS) is a Defence Force Wing that is mandated to train citizens to serve the Republic, develop infrastructure, enhance National food security and contribute to the social economic development.

However, the recent announcement the the defense wing is involved in the importation of the GMOs when Zambia does not consume GMOs has raised concerns among members of the public who question the rationale behind the involvement of a wing that is responsible for providing non-GMO mealie meal to Zambian citizens.

This development has sparked a debate about the legality of ZNS’s involvement in the importation of GMO mealie meal and the implications of such actions.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, ZNS Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer Col Mable Nyone deferred queries on the legality of ZNS’s involvement in the trade to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Nyoni failed to confirm whether or not there is law that supports ZNS’s involvement in trade and referred all queries to the Ministry of Agriculture.

 “This mealie meal is not for sale in Zambia. You can ask Ministry of Agriculture then if there are laws that facilitate that because I don’t think there is any offence of transiting through a country because the mealie meal is not sold locally. So I think Ministry of Agriculture will be in a better position because they are the ones that give permits and for them to give that permit it means that there is something that is backing them,” said Nyone.

Meanwhile, when contacted for a comment Ministry of Agriculture revealed that there is no law that disqualifies   ZNS from participating in international trade but failed to provide specific evidence.

When asked further to confirm which law qualifies ZNS to participating in international trade, Ministry of Agriculture failed to confirm the supporting law.

“The existing law does not exclude ZNS from importing mealie meal. There is no law that eliminates ZNS from participating in importation. That is what I’m telling you, there is no law that disqualifies ZNS from participating in importation. Even you. You can now apply and start importing.”

Experts are since calling for the government to clarify the legal framework surrounding the importation of GMO mealie meal and the involvement of ZNS in the trade.

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The Zambia National Service (ZNS) involvement in

Lifestyle

The death of the senior Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) Iduna Inenete Akapelwa Silumbu which happened at his residence in Limulunga District in Western Province, has left the family devastated calling for thorough investigations into the matter

Elder brother to the deceased Tawila Akapelwa Silumbu said it is saddening as the village is known for its quietness and the shooting dead of his elder brother is shocking to the family and the entire Chiefdom.

Recently, the police revealed that BRE Senior Induna Inenete Akapelwa Silumbu was shot dead by unknown people at his house in Limulunga district at his residence in Salambango village in Nalubutu chiefdom in Mongu while trying to lock up his vehicle on March 17, 2024.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, elder brother to the deceased Tawila Akapelwa Silumbu revealed that Salambango village in Nalubutu chiefdom is known for its quietness and that the shooting dead of his elder brother makes it the very first shooting incident in the area.

Silumbu noted that police are still carrying out investigation and that no new information has been revealed to the family yet.

He has therefore called on the police to expedite their investigations and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

“The area is not known for gun incidences, I don’t know what transpired because is a very quiet place. There has never been any cases of anyone getting shot at in the area, my brother was the only one and first one. We are very devastated as a family, we are not ourselves, and we have been hit below the belt. Investigations are still ongoing and no new information has been found as at now. Police should be fast in carrying out the investigations,”

He said as the police continues with their investigations, the mystery behind the shooting dead of senior Induna Inenete Akapelwa Silumbu in a place not known for guns still remains unknown.  

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The death of the senior Barotse Royal