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The Examination Council of Zambia – ECZ, has denied claims that they had set the examination questions for the outgoing secondary/primary pupils beyond the legal curriculum standard a situation which is alleged to have angered some pupils resorting to the damaging of school properties.

There have been high-level allegations pointing to the Examination Council of Zambia (ECZ) of setting exams that go beyond the curriculum standards, which has caused violence among some students.

According to sources, some students have expressed frustration with the level of difficulty of the exams, claiming that they were not adequately prepared for the content a situation they feel may have led to some pupils resorting to damaging school property out of anger.

The situation has however raised concerns among parents and education stakeholders, who are calling for a thorough investigation into the matter. They are also urging authorities to ensure that students are adequately prepared for exams to avoid a repeat of such incidents in the future.

In response to the accusations, the ECZ has exclusively told the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, that all exams are set in accordance with the curriculum standards and that they are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are up-to-date and relevant.

In a recent development, a fire alleged to have been lit by the aggrieved ex-pupils, swept through parts of Kamwala Secondary School, burning the head teacher’s office, a school bus, and other important school properties.

ECZ public relations manager Nicholas Nkuwa however said if candidates didn’t prepare for the exams, the Council has no control over that because the duty there is to provide the assessment to candidates which they did. Nkhuwa also emphasized the importance of students preparing adequately for exams and taking responsibility for their own learning.

He therefore condemned the act of burning school properties and urged institutions of learning to ensure that they prepare their learners for ECZ assessments.

“Assessments are prepared to the level of candidates being assessed in this case the grade 12 candidates were given exams that were according to their standard. Secondly, why are they the only ones who have turned out to behave like that in all the schools in Zambia? So if they didn’t prepare for the exams, ECZ has no control over that. Our duty is to provide the assessment, which we did. We condemn that act as well if that is the reason why the pupils behaved like that as it has been alleged, we also condemn that aspect because that is not the way out. I think the way forward is to ensure that all schools just prepare the learners to take the assessments that we prepare as ECZ otherwise for us, we do not set any exams that are outside the curriculum that has been set for this country. Of what benefit is it for us to bring things that are not of the standard of learners,” he said.

“We don’t pick things from anywhere, there’s a teaching and learning curriculum which we follow. So pupils should not just behave otherwise because they have failed to prepare adequately for these assessments and they want to derail our achievements. Basically what we should all be fighting for is to ensure continued Excellency and credibility of our assessments but the question we continue to ask is if that was the allegation behind the burning of school properties, why were they the only ones who behaved in that manner out of all the schools. So the investigations will tell us the motivation of the people who were involved in that arson action,’ remarked Nkuwa.

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The Examination Council of Zambia – ECZ,

Lifestyle

Defense Minister Ambrose Lufuma has declined to reveal the identity and details of the ZNS officer alleged to have killed a 15-year-old juvenile identified as Chrispin Bunda during an anti-mealie meal smuggling operation.

Recently, the Zambia National Service – ZNS officer in Kankoyo Township of Mufulira district during an anti-mealie meal smuggling operation, allegedly cut short the life of a 15-year-old juvenile identified as Chrispin Bunda after a fracas that resulted from the operation resulting into the shooting of an innocent boy who is now deceased.

According to the police report, the 15-year-old boy was killed after a ZNS officer used live ammunition to disperse people who were obstructing the officers from searching their premises suspected to be harboring mealie meal destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo – DRC.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Lufuma revealed that the shooting incident is still being investigated and that details of the investigations will be availed to members of the public.

Asked to confirm if it was indeed a ZNS officer who shot dead Bunda, Lufuma retorted that the response to the question was unnecessary information.

“Don’t extract unnecessary information, I have told you what to do, you think you will just say who shot? How do you know? It’s difficult to say. You put it in writing that the shooting is still being investigated and the public will be told.” Remarked Lufuma.

Government leaders have been accused of being incentives to the economic hardships on the ground and the “no money in circulation” complaints which is pushing people into desperation and involved in illegal exports (smuggling) of mealie meal to survive.

The government continues to struggle to provide an enabling environment for local enterprises to thrive, thereby leading to limited to no employment opportunities for citizens.

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Defense Minister Ambrose Lufuma has declined to

Lifestyle

The independent churches of Zambia (ICOZ), have called upon women to stop applying oils such as that of Aunty Dodix to attract men.

Recently there has been a common trend of business people and some social media influencers who have been selling and promoting what they term bedroom products such as honey pot, make him cry powder, and “follow follow rich man magnate oil,” to attract rich men.

Tina Sakala commonly known as Aunty Dodix is among the people who has been selling such products and claims the oil attracts men such as ministers, rich men, businessmen, and engineers among other men.

She also uses her social media platforms to encourages women to bathe, look good, apply the oil, and go to places where rich men are found.

In an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, ICOZ president bishop David Masupa said applying such oils might seem to be good for the user at the moment but might have a negative impact in the long run.

Masupa says one of the impacts this oil might have on the user is that the target market for this oil who are rich men might transmit diseases such as HIV and AIDS to the user.

He adds that women should follow a good career path and earn a decent living for the sake of their children and families.

“We want to call upon the same ladies that may be applying such kind of oil such as the “follow follow rich man magnate oil,” that it may seem to be good for you now because the country is in an economic downturn in terms of the standard of living but it will have a negative impact in your life because such kind of men they bring disease such as HIV and AIDS and also your life will never be the same. So as a church leader, I would just advise you to follow a good career path and earn a decent living for the sake of your children and your family,” he said.

Masupa also notes that there is no control in media houses on products being advertised on whether they are fake or capable of corrupting the morals of the Zambian people.

He has since condemned the oil and called on the government to control the promotion and sale of such products in an advert form in some media houses.

“We condemn that oil in the strongest possible terms. When we declare ourselves a Christian nation, it means that our practices should also pertain to Christian principles. We condemn that and I know that it is social media which the government may have no control over but the publication of such on our media houses can be controlled. We have noted with concern and our concern is that there is no control as to what comes to our media houses or whether they know it is fake or will corrupt the morals of the Zambian people. Media houses go ahead to make advertisements even without getting to the truth of such kinds of products and they will affect the moral fiber of the people of Zambia,” said Masupa.

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The independent churches of Zambia (ICOZ), have

Agribusiness

The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries has promised to eliminate the current fish deficit in the country in 3 years by 2026.

Livestock and Fisheries Minister Makozo Chikote says the country still has a deficit of about 35 metric tons of fish based on 2022 estimates.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times –ZBT, Chikote said the ministry is putting up interventions to enhance production, and that if all the measures that are being worked on are put in place, Zambia will not have a fish deficit within the next two-three years. 

He said to close up the gap, the ministry has introduced the aquaculture intervention, which includes supporting the farmers by providing them with affordable loans through the ZAEDP project. “Farmers have access to affordable loans ranging from K150,000 going upwards, and when it crosses the threshold of K500,000, that is when they would ask for collateral. This is one of the funds that is motivating our fish farmers to help them enhance production” said Chikote.

Chikote disclosed that several people have been trained in the field to ensure that they provide extension services to farmers for them to understand the latest interventions in aquaculture, and make fish farming a business. He added that the ministry is trying to work on reducing the cost of feed, as it has been a challenge in the aquaculture sector.

He further disclosed that fingerling production is another challenging issue noting that for those in Kivuku of North Western Province to get fingerlings, they have to go as far as Copperbelt. “So to transport the fingerlings from Copperbelt to North Western sometimes is a big challenge for our farmers. We are trying to address this by introducing the Aqua pack that we have put in place to facilitate our farmers to have these requirements they need to go into aquaculture” said Chikote.

He said the ministry is looking forward to collaborating with cooperating partners to be able to put up hatcheries. He said hatcheries need to be put up in all potential areas for farmers to be able to access fingerlings.

Chikote also mentioned that the ministry is trying to ensure that the private sector comes on board by producing fish feed at an affordable price. He said if all these measures are implemented and put in place, Zambia will in the next two to three years not have a fish deficit, but instead discussions will be around Zambia being a net exporter of fish.

The Minister also urged fish farmers to tap into the opportunities the government is creating. “Issues to do with the loans of ZAEDP, although this ZAEDP project is winding up in December 2023, we will continue with the revolving fund, because the money that we have given our farmers will be put in a basket as a revolving fund. We want our farmers first of all to take opportunity, to learn, and to understand what is it that they are required of for them to be fish farmers” said Chikote.

He has said the government will always try to make sure that a conducive environment is created for the farmers to excel in the sector.

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The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries has

Markets

The Bank of Zambia -BOZ has increased the monetary policy rate by 100 basis points to 11 percent from the previous 10 percent in quarter 3.

Speaking at a monetary policy committee -MPC- announcement in Lusaka attended by the Zambian Business Times -ZBT-, BOZ governor Dr. Denny Kalyalya attributed the increase to the persistent inflationary pressures since the last MPC in August.

Dr. Kalyalya noted that inflation rose to an average of 11.0 percent in the third quarter from 9.9 percent in the second quarter. He further noted that inflation increased to 12.6 percent from 12.0 percent in September.

Dr. Kalyalya said that higher food mostly maize and its products, retail fuel prices as well as the depreciation of the kwacha against the US dollar have been major drivers of these inflationary pressures.

While the increase in MPR is a necessary move to control inflation and stabilize the economy, its impact on the economy and ordinary citizens, cannot be overlooked. The MPR is the benchmark interest rate used by the Central Bank to control inflation and regulate the money supply in the economy.

The increase in interest rates means that the cost of borrowing money from banks and other financial institutions will also increase. This move is expected to discourage borrowing and spending, which will help to reduce inflationary pressures in the economy.

On the other hand, the increase in interest rates will negatively affect businesses, especially those that rely on borrowed funds to operate, and further increase the cost of production, which may lead to an increase in the prices of goods and services.

Details to follow…

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The Bank of Zambia -BOZ has increased

Lifestyle, Uncategorized

The governance and development advocates Zambia Executive Director Elias Mulenga has questioned the professionalism of a Zambia National Service – ZNS Officer involved in the shooting of a 15-year-old Juvenile in the Copperbelt Province.

Recently, the Zambia National Service – ZNS officer in Kankoyo Township of Mufulira district during an anti-mealie meal smuggling operation, killed a 15-year-old juvenile identified as Chrispin Bunda after shooting at the deceased.

According to the police report, the deceased was killed after a ZNS officer used live ammunition to disperse people who were obstructing the officers from searching their premises suspected to be harboring mealie meal destined for the democratic republic of Congo – DRC.

This is not the first time law enforcement agencies shot dead a member of the general public as a similar incident happened in 2020 when the late State Prosecutor Nsama Nsama and a late UPND supporter were killed by a 25-year-old Police Officer Constable Fanwell Nyundu of then Matero Police Camp.

Nsama and Kaunda were shot dead near the Cabinet Office as police Officers dispersed the then-opposition UPDN supporters who had gone to offer solidarity to the opposition President of the UPND who was being questioned at Police Headquarters in Lusaka.

Governance and Development advocates Zambia Executive Director Elias Mulenga, has since called on law enforcement agencies to apply professionalism in the way they execute state duties especially when their execution involves members of the general public.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Mulenga said that the officers should avoid executing their duties using live ammunition and engage members of the general public cordially.

Mulenga expressed sadness on the continued untimely demise of innocent souls and has since emphasized the need to protect Zambia’s peace.

He has also called on members of the general public to follow laid down procedures and comply with the law whenever they are approached by state security.

“We are saddened and mourning with the family and the state for the loss of life in Mufulira. The whole incident happened due to a confrontation by members of the community and the officers from the Zambia National Service. Our officers need to apply professionalism in the way they execute state duties especially when it comes to meeting members of the community who are being subjected to all sorts of forms in finding what to put on the table, especially with the high cost of living that the country and the world at large is currently facing,” he said.

“We wish to urge members of the community to always comply whenever they are approached by state security. Equally, the state should engage members of the community and not always apply the law using live bullets. You can meet members of the community who are dressed up in civilian uniforms and engage them so that you can have a cordial relationship. Zambia is a peaceful country; we don’t want to see blood. That blood of that boy who has been killed will be crying and the onus will be on us as Zambians who are citizens. Let’s ensure that we preserve the peace and apply the law. Residents should also ensure that they follow laid down procedures and be in subjection to the people that are taking the lead of the nation,’ said Mulenga.

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The governance and development advocates Zambia Executive

Uncategorized

High-level corruption allegations have arisen over the award of the Lumwana – Kambimba Public Private Partnership – PPP deal to the well-known Sandstone Consortium.

A media investigation by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT following the allegations has revealed that the consortium promoters have no known financial or technical capacity to undertake a project of such magnitude.

It is also not clear if they were the only bidder as sources at the Road Development Agency – RDA say its details seem to be very sensitive and secretive even internally.

ZBT contacted the one-man Sandstone Consortium Representative during the signing ceremony held at Solwezi by Minister of Infrastructure Charles Milupi, Marcus Ascort who only promised to get back but later could not be reached as his phone went unanswered.

Ascort had been part of the promoters of the GED Africa Consortium that promoted the recently launched Mwenda – Kasomeno Road and auxiliary infrastructure deal, which a source told ZBT that it took long partly due to this same structure were a company without capacity simply gets a high-value contract and later sells it at a profit to qualifying partners.

The corruption allegations are that the PPP deal was given to Sandstone Consortium at a huge margin, which they would then cash in after finding and selling the contract or company equity to actual companies that have the financial and technical capabilities to undertake the project.

In an actual sense, this involves public officials knowingly giving out a large contract value to a company with no capacity and track record for purposes of sharing the discount, an act of alleged corruption and abuse of office.

This also means that the public pays more for these projects. ZBT has since reached out to the Road Development Agency – RDA to get the full details for the deal to have it independently reviewed over allegations that it has been issued at a steep discount.

Most such deal documents are not made publicly available for fear that independent experts would be able to call the bluff

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High-level corruption allegations have arisen over the

Companies

The air travel industry is making a remarkable comeback as the recovery hits an unprecedented 111 percent to pre-COVID-19. The latest data shows that air travel is bouncing back with a year-on-year growth of 15%.

According to the Zambia Airports Corporation Limited, – ZACL half-year performance report emailed to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, by the Corporation’s Communications and Brand Manager, Mweembe Sikaulu, the aviation industry has continued on its positive trajectory to passenger traffic recovery with a target of full recovery by 2024.

Sikaulu disclosed that during the third quarter of 2023, ZACL handled about 581,000 passenger movements compared to 507,000 and 524,853 over the same period in 2022 and 2019, respectively, representing a year-on-year growth of 15% and a recovery of 111% to pre-COVID-19 levels.

She explained that International passengers accounted for 71% of total passengers in the quarter whereas domestic passengers accounted for 29%.

Sikaulu added that in terms of aircraft movements, the Corporation recorded a total of 18,793 landings and take-offs in quarter three and this represented 99.5% of the pre-COVID-19 movements and a 21% growth when compared to prior year movements. “Domestic flights accounted for 66% of the aircraft movements whereas international flights accounted for 34%.”

“Year-to-date overall passenger traffic recovery was 94% at the end of quarter three. Domestic passengers have recovered by 134%, surpassing the 2019 pre-COVID-19 levels while international passengers have recovered by 98.9%. The top 5 routes in the quarter were Lusaka-Johannesburg, Lusaka-Ndola, Lusaka-Dubai, Lusaka-Addis Ababa and Lusaka-Harare. The Corporation recorded its peak passenger traffic in August as this coincides with the summer season in Europe.” She said.

Sikaulu said the increased domestic passenger performance is a result of events such as the 45th Association of African Central Banks Annual Meeting and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Africa Regional Conference held in Livingstone as well as the 95th Agricultural and Commercial Show that took place in Lusaka. “It is important to note that domestic recovery has been necessitated by the competitive pricing provided by Proflight Zambia and Zambia Airways on local routes.”

Meanwhile, Sikaulu said that cargo, mainly carried on passenger planes decreased by about 2 percent to 4,526 tons in quarter three of 2023 when compared to 2022.

She noted that Cargo is still suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with weak demand for the export market as well as the impact of the exchange rate on the import market.

Sikaulu however said the Corporation remains committed to supporting airlines in providing a seamless experience for passengers to maintain customer satisfaction.

She said the Corporation will continue to develop strategic partnerships and alliances with industry players to make Zambia an attractive destination for inbound tourism.

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The air travel industry is making a

Markets

Association OF Microfinance Institutions in Zambia -AMIZ says there is a possibility for interest rates to be pushed up following the decision by the Central Bank to increase the statutory reserve ratio by 3 basis points in a bid to control inflation. AMIZ president Webster Mate said the increase means banks will have to deposit more than what they were initially deposited with the central bank. He noted that all deposit-taking financial institutions have a requirement under the law to keep statutory reserves with the central bank. “What that does essentially is to withdraw a certain amount of money out of circulation” noted Mate. He said this means that those who want to borrow cannot borrow as much as they want because the price has gone up, and the amount of money available for them to borrow has also gone down. Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times ZBT, Mate said it is likely that interest rates on credit will be pushed higher. Noting that if the demand is high and supply is low it could have a short-term effect on the interest rates. He noted that the measures the central bank is implementing are to try and arrest runaway inflation which he has been caused by oil prices, as well the country’s economic factors such as the mealie meal price among others. He also noted that the exchange rate is not doing well which may have coerced the decision. “These decisions when taken take time, more than a year in some cases for the desired effect to be seen. So in the short term before that desired effect comes, you are likely to see negative reparations like interest rates rising” said Mate. Mate further mentioned that Zambia is an economy where the demand for credit is huge and that regardless of what happens, borrowing is still almost undeterred. He said the difference between the levels of supply and demand is too huge. He noted that interest rates are also heavily dependent on the financial institution’s factors. He noted financial institutions also borrow money which means a cost of funding and have operating costs which also affect the interest rates, as well as an estimate of non-performing loans or loan loss which also has an impact. “If an institution projects that it will lose more money, it has to recover that. All those are some of the factors that go into the computation of interest rates” said Mate.
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Association OF Microfinance Institutions in Zambia -AMIZ

Companies

Proper water and sanitation is foundational to Zambia’s developmental progress but currently, millions of Zambians do not have access. In order to achieve universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) by 2030 – as envisioned in Zambia’s long-term development goals – the private sector is a key partner with underutilized potential.

WASH directly impacts human health, but is also strongly associated with economic development, education, and social wellbeing. According to the 2018 DHS survey, 35% of children under five are currently too short for their age, indicating poor nutrition and lack of WASH access. Children with access to clean water are better positioned to stay healthy, stay in school, and live a successful life contributing to Zambia’s economy.

Since 2000, Zambia’s water supply coverage has increased from 47% to 68% and sanitation coverage has increased from 20% to 36% according to the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP). This is a huge accomplishment but the progress is not sufficient to make universal WASH access by 2030 a reality. JMP also shared that currently, over seven million Zambians are without a reliable safe water supply and over 12 million Zambians lack access to proper sanitation.
Zambia needs an estimated $3.7 billion, both for new infrastructure and existing facilities’ operation and maintenance, in order to bridge that gap.

As of today, Zambia’s WASH budget is only 1.5% of the newly approved national budget – the same percentage as last year. Although public investment should grow appropriately in order for Zambia to surmount its WASH challenges, we recognize that Zambia’s national budget is under serious strain – which is why facilitating private sector investment is even more critical.

Currently, Zambia lacks adequate water resource management facilities; construction of those facilities is largely in the private sector domain. The private sector is equipped to supply key WASH accessories and take over the operation, maintenance, and management of WASH services. Additionally, lack of centralized sanitation services presents a large opportunity for the private sector to bridge the service gap by supporting fecal sludge management and waste collection.

However, in order for the private sector to seize the opportunity to contribute to Zambia’s WASH sector, Zambia needs a business environment that supports the private sector, including reasonable tariffs that cover that cost of producing key services. The private sector should also be able to enter contracts without going through the Ministry of Finance, thus streamlining the process. Additionally, Zambia needs procurement reforms that streamline lengthy and complex contracting processes. Lastly, the procurement process should allow the private sector to bid on government projects and propose new projects – while maintaining transparency to inform bidders why they were or were not successful.

The challenges in the WASH sector may seem daunting, but Zambia has a growing financial market consisting of microfinance organizations, fintechs, and financial institutions that can provide the much needed financing for WASH services, including increasing the use of proven, low-cost technologies. Additionally, as the Constituency Development Fund increases and local communities have more money to potentially invest in their WASH needs, the private sector can partner with local authorities to meet those needs.

However, the private sector also needs key partners to be successful, whether that is the government, civil society, or donors. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is working with the private sector in Zambia to help achieve universal WASH. In 2022, the U.S. Government designated Zambia a high-priority country for safe and resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, which means more U.S. investments to Zambia’s WASH sector. The USAID Expanding Water and Sanitation project alone should reach 500,000 people with adequate sanitation and 633,000 with safe water by stimulating investments in sanitation, increasing availability of low cost toilet parts, and leveraging $2 million from the private sector.

Zambia is making progress towards universal WASH access, but cannot achieve that goal alone. The Zambian government must open pathways to partnership with the private sector to ensure that the millions of Zambians without access to WASH services are not left behind.

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Proper water and sanitation is foundational to