Friday, April 1, 2011
SNDP
THE private sector plays an integral part in any national development. The success of any plan in relation to national development depends on the involvement of the private sector to supplement Government's effort.
In the recently launched Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP), Government has committed itself to facilitating the partnership with the private sector in all areas of economic development and social service delivery for the benefit of the general populace.
The SNDP will guide Zambia's development process for the next five years starting this year. President Rupiah Banda called on the private sector to remain a dependable partner in the country's development process.
The SNDP succeeds the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) aimed at achieving the aspirations of the Vision 2030 of becoming a prosperous middle income nation by 2030.
While the FNDP, which ran from 2006 to 2010, set pace for improving economic infrastructure and investing in human development, the SNDP will build on the economic gains of the FNDP in the process of attaining the Vision 2030.
In his address, President Banda said the private sector is expected to participate in the five-year economic blueprint whose implementation will cost about K132 trillion (about $27.5 billion).
He also appealed to all the stakeholders, both local and international, to work with Government in implementing the SNDP.
"Today marks a time of renewal and recommitment to our national vision of being a middle-income country by 2030. We have created a framework to achieve sustained economic growth and reduce poverty - measures which will help to improve the standard of living for all Zambians.
We will continue to focus on investing in infrastructure, road, rail and air transportation, education skills, health and water and sanitation.
The private sector remains crucial to Zambia's development and we will continue our work to provide a climate that encourages investment and partnership," President Banda said.
President Banda also urged co-operating partners and other stakeholders to quickly fit into the new development plan and come up with workable ideas.
The private sector plays an important role on supplementing Government's efforts in improving the lives of the citizens.
Public Sector Development Association (PSDA) president Yusuf Dodia says the recognisition of the private sector in the SNDP is vital for its success.
Mr Dodia says the private sector is the major drive of any country's economic growth because of their presence in the four pillars of the economy namely mining, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.
He says it is important that Government and the private sector work together to explore the country's potential in economic growth.
"The private sector is the main drive of the economy in any country because they are the pillars in manufacturing, agriculture, mining and tourism. Talk of the many lodges, mining companies and any other huge investment that we have in the country, almost all of them are being run by the private sector. So, the private sector is an important drive in economic growth," Mr Dodia says.
He has commended the government for choosing to work closely with the private sector in achieving the projections in the SNDP.
The SNDP policy clearly stipulates in accordance with modern concept, the concept of private sector development, that Government alone can not afford the huge responsibility of delivering quality service to the general populace.
Due to proactive fiscal policies since 1998 when the privatisation policy was put in place, Zambia has achieved rapid and quite stable growth in economic development, but the economy has become mainly investment-oriented.
However, the most important aspect of the SNDP is the projection to reduce extreme poverty levels from 37 percent to 29 percent by the year 2015.
Although growth rates have been climbing steadily in recent years, reaching 6.3 percent last year, the country still has potential to go beyond the percentage and the rankings from World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The International Monetary Fund predicts that Zambia will be one of the top 10 fastest growing economies for the period 2011 to 2015 and ranked Zambia at number 15 last year.
One cannot deny the fact that, through the concept of private sector development as envisaged in modern concept, any country that incorporates the concept in its agenda for national development can succeed.
One area where private sector intervention could really make a difference is boosting the productivity in the four pillar sectors (mining, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism) of economic growth as projected in the SNDP.
Zambia does not just need growth per-se, but specifically growth in labour-intensive sectors that leads to job creation and wage improvement. This link is vital because the fastest exit from poverty is through employment and higher salaries.
The private sector has played a major role in the evolution of the economy, particularly in the sectors like mining, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.
The World Bank also recently named Zambia as a top ten improver for doing business with the IMF naming Zambia as number 15.
It is widely accepted that the private sector is needed and better suited for sustaining rapid growth.
And the Zambian experience shows that growth is the most powerful weapon in the fight against poverty. This growth is only possible with the involvement of the private sector.
Growth creates jobs that use labour, the main asset of the poor. As growth proceeds, private sector employment becomes the major source of economic support for the majority of workers and their families.
Thus, improving labour market operations is an important element of strategies to promote pro-poor growth and reduce poverty.
It also helps allocate a country human capital resource to their most productive uses, enhancing general economic welfare, and encouraging further growth and development. Well-designed labour market policies like the projections in the SNDP help societies make growth more equitable by smoothing income fluctuations and broadening access to human capital development and employment opportunities.
However, it is also important to recognise the linkages across factor markets. Thus, an integrated approach to the removal of distortions in different factor markets is essential for sustained success in the fight against poverty.
Growth in the economy also increases the tax base that enables government, acting on good governance principles, to finance labour market programmes and provide basic social services. Health and education services, in particular, give the poor a better chance to increase their productivity and earning capacity and with increased private sector involvement in these two sectors, poverty reduction is possible.
Private sector involvement in all sectors of the economy is crucial and the benefits are worthwhile to both the government and the general population.
In the recently launched Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP), Government has committed itself to facilitating the partnership with the private sector in all areas of economic development and social service delivery for the benefit of the general populace.
The SNDP will guide Zambia's development process for the next five years starting this year. President Rupiah Banda called on the private sector to remain a dependable partner in the country's development process.
The SNDP succeeds the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) aimed at achieving the aspirations of the Vision 2030 of becoming a prosperous middle income nation by 2030.
While the FNDP, which ran from 2006 to 2010, set pace for improving economic infrastructure and investing in human development, the SNDP will build on the economic gains of the FNDP in the process of attaining the Vision 2030.
In his address, President Banda said the private sector is expected to participate in the five-year economic blueprint whose implementation will cost about K132 trillion (about $27.5 billion).
He also appealed to all the stakeholders, both local and international, to work with Government in implementing the SNDP.
"Today marks a time of renewal and recommitment to our national vision of being a middle-income country by 2030. We have created a framework to achieve sustained economic growth and reduce poverty - measures which will help to improve the standard of living for all Zambians.
We will continue to focus on investing in infrastructure, road, rail and air transportation, education skills, health and water and sanitation.
The private sector remains crucial to Zambia's development and we will continue our work to provide a climate that encourages investment and partnership," President Banda said.
President Banda also urged co-operating partners and other stakeholders to quickly fit into the new development plan and come up with workable ideas.
The private sector plays an important role on supplementing Government's efforts in improving the lives of the citizens.
Public Sector Development Association (PSDA) president Yusuf Dodia says the recognisition of the private sector in the SNDP is vital for its success.
Mr Dodia says the private sector is the major drive of any country's economic growth because of their presence in the four pillars of the economy namely mining, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.
He says it is important that Government and the private sector work together to explore the country's potential in economic growth.
"The private sector is the main drive of the economy in any country because they are the pillars in manufacturing, agriculture, mining and tourism. Talk of the many lodges, mining companies and any other huge investment that we have in the country, almost all of them are being run by the private sector. So, the private sector is an important drive in economic growth," Mr Dodia says.
He has commended the government for choosing to work closely with the private sector in achieving the projections in the SNDP.
The SNDP policy clearly stipulates in accordance with modern concept, the concept of private sector development, that Government alone can not afford the huge responsibility of delivering quality service to the general populace.
Due to proactive fiscal policies since 1998 when the privatisation policy was put in place, Zambia has achieved rapid and quite stable growth in economic development, but the economy has become mainly investment-oriented.
However, the most important aspect of the SNDP is the projection to reduce extreme poverty levels from 37 percent to 29 percent by the year 2015.
Although growth rates have been climbing steadily in recent years, reaching 6.3 percent last year, the country still has potential to go beyond the percentage and the rankings from World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The International Monetary Fund predicts that Zambia will be one of the top 10 fastest growing economies for the period 2011 to 2015 and ranked Zambia at number 15 last year.
One cannot deny the fact that, through the concept of private sector development as envisaged in modern concept, any country that incorporates the concept in its agenda for national development can succeed.
One area where private sector intervention could really make a difference is boosting the productivity in the four pillar sectors (mining, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism) of economic growth as projected in the SNDP.
Zambia does not just need growth per-se, but specifically growth in labour-intensive sectors that leads to job creation and wage improvement. This link is vital because the fastest exit from poverty is through employment and higher salaries.
The private sector has played a major role in the evolution of the economy, particularly in the sectors like mining, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.
The World Bank also recently named Zambia as a top ten improver for doing business with the IMF naming Zambia as number 15.
It is widely accepted that the private sector is needed and better suited for sustaining rapid growth.
And the Zambian experience shows that growth is the most powerful weapon in the fight against poverty. This growth is only possible with the involvement of the private sector.
Growth creates jobs that use labour, the main asset of the poor. As growth proceeds, private sector employment becomes the major source of economic support for the majority of workers and their families.
Thus, improving labour market operations is an important element of strategies to promote pro-poor growth and reduce poverty.
It also helps allocate a country human capital resource to their most productive uses, enhancing general economic welfare, and encouraging further growth and development. Well-designed labour market policies like the projections in the SNDP help societies make growth more equitable by smoothing income fluctuations and broadening access to human capital development and employment opportunities.
However, it is also important to recognise the linkages across factor markets. Thus, an integrated approach to the removal of distortions in different factor markets is essential for sustained success in the fight against poverty.
Growth in the economy also increases the tax base that enables government, acting on good governance principles, to finance labour market programmes and provide basic social services. Health and education services, in particular, give the poor a better chance to increase their productivity and earning capacity and with increased private sector involvement in these two sectors, poverty reduction is possible.
Private sector involvement in all sectors of the economy is crucial and the benefits are worthwhile to both the government and the general population.
Timber
IT IS not a fallacy to say that the people of Mulobezi area in Sesheke district are ‘sitting’ on money considering the potential they have in timber production.
The area is endowed with high grade timber, which the people of Mulobezi helplessly watch being exploited and transported on trucks to unknown destinations outside Zambia.
Zambia is one of sub-Saharan African countries blessed with massive natural resources but still grappling with poverty, especially among the rural populace, not because they have no resources to support their well-being but because of lack of attention drawn to certain industries like timber. Zambia’s timber remains unexploited.
Sesheke and Mulobezi are Zambia’s largest producers of timber and most of it is exported to other countries illegally.
Some timber loggers in Sesheke have bemoaned the lack of a well-established timber market in the country. They have attributed this problem to the increase in illegal exportation of timber.
One of the loggers, Inambao Simasiku of Mulobezi, says timber is a lucrative business that needs investment in order to contribute effectively to national development.
Mr Simasiku says the timber industry in Zambia has not received the attention needed and if left unchecked, the industry will remain a sleeping giant.
“We have a lot of foreign trucks coming here and others proceeding to Mulobezi to get timber which they take to neighbouring countries. I think Government must come to our aid. The timber industry has great potential and can effectively contribute to the economy of this country,” he says.
“Sesheke has one of the most valuable and durable timber in the region. Most countries in the region, especially Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, largely depend on Zambia’s Mulobezi timber,” Mr Simasiku says.
He says the poor road network has also contributed to failure by locals to exploit the timber. He says some people involved in illegal exports are able to exploit the timber there because they have trucks ideal for the Mulobezi terrain.
Another logger, Cosmas Mumba, says the people of Mulobezi and surrounding areas are missing out on the potential of the timber business.
Mr Mumba says most of the locals only use timber for charcoal which they supply to Sesheke and Livingstone.
“It is sad to see Sesheke under-developed when it is endowed with natural resources that can be used to accelerate development. We have the Zambezi River, the Livingstone-Sesheke Road which connects Sesheke to Central and sub-Saharan Africa. Sesheke has the timber and other resources that can help develop this district,” he says.
The illegal export of timber has resulted in the country losing out in terms of business opportunities that can better the lives of many Zambians.
According to Mr Mumba, Mulobezi timber has a lifespan of 30 years and could earn Zambia the much-needed foreign exchange.
But to date, there has been no stable investor to exploit the timber and create employment for the locals.
Western Province is not the only area endowed with timber. North-Western, Eastern and Southern provinces are other areas with the potential for timber industry.
“Unless we have established markets or stable investors in this industry, the country risks losing a lot of money from illegal timber export. The timber which is being smuggled today is costing a lot of money in some of the neighbouring countries and Europe,” says Mr Mumba.
However, timber loggers in Mulobezi are confident that resources would be found to create good conditions for stable investors.
The few Zambians dealing in timber are small-scale traders whose market is locally based and a handful sell to tourists in form of furniture and curios.
“This sector is rich but at the moment, the few Zambians engaged in this timber industry are small-scale traders who are even exploited because of lack of an established market and certain policies to support their dealings in this industry,” Mr Mumba says.
There is hope among the various timber traders that Government would soon move in and regulate the sector and pay much attention to its potential.
Recently, Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Catherine Namugala warned against illegal export of unprocessed timber because the trend is contributing to unemployment among local people.
Ms Namugala says anyone found wanting will face the wrath of the law, adding that illegal harvesting of timber is prohibited by law.
“It is every Zambian’s task to protect the environment because if we wipe out trees, we are destroying the environment for the generations to come,” she says.
If attention is given to the timber industry, it can complement the agricultural sector in the country’s economic growth.
Apart from other social and environmental impacts, the consequences of the exploitation of timber are felt on water supplies, since forests regulate much of the catchment area of the Zambezi River and are essential during the annual seven-month-long dry season.
Timber is important to national development and it is imperative that a market is established before one of Zambia’s most treasured natural resources is wiped out in Mulobezi.
The area is endowed with high grade timber, which the people of Mulobezi helplessly watch being exploited and transported on trucks to unknown destinations outside Zambia.
Zambia is one of sub-Saharan African countries blessed with massive natural resources but still grappling with poverty, especially among the rural populace, not because they have no resources to support their well-being but because of lack of attention drawn to certain industries like timber. Zambia’s timber remains unexploited.
Sesheke and Mulobezi are Zambia’s largest producers of timber and most of it is exported to other countries illegally.
Some timber loggers in Sesheke have bemoaned the lack of a well-established timber market in the country. They have attributed this problem to the increase in illegal exportation of timber.
One of the loggers, Inambao Simasiku of Mulobezi, says timber is a lucrative business that needs investment in order to contribute effectively to national development.
Mr Simasiku says the timber industry in Zambia has not received the attention needed and if left unchecked, the industry will remain a sleeping giant.
“We have a lot of foreign trucks coming here and others proceeding to Mulobezi to get timber which they take to neighbouring countries. I think Government must come to our aid. The timber industry has great potential and can effectively contribute to the economy of this country,” he says.
“Sesheke has one of the most valuable and durable timber in the region. Most countries in the region, especially Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, largely depend on Zambia’s Mulobezi timber,” Mr Simasiku says.
He says the poor road network has also contributed to failure by locals to exploit the timber. He says some people involved in illegal exports are able to exploit the timber there because they have trucks ideal for the Mulobezi terrain.
Another logger, Cosmas Mumba, says the people of Mulobezi and surrounding areas are missing out on the potential of the timber business.
Mr Mumba says most of the locals only use timber for charcoal which they supply to Sesheke and Livingstone.
“It is sad to see Sesheke under-developed when it is endowed with natural resources that can be used to accelerate development. We have the Zambezi River, the Livingstone-Sesheke Road which connects Sesheke to Central and sub-Saharan Africa. Sesheke has the timber and other resources that can help develop this district,” he says.
The illegal export of timber has resulted in the country losing out in terms of business opportunities that can better the lives of many Zambians.
According to Mr Mumba, Mulobezi timber has a lifespan of 30 years and could earn Zambia the much-needed foreign exchange.
But to date, there has been no stable investor to exploit the timber and create employment for the locals.
Western Province is not the only area endowed with timber. North-Western, Eastern and Southern provinces are other areas with the potential for timber industry.
“Unless we have established markets or stable investors in this industry, the country risks losing a lot of money from illegal timber export. The timber which is being smuggled today is costing a lot of money in some of the neighbouring countries and Europe,” says Mr Mumba.
However, timber loggers in Mulobezi are confident that resources would be found to create good conditions for stable investors.
The few Zambians dealing in timber are small-scale traders whose market is locally based and a handful sell to tourists in form of furniture and curios.
“This sector is rich but at the moment, the few Zambians engaged in this timber industry are small-scale traders who are even exploited because of lack of an established market and certain policies to support their dealings in this industry,” Mr Mumba says.
There is hope among the various timber traders that Government would soon move in and regulate the sector and pay much attention to its potential.
Recently, Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Catherine Namugala warned against illegal export of unprocessed timber because the trend is contributing to unemployment among local people.
Ms Namugala says anyone found wanting will face the wrath of the law, adding that illegal harvesting of timber is prohibited by law.
“It is every Zambian’s task to protect the environment because if we wipe out trees, we are destroying the environment for the generations to come,” she says.
If attention is given to the timber industry, it can complement the agricultural sector in the country’s economic growth.
Apart from other social and environmental impacts, the consequences of the exploitation of timber are felt on water supplies, since forests regulate much of the catchment area of the Zambezi River and are essential during the annual seven-month-long dry season.
Timber is important to national development and it is imperative that a market is established before one of Zambia’s most treasured natural resources is wiped out in Mulobezi.
Agriculture
GENDER roles have always been well defined and firmly entrenched in African traditional society. But slowly, these roles are fading away as men are leaving the masculine roles to women.
With regard to agriculture, men are expected to play a pivotal role in the production of food for both consumption and sale. But today the scenario is changing.
Currently, women constitute more than 80 percent of the labour force in agriculture in Zambia. This situation is evident in Kazungula district where the major players in farming activities are women, while men spend more time drinking beer from neighbouring Botswana and Namibia.
Some women still feel that the men have neglected their roles as heads of families and left responsibility to their wives. They believe this is a clear form of gender-based violence.
The United Nations defines violence against women as any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
Ms Bronah Sitali of Kazungula says gender-based violence also exists in agriculture because once the produce is ready, their husbands take charge of selling the produce to Food Reserve Agency (FRA) or private buyers.
Ms Sitali, a small-scale farmer, says gender-based violence does not only apply to wife battery, but that even in the distribution of resources gender violence also occurs.
“I think gender-based violence is not only when a husband beats his wife. Even in the distribution of resources like here, women are involved in farming while their husbands go drinking.
“But surprisingly when it is time to sell the produce to FRA or other private buyers, it is our husbands who take a centre role as if we do not know where the FRA depots are. I think it is a violation of our rights because we do not see the money after toiling for the whole farming season,” Ms Sitali says.
Many women, especially in rural areas, are victims of gender-based violence and seem to have accepted it and is now part of their lives.
Another woman, Etambuyu Liswaniso, says most men in Kazungula are unproductive, as they spend most of their time getting their goods into Zambia.
Ms Liswaniso says instead of turning to farming during the rainy season, most men continue to spend time at the border drinking beer and pottering around.
“Our men here in Kazungula are a problem and we end up accommodating their ill behaviours because of the children. Most families are looked after by women and not because they just want to, but because their husbands are irresponsible.
When it comes to farming, it is the women who are in the forefront but when it is time to sell the produce, it is their husbands that take up the responsibility. Worse still, when they are paid, all the money is spent on beer instead of school requirements for the children,” Ms Liswaniso says.
Ms Liswaniso also says levels of literacy are low in Kazungula. She attributes this to irresponsible husbands who cannot take care of their children’s school needs.
“Fathers are supposed to be role models in every home but the scenario here is different. our children have no one to look to for life skills because their fathers spend their time in taverns and only come home at night when the children are asleep,” she says.
It is unfortunate that despite the major strides Zambia has made in the fight against gender-based violence, the vice still exists in many areas and is now manifesting in agriculture.
But a Kazungula man Benson Nyanga says the time spent at the border is valuable because whatever money he makes, he uses it to support his family.
“It is true that men here solely devote their time to helping smugglers and other traders at the border.
This is the way of life and through this, I support my family while my wife remains home performing other duties like going to the fields.
“It is true to say that it is the women that are involved in agriculture here in Kazungula but not to say that men are unproductive. I also support my wife and children whenever I have money from my usual business,” Mr Nyanga says.
On excessive beer drinking, Mr Nyanga admits that beer drinking is rife among men in Kazungula but should not be attributed to their failure to support their families.
Kazungula district commissioner Albert Chifita also admits that most men in Kazungula, especially those along the Zambezi River, are unproductive.
The commissioner says women in Kazungula are the ones in charge of food production for their families.
“It is embarrassing in our Zambian culture to see men shunning their responsibility to be heads of their families and instead burden the women in looking after them and their children,” he says.
Even when it comes to attending workshops or meetings on new interventions in agriculture, it is the men who attend such functions and never use the knowledge acquired.
“There are a lot of invitations that come through the community leadership on educational meetings on agriculture like conservation farming and it is our ‘unproductive’ husbands who attend such.
“At the end of the meeting, they go back to the taverns instead of applying the knowledge acquired to better the way of farming and food production for their families,” Ms Liswaniso says.
Asked on how best gender-based violence can be prevented and fought, Ms Liswaniso suggests that there should be efforts with positive outcomes like sensitising teenagers on gender violence to reduce chances of their acceptability of violence.
Other efforts that Ms Liswaniso thinks can help prevent the vice are programmes that support children who have witnessed intimate partner violence and frequent awareness campaigns with men and boys to change attitudes towards gender inequities.
“I think our children have to be taught early enough on gender-based violence. We are victims to violence because we were not taught and we have just come to accept it as part of life,” Ms Liswaniso says.
Wider knowledge of available resources for abused women, including legal assistance, housing and child care, can reduce the consequences of violence.
With regard to agriculture, men are expected to play a pivotal role in the production of food for both consumption and sale. But today the scenario is changing.
Currently, women constitute more than 80 percent of the labour force in agriculture in Zambia. This situation is evident in Kazungula district where the major players in farming activities are women, while men spend more time drinking beer from neighbouring Botswana and Namibia.
Some women still feel that the men have neglected their roles as heads of families and left responsibility to their wives. They believe this is a clear form of gender-based violence.
The United Nations defines violence against women as any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
Ms Bronah Sitali of Kazungula says gender-based violence also exists in agriculture because once the produce is ready, their husbands take charge of selling the produce to Food Reserve Agency (FRA) or private buyers.
Ms Sitali, a small-scale farmer, says gender-based violence does not only apply to wife battery, but that even in the distribution of resources gender violence also occurs.
“I think gender-based violence is not only when a husband beats his wife. Even in the distribution of resources like here, women are involved in farming while their husbands go drinking.
“But surprisingly when it is time to sell the produce to FRA or other private buyers, it is our husbands who take a centre role as if we do not know where the FRA depots are. I think it is a violation of our rights because we do not see the money after toiling for the whole farming season,” Ms Sitali says.
Many women, especially in rural areas, are victims of gender-based violence and seem to have accepted it and is now part of their lives.
Another woman, Etambuyu Liswaniso, says most men in Kazungula are unproductive, as they spend most of their time getting their goods into Zambia.
Ms Liswaniso says instead of turning to farming during the rainy season, most men continue to spend time at the border drinking beer and pottering around.
“Our men here in Kazungula are a problem and we end up accommodating their ill behaviours because of the children. Most families are looked after by women and not because they just want to, but because their husbands are irresponsible.
When it comes to farming, it is the women who are in the forefront but when it is time to sell the produce, it is their husbands that take up the responsibility. Worse still, when they are paid, all the money is spent on beer instead of school requirements for the children,” Ms Liswaniso says.
Ms Liswaniso also says levels of literacy are low in Kazungula. She attributes this to irresponsible husbands who cannot take care of their children’s school needs.
“Fathers are supposed to be role models in every home but the scenario here is different. our children have no one to look to for life skills because their fathers spend their time in taverns and only come home at night when the children are asleep,” she says.
It is unfortunate that despite the major strides Zambia has made in the fight against gender-based violence, the vice still exists in many areas and is now manifesting in agriculture.
But a Kazungula man Benson Nyanga says the time spent at the border is valuable because whatever money he makes, he uses it to support his family.
“It is true that men here solely devote their time to helping smugglers and other traders at the border.
This is the way of life and through this, I support my family while my wife remains home performing other duties like going to the fields.
“It is true to say that it is the women that are involved in agriculture here in Kazungula but not to say that men are unproductive. I also support my wife and children whenever I have money from my usual business,” Mr Nyanga says.
On excessive beer drinking, Mr Nyanga admits that beer drinking is rife among men in Kazungula but should not be attributed to their failure to support their families.
Kazungula district commissioner Albert Chifita also admits that most men in Kazungula, especially those along the Zambezi River, are unproductive.
The commissioner says women in Kazungula are the ones in charge of food production for their families.
“It is embarrassing in our Zambian culture to see men shunning their responsibility to be heads of their families and instead burden the women in looking after them and their children,” he says.
Even when it comes to attending workshops or meetings on new interventions in agriculture, it is the men who attend such functions and never use the knowledge acquired.
“There are a lot of invitations that come through the community leadership on educational meetings on agriculture like conservation farming and it is our ‘unproductive’ husbands who attend such.
“At the end of the meeting, they go back to the taverns instead of applying the knowledge acquired to better the way of farming and food production for their families,” Ms Liswaniso says.
Asked on how best gender-based violence can be prevented and fought, Ms Liswaniso suggests that there should be efforts with positive outcomes like sensitising teenagers on gender violence to reduce chances of their acceptability of violence.
Other efforts that Ms Liswaniso thinks can help prevent the vice are programmes that support children who have witnessed intimate partner violence and frequent awareness campaigns with men and boys to change attitudes towards gender inequities.
“I think our children have to be taught early enough on gender-based violence. We are victims to violence because we were not taught and we have just come to accept it as part of life,” Ms Liswaniso says.
Wider knowledge of available resources for abused women, including legal assistance, housing and child care, can reduce the consequences of violence.
Infrastructure
FOR years, tourists, truck drivers and traders have faced challenges at Kazungula border on how to cross the Zambezi River, Africa’s fourth largest river which is 3,540 kilometres long. The pontoon, which is the only means of transport at the border, is unreliable.
This prompted the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries to consider constructing a bridge across the Zambezi River at Kazungula bordering Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.
The construction of the bridge, which will be the sixth passage to span the width of the Zambezi River after Katima Mulilo, Chirundu, Tete and Livingstone, and the footbridge at Chinyingi Mission, has brought joy and relief to many Kazungula residents, travellers and truck drivers.
One of the residents, Patrick Imbwae, who spoke on behalf of small-scale traders at the border, said the bridge will bring a lot of investment into Kazungula considering its geographical position.
Frequent users of the ferry, who include truckers, traders and tourists, are optimistic that the construction of the Kazungula bridge will ease their movements and bring development to the district.
Kazungula has for many years lagged behind in terms of infrastructure development and is considered a remote area despite its potential as a transit town.
With the construction of the bridge underway, Kazungula will see banks, shopping malls being opened up and other infrastructure development.
Currently Kazungula has no bank, filling station, supermarket or shopping mall. Kazungula residents rely on Livingstone, which is about 70 kilometres and Kasane in Botswana almost 20 kilometres away.
“Kazungula is a border town like Kasane in Botswana but look how developed our friends are. They have banks, a hospital, a filling station and we do not have any of these facilities. It is our hope as Kazungula residents that once the bridge is complete, we shall see such development coming here too,” Mr Imbwae said amid applause from his colleagues.
The bridge, which will link Botswana and Namibia, is expected to boost trade and tourism in the SADC region and beyond.
Kazungula district commissioner Albert Chifita has since appealed to stakeholders to take advantage of the construction of the bridge by setting up various business ventures.
“A good transport and communication network is vital for commerce and trade for any country, not forgetting infrastructure which is critical to development. There is need to accelerate infrastructure development in any community,” he said.
Mr Chifita is hopeful that with the coming of the bridge, Kazungula will be a hive of activity for business houses to take advantage of.
“I wish to appeal to businessmen and women to take advantage of the strategic position of Kazungula and the bridge and set up business ventures,” he said.
The project has brought high hopes to the residents of Kazungula because once completed, the bridge will contribute to the economic transformation of the district.
Recently, the Zambian government announced that the construction of the bridge is expected to commence in the third quarter of this year and is co-funded by the African Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).
According to the announcement, construction of the bridge will cost K900 billion.
“The actual construction works are supposed to start in the last quarter of this year at a cost of US$200 million or K900 billion. This project has been co-funded by ADB and JICA,” Ministry of Works and Supply permanent secretary Watson Ng’ambi said.
The Kazungula bridge project comprises construction of a bridge and railway line across the Zambezi River between Botswana and Zambia.
The main objective of the Kazungula bridge project is to replace the ferry service between the two countries, which has been a hindrance to speedy traffic clearance because of limited carrying capacity.
The ferry carries 30 trucks per day and is prone to accidents, contributing to delays and high transport costs.
A South African truck driver, Thulani Dlamini, complained that the delays being caused by the ferry are impacting negatively on deliveries.
Mr Dlamini said time management is important in business anywhere and any delay causes loss of confidence.
“We spend days here and even go beyond our deadline, which is not good in this competitive world of business. I think the construction of the Kazungula bridge will ease the way of doing business, especially in trade,” he said.
The project is part of the North-South Corridor, which links the mineral-rich regions of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo through Botswana and the port of Durban in South Africa.
The bridge is of strategic importance to the economic integration of the SADC region and central Africa.
The crossing provides the connection between the regional centres of economic activities and regional ports, which handle all exports and imports from Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
And Senior Chief Mukuni of the Toka Leya people of Kazungula has described the construction of the bridge as a right move in empowering the district.
Speaking in an interview recently, Chief Mukuni said the bridge will see the coming of numerous business ventures.
“Kazungula does not have a bank and I see one coming once the bridge is completed because there will be lots of economic activities. that will enable people make a lot of money. A need for a bank will arise,” the senior chief said.
In terms of trade, Zambia buys large amounts of salt, building materials and veterinary vaccine from Botswana, while Botswana buys maize, molasses, electric energy and about 80 percent of maize brand for livestock from Zambia.
“Zambia is fortunate to have a good climate and abundant water resources, which help her to be one of the leading countries in agriculture on the continent. The country can supply grain, vegetables, fruit and livestock products to SADC and COMESA and naturally I would like to see Botswana taking advantage of this opportunity to provide a market for Zambia’s food commodities,” Senior chief Mukuni said.
Some stakeholders in the tourism sector have welcomed the planned construction of the bridge at Kazungula border, saying it will boost Zambia’s tourism and trade.
Livingstone Tourism Association (LTA) official Frederick Mwendapole praised the government for responding to people’s cry for a permanent bridge at Kazungula.
Mr Mwendapole said tourism operators and other stakeholders had over the last 10 years been calling for the construction of a bridge at Kazungula.
“In the tourism sector, we are always hoping for steady flow of tourists and other goods at all border posts. Once the bridge is constructed, it will enhance tourism growth and spur other economic activities,” he said.
Mr Mwendapole said visiting tourists were currently facing challenges such as congestion at the border.
“Some years back, we had cases in which the pontoons broke down and we even lost lives there,” he recalled.
Kazungula is one of the international entry points to Zambia and it is commendable that the government has come up with a plan to build a bridge at Kazungula.
This prompted the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries to consider constructing a bridge across the Zambezi River at Kazungula bordering Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.
The construction of the bridge, which will be the sixth passage to span the width of the Zambezi River after Katima Mulilo, Chirundu, Tete and Livingstone, and the footbridge at Chinyingi Mission, has brought joy and relief to many Kazungula residents, travellers and truck drivers.
One of the residents, Patrick Imbwae, who spoke on behalf of small-scale traders at the border, said the bridge will bring a lot of investment into Kazungula considering its geographical position.
Frequent users of the ferry, who include truckers, traders and tourists, are optimistic that the construction of the Kazungula bridge will ease their movements and bring development to the district.
Kazungula has for many years lagged behind in terms of infrastructure development and is considered a remote area despite its potential as a transit town.
With the construction of the bridge underway, Kazungula will see banks, shopping malls being opened up and other infrastructure development.
Currently Kazungula has no bank, filling station, supermarket or shopping mall. Kazungula residents rely on Livingstone, which is about 70 kilometres and Kasane in Botswana almost 20 kilometres away.
“Kazungula is a border town like Kasane in Botswana but look how developed our friends are. They have banks, a hospital, a filling station and we do not have any of these facilities. It is our hope as Kazungula residents that once the bridge is complete, we shall see such development coming here too,” Mr Imbwae said amid applause from his colleagues.
The bridge, which will link Botswana and Namibia, is expected to boost trade and tourism in the SADC region and beyond.
Kazungula district commissioner Albert Chifita has since appealed to stakeholders to take advantage of the construction of the bridge by setting up various business ventures.
“A good transport and communication network is vital for commerce and trade for any country, not forgetting infrastructure which is critical to development. There is need to accelerate infrastructure development in any community,” he said.
Mr Chifita is hopeful that with the coming of the bridge, Kazungula will be a hive of activity for business houses to take advantage of.
“I wish to appeal to businessmen and women to take advantage of the strategic position of Kazungula and the bridge and set up business ventures,” he said.
The project has brought high hopes to the residents of Kazungula because once completed, the bridge will contribute to the economic transformation of the district.
Recently, the Zambian government announced that the construction of the bridge is expected to commence in the third quarter of this year and is co-funded by the African Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).
According to the announcement, construction of the bridge will cost K900 billion.
“The actual construction works are supposed to start in the last quarter of this year at a cost of US$200 million or K900 billion. This project has been co-funded by ADB and JICA,” Ministry of Works and Supply permanent secretary Watson Ng’ambi said.
The Kazungula bridge project comprises construction of a bridge and railway line across the Zambezi River between Botswana and Zambia.
The main objective of the Kazungula bridge project is to replace the ferry service between the two countries, which has been a hindrance to speedy traffic clearance because of limited carrying capacity.
The ferry carries 30 trucks per day and is prone to accidents, contributing to delays and high transport costs.
A South African truck driver, Thulani Dlamini, complained that the delays being caused by the ferry are impacting negatively on deliveries.
Mr Dlamini said time management is important in business anywhere and any delay causes loss of confidence.
“We spend days here and even go beyond our deadline, which is not good in this competitive world of business. I think the construction of the Kazungula bridge will ease the way of doing business, especially in trade,” he said.
The project is part of the North-South Corridor, which links the mineral-rich regions of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo through Botswana and the port of Durban in South Africa.
The bridge is of strategic importance to the economic integration of the SADC region and central Africa.
The crossing provides the connection between the regional centres of economic activities and regional ports, which handle all exports and imports from Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
And Senior Chief Mukuni of the Toka Leya people of Kazungula has described the construction of the bridge as a right move in empowering the district.
Speaking in an interview recently, Chief Mukuni said the bridge will see the coming of numerous business ventures.
“Kazungula does not have a bank and I see one coming once the bridge is completed because there will be lots of economic activities. that will enable people make a lot of money. A need for a bank will arise,” the senior chief said.
In terms of trade, Zambia buys large amounts of salt, building materials and veterinary vaccine from Botswana, while Botswana buys maize, molasses, electric energy and about 80 percent of maize brand for livestock from Zambia.
“Zambia is fortunate to have a good climate and abundant water resources, which help her to be one of the leading countries in agriculture on the continent. The country can supply grain, vegetables, fruit and livestock products to SADC and COMESA and naturally I would like to see Botswana taking advantage of this opportunity to provide a market for Zambia’s food commodities,” Senior chief Mukuni said.
Some stakeholders in the tourism sector have welcomed the planned construction of the bridge at Kazungula border, saying it will boost Zambia’s tourism and trade.
Livingstone Tourism Association (LTA) official Frederick Mwendapole praised the government for responding to people’s cry for a permanent bridge at Kazungula.
Mr Mwendapole said tourism operators and other stakeholders had over the last 10 years been calling for the construction of a bridge at Kazungula.
“In the tourism sector, we are always hoping for steady flow of tourists and other goods at all border posts. Once the bridge is constructed, it will enhance tourism growth and spur other economic activities,” he said.
Mr Mwendapole said visiting tourists were currently facing challenges such as congestion at the border.
“Some years back, we had cases in which the pontoons broke down and we even lost lives there,” he recalled.
Kazungula is one of the international entry points to Zambia and it is commendable that the government has come up with a plan to build a bridge at Kazungula.
Bioenergy
IN a world-wide race to develop energy sources that are seen as being ‘green’ - renewable and less greenhouse gas-intensive – many of the most basic questions surrounding bio-fuel sometimes remain unanswered.
These crucial questions hinge on the conflict between food and energy crops.
Currently, many bio-fuel stocks like maize, sugarcane, and soyabeans are also key sources of food for millions of people world-wide.
So far, fears have arisen owing to the fact that the production of crops for bio-energy use may also displace other food-related crops, thereby increase the cost while decreasing the availability of foodstuffs, including plant and animal-based foods.
But a new Food Agricultural Organisation (FAO) report entitled Making Integrated Food-Energy Systems says producing food and energy side-by-side may offer one of the best formulas for boosting the countries’ food and energy security while simultaneously reducing poverty.
Zambia is among the countries that are looking forward to transforming the energy sector by introducing the bio-energy products. In an effort to do this, Government through the Ministry of Energy and Water Development recently launched a feasibility study in bio-energy production in Zambia.
On February 18, this year, the feasibility study on the production of bio-energy was launched at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka with Energy Minister Kenneth Konga reiterating Government’s commitment to developing the bio-fuel industry in Zambia.
The study will include a comprehensive survey of the entire country, its topography, and climate, soil, social, environment and market conditions, infrastructure, legal framework and other issues that can possibly affect the sustainability and viability of producing bio-energy.
The finding of the feasibility study will be handed over to Government in September next year.
“This process is a firm step in our journey to implementing the various policy objectives that hinge on reducing the dependence on imported fuel and ensuring security of supply and increasing the available energy options,” Mr Konga said.
Once completed, the results of the study would help in identifying suitable areas for sustainable cultivation of the main raw material used in bioenergy production.
The launch of a feasibility study is one of the activities that form part of a co-operative agreement between Zambia and Brazil.
Brazilian Embassy representative Claudia Maciel says according to the Brazilian experience, biofuels are a blessing.
In the last three decades of the existence of biofuels in Brazil, biofuel has been a true engine for economic and social development and an important factor of energy security.
“For more than 30 years, Brazil has invested in biofuel and its benefits are visible now. Brazil is a good example that biofuels are the best option to the current energy crisis in developing countries,” Ms Maciel says.
The study will be conducted by a Brazilian firm called Fundacao Getulio Vargas.
The launch of the feasibility study will give way for baseline information for the implementation of policies, regulatory framework and strategies on bioenergy in Zambia.
Historically, the food and energy economies were separate, but now with the need to develop renewable energy sources and the massive capacity to convert grain into ethanol, that is changing.
Suddenly the world is facing an epic moral and political issue: Should grain be used to fuel cars or feed people? The controversy seems to centre on this question.
But the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) believes the country is well positioned to engage in many agricultural activities including the growing of energy crops.
Chief agriculture officer John Musanya says the climate and land available in the country is highly favourable and can support the undertaking of many activities like the growing of energy crops.
For developing countries such as Zambia, the biofuels industry and the associated upstream and downstream industries have hidden potential to transform their economies.
“Plants, especially perennials, used to produce feedstock for liquid biofuels, act as carbon sinks and developing countries like Zambia growing such crops may earn cash through their sale of emissions credits to polluting industries in developed countries,” Mr Musanya says.
The geo-disruptions in fossil oil supply and the rising fuel prices have negatively affected security of supply of fuels and made biofuels become increasingly attractive.
Internally, liquid bio-fuels industries have great potential to enhance security of the household and national economies, especially for rural communities where feed stocks are to be grown.
On the basis of rainfall, over three quarters of the country falls under favourable rainfall of 800mm and above and Zambia’s water resources are numerous to support irrigation of the energy crops.
“The climate, water and land of Zambia are more than what energy crops require to be well established.
Last season the country posted surplus production of most field crops.
Besides, the country already produces enough sugar for local consumption and export.
There is potential for producing bio-ethanol from molasses and more with sugar,” Mr Musanya says.
He says the agriculture sector has received attention by Government through support given to different categories of farmers who may be engaged in different agricultural enterprises including growing of energy crops such as sugarcane, sweet sorghum and cassava (for bio-ethanol) and castor, jatropha and palm (for bio-diesel).
In addition, the government has designated several strategic areas termed as farm blocs (Mkushi and Nansanga) to promote agricultural activities with the provision of services and upgraded infrastructure.
The launch of the feasibility study on the production of bio-energy is in line with global efforts to promote renewable energy sources and management of climate change.
And according to the FAO report, farming systems that combine crops that can be used for food and fuel can help reduce poverty and boost food and energy security.
The report uses specific examples from Africa, Asia and Latin America as well as from some developed countries to show how food and energy crops can be successfully integrated. Integrated systems offer numerous benefits to poor rural communities.
FAO assistant director-general for natural resources Alexander Müller says with these integrated systems, farmers can save money because they do not have to buy costly fossil fuel, nor chemical fertiliser if they use the slurry from biogas production.
“For example, poor farmers can use leftovers from rice crops to produce bio-energy, or in an agro-forestry system can use debris of trees used to grow crops like fruits, coconuts or coffee beans for cooking,” he says, noting that other types of food and energy systems used byproducts from livestock for bio-gas production.
“They can then use the savings to buy necessary inputs to increase agricultural productivity, such as seeds adapted to changing climatic conditions – an important factor given that a significant increase in food production in the next decades will have to be carried out under conditions of climate change,” Mr Mueller says.
Food and Agricultural Organisation also notes several other benefits offered by integrated food-energy systems. They are beneficial to women as they can eliminate the need to leave their crops to go in search of firewood.
According to the FAO report, women in developing countries can also significantly lower health risks by reducing the use of traditional wood fuel and cooking devices. Some 1.9 million people worldwide die each year due to exposure to smoke from cooking stoves.
Integrating food and energy production can also be an effective approach to mitigating climate change, especially emissions stemming from land use change.
“By combining food and energy production, integrated food-energy systems reducethe likelihood that land will be converted from food to energy production, since one needs less land to produce food and energy,” FAO stated.
Having an integrated system often leads to increased land and water productivity, therefore reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing food security, it added.
These crucial questions hinge on the conflict between food and energy crops.
Currently, many bio-fuel stocks like maize, sugarcane, and soyabeans are also key sources of food for millions of people world-wide.
So far, fears have arisen owing to the fact that the production of crops for bio-energy use may also displace other food-related crops, thereby increase the cost while decreasing the availability of foodstuffs, including plant and animal-based foods.
But a new Food Agricultural Organisation (FAO) report entitled Making Integrated Food-Energy Systems says producing food and energy side-by-side may offer one of the best formulas for boosting the countries’ food and energy security while simultaneously reducing poverty.
Zambia is among the countries that are looking forward to transforming the energy sector by introducing the bio-energy products. In an effort to do this, Government through the Ministry of Energy and Water Development recently launched a feasibility study in bio-energy production in Zambia.
On February 18, this year, the feasibility study on the production of bio-energy was launched at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka with Energy Minister Kenneth Konga reiterating Government’s commitment to developing the bio-fuel industry in Zambia.
The study will include a comprehensive survey of the entire country, its topography, and climate, soil, social, environment and market conditions, infrastructure, legal framework and other issues that can possibly affect the sustainability and viability of producing bio-energy.
The finding of the feasibility study will be handed over to Government in September next year.
“This process is a firm step in our journey to implementing the various policy objectives that hinge on reducing the dependence on imported fuel and ensuring security of supply and increasing the available energy options,” Mr Konga said.
Once completed, the results of the study would help in identifying suitable areas for sustainable cultivation of the main raw material used in bioenergy production.
The launch of a feasibility study is one of the activities that form part of a co-operative agreement between Zambia and Brazil.
Brazilian Embassy representative Claudia Maciel says according to the Brazilian experience, biofuels are a blessing.
In the last three decades of the existence of biofuels in Brazil, biofuel has been a true engine for economic and social development and an important factor of energy security.
“For more than 30 years, Brazil has invested in biofuel and its benefits are visible now. Brazil is a good example that biofuels are the best option to the current energy crisis in developing countries,” Ms Maciel says.
The study will be conducted by a Brazilian firm called Fundacao Getulio Vargas.
The launch of the feasibility study will give way for baseline information for the implementation of policies, regulatory framework and strategies on bioenergy in Zambia.
Historically, the food and energy economies were separate, but now with the need to develop renewable energy sources and the massive capacity to convert grain into ethanol, that is changing.
Suddenly the world is facing an epic moral and political issue: Should grain be used to fuel cars or feed people? The controversy seems to centre on this question.
But the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) believes the country is well positioned to engage in many agricultural activities including the growing of energy crops.
Chief agriculture officer John Musanya says the climate and land available in the country is highly favourable and can support the undertaking of many activities like the growing of energy crops.
For developing countries such as Zambia, the biofuels industry and the associated upstream and downstream industries have hidden potential to transform their economies.
“Plants, especially perennials, used to produce feedstock for liquid biofuels, act as carbon sinks and developing countries like Zambia growing such crops may earn cash through their sale of emissions credits to polluting industries in developed countries,” Mr Musanya says.
The geo-disruptions in fossil oil supply and the rising fuel prices have negatively affected security of supply of fuels and made biofuels become increasingly attractive.
Internally, liquid bio-fuels industries have great potential to enhance security of the household and national economies, especially for rural communities where feed stocks are to be grown.
On the basis of rainfall, over three quarters of the country falls under favourable rainfall of 800mm and above and Zambia’s water resources are numerous to support irrigation of the energy crops.
“The climate, water and land of Zambia are more than what energy crops require to be well established.
Last season the country posted surplus production of most field crops.
Besides, the country already produces enough sugar for local consumption and export.
There is potential for producing bio-ethanol from molasses and more with sugar,” Mr Musanya says.
He says the agriculture sector has received attention by Government through support given to different categories of farmers who may be engaged in different agricultural enterprises including growing of energy crops such as sugarcane, sweet sorghum and cassava (for bio-ethanol) and castor, jatropha and palm (for bio-diesel).
In addition, the government has designated several strategic areas termed as farm blocs (Mkushi and Nansanga) to promote agricultural activities with the provision of services and upgraded infrastructure.
The launch of the feasibility study on the production of bio-energy is in line with global efforts to promote renewable energy sources and management of climate change.
And according to the FAO report, farming systems that combine crops that can be used for food and fuel can help reduce poverty and boost food and energy security.
The report uses specific examples from Africa, Asia and Latin America as well as from some developed countries to show how food and energy crops can be successfully integrated. Integrated systems offer numerous benefits to poor rural communities.
FAO assistant director-general for natural resources Alexander Müller says with these integrated systems, farmers can save money because they do not have to buy costly fossil fuel, nor chemical fertiliser if they use the slurry from biogas production.
“For example, poor farmers can use leftovers from rice crops to produce bio-energy, or in an agro-forestry system can use debris of trees used to grow crops like fruits, coconuts or coffee beans for cooking,” he says, noting that other types of food and energy systems used byproducts from livestock for bio-gas production.
“They can then use the savings to buy necessary inputs to increase agricultural productivity, such as seeds adapted to changing climatic conditions – an important factor given that a significant increase in food production in the next decades will have to be carried out under conditions of climate change,” Mr Mueller says.
Food and Agricultural Organisation also notes several other benefits offered by integrated food-energy systems. They are beneficial to women as they can eliminate the need to leave their crops to go in search of firewood.
According to the FAO report, women in developing countries can also significantly lower health risks by reducing the use of traditional wood fuel and cooking devices. Some 1.9 million people worldwide die each year due to exposure to smoke from cooking stoves.
Integrating food and energy production can also be an effective approach to mitigating climate change, especially emissions stemming from land use change.
“By combining food and energy production, integrated food-energy systems reducethe likelihood that land will be converted from food to energy production, since one needs less land to produce food and energy,” FAO stated.
Having an integrated system often leads to increased land and water productivity, therefore reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing food security, it added.
Agriculture
A VISIT to Mwembeshi Prisons Farm reveals that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2006 between Zambia and Egypt was worth signing.
Among the projects that were to be taken under the MoU was the establishment of a joint venture at Mwembeshi Prisons Farm.
Egypt adopted 60 hectares of land at the Mwembeshi Prisons Farm, which has now been expanded to 200 hectares.
The Zambia-Egypt Agriculture joint venture on the Mwembeshi Prisons Farm in Lusaka is now bearing fruits, as the farm is expected to realise close to a billion Kwacha this farming season.
The Mwembeshi Prisons farm has projected to realise K975 million. Last farming season K800 million was realised.
For some, the MoU was just a political gimmick. But five years down the line, what was thought to be a political gimmick is now adding value to Mwembeshi Prisons Farm and the entire prisons service.
Mwembeshi Prisons Farm has 745 hectares of land and out of this, only 300 hectares is arable. Out of the 300, 200 hectares is under the Egypt-Zambia joint venture project.
The prisons service has planted maize and sunflower and the plants are nearing harvest.
Egyptian project manager Shaboon Shaboon says 99 percent of the plants (Sunflower and Maize) on the plantation are doing well.
“Despite the partial dry spell that Lusaka experienced from February 1 to 24 this year, the plants have not been affected. We are happy with the way we have integrated here from the time we came. As Egyptians, we are always willing to share our knowledge in agricultural practices with our Zambian colleagues,” Dr Shaboon says.
Dr Shaboon says more than K500 million has been invested in crop production for the 2010-2011 farming season.
“We have put in about K548 million in this year’s agriculture activities and we hope to realise reasonable profit,” Dr Shaboon says.
Egyptian ambassador to Zambia Salah el Sadek says the two countries are partners in development as evidenced by the two countries’ common ambitions in farming.
“We will always collaborate with you in programmes aimed at uplifting the lives of the people of the two countries to strengthen the bilateral relationships. It is time that we showed the world that Africa has come of age to deal with her own problems by strengthening the relationships between African member states,” ambassador El Sadek says.
Mr El Sadek has since challenged the Prisons Service to use the comparative advantage which maize production has to improve its food security and in turn supplement the national food security.
With the Egyptian support, the Prisons Service is now working towards self-reliance in terms of food for all prisons in the country.
And Prisons Service Commissioner Percy Chato said the joint venture has grown in bounds since its inception in 2006 with less than 40 hectares to 150 hectares of maize currently.
Mr Chato says the programme has diversified to include seed production from the initial grain production adding that the benefits accrued from the venture are too numerous to itemise.
“The co-operation between Zambia and Egypt has benefited us as prisons, we shall, therefore, endeavour to tap from your expertise and the experiences,” Mr Chato says.
The Prisons Service is confident that food production on Mwembeshi Prisons Farm will contribute towards the feeding of other inmates across the country.
The investment in agriculture in the prisons service is one activity that is effective in the reformation of inmates.
Mr Chato says with adequate support like the one from the Egyptian government, the prison service can produce enough food both for sale and consumption by inmates.
According to one of the inmates who spoke on condition of anonymity, the joint venture is a blessing in disguise because it has added value to his stay in the prison.
Currently, the Egyptian experts are conducting a one month workshop at Mwembeshi Prisons Farm with participants drawn from both the officers and inmates.
The workshop, which was officially opened by Mr Sadek on March 5 this year, is expected to end by April 5, 2011. This workshop has attracted 32 participants, out of which 12 are inmates and the rest are prisons officers.
“Whilst at Mwembeshi, convicted prisoners are entitled to programmes that will give them life skills, or enhance the skills they already possess as well as rehabilitation programmes so that the period spent in prison is beneficial to both society and the inmates, as they would be expected to be better citizens after release from prison.
Inmates who are engaged in agricultural activities stand a chance of being employed as farm personnel or start up their own farming activities. At the end of their training, inmates will receive certificates of attendance which have no reference to their imprisonment,” Mr Chato says.
Another inmate, who is also a participant, says once released from prison, he will use the certificate to change his life for the good of his family.
“My imprisonment is a blessing, I am scheduled to be released in August this year and this workshop has come at a time I needed it the most because once I get my certificate from this workshop, I will use it to better my life come August this year,” he says.
The inmate says Open-air Prison System like Mwembeshi is a remarkable innovation in the realm of correctional treatment. He says it provides an offender with greater freedom with natural surroundings and lesser tension.
Besides agricultural activities, training in horticulture, poultry farming, dairy and goat rearing is also imparted to the prisoners at Mwembeshi Prisons Farm.
Agricultural training programmes in prison provide inmates with theoretical and practical skills that prepare them to improve or start their own agricultural projects after their release from prison.
Among the projects that were to be taken under the MoU was the establishment of a joint venture at Mwembeshi Prisons Farm.
Egypt adopted 60 hectares of land at the Mwembeshi Prisons Farm, which has now been expanded to 200 hectares.
The Zambia-Egypt Agriculture joint venture on the Mwembeshi Prisons Farm in Lusaka is now bearing fruits, as the farm is expected to realise close to a billion Kwacha this farming season.
The Mwembeshi Prisons farm has projected to realise K975 million. Last farming season K800 million was realised.
For some, the MoU was just a political gimmick. But five years down the line, what was thought to be a political gimmick is now adding value to Mwembeshi Prisons Farm and the entire prisons service.
Mwembeshi Prisons Farm has 745 hectares of land and out of this, only 300 hectares is arable. Out of the 300, 200 hectares is under the Egypt-Zambia joint venture project.
The prisons service has planted maize and sunflower and the plants are nearing harvest.
Egyptian project manager Shaboon Shaboon says 99 percent of the plants (Sunflower and Maize) on the plantation are doing well.
“Despite the partial dry spell that Lusaka experienced from February 1 to 24 this year, the plants have not been affected. We are happy with the way we have integrated here from the time we came. As Egyptians, we are always willing to share our knowledge in agricultural practices with our Zambian colleagues,” Dr Shaboon says.
Dr Shaboon says more than K500 million has been invested in crop production for the 2010-2011 farming season.
“We have put in about K548 million in this year’s agriculture activities and we hope to realise reasonable profit,” Dr Shaboon says.
Egyptian ambassador to Zambia Salah el Sadek says the two countries are partners in development as evidenced by the two countries’ common ambitions in farming.
“We will always collaborate with you in programmes aimed at uplifting the lives of the people of the two countries to strengthen the bilateral relationships. It is time that we showed the world that Africa has come of age to deal with her own problems by strengthening the relationships between African member states,” ambassador El Sadek says.
Mr El Sadek has since challenged the Prisons Service to use the comparative advantage which maize production has to improve its food security and in turn supplement the national food security.
With the Egyptian support, the Prisons Service is now working towards self-reliance in terms of food for all prisons in the country.
And Prisons Service Commissioner Percy Chato said the joint venture has grown in bounds since its inception in 2006 with less than 40 hectares to 150 hectares of maize currently.
Mr Chato says the programme has diversified to include seed production from the initial grain production adding that the benefits accrued from the venture are too numerous to itemise.
“The co-operation between Zambia and Egypt has benefited us as prisons, we shall, therefore, endeavour to tap from your expertise and the experiences,” Mr Chato says.
The Prisons Service is confident that food production on Mwembeshi Prisons Farm will contribute towards the feeding of other inmates across the country.
The investment in agriculture in the prisons service is one activity that is effective in the reformation of inmates.
Mr Chato says with adequate support like the one from the Egyptian government, the prison service can produce enough food both for sale and consumption by inmates.
According to one of the inmates who spoke on condition of anonymity, the joint venture is a blessing in disguise because it has added value to his stay in the prison.
Currently, the Egyptian experts are conducting a one month workshop at Mwembeshi Prisons Farm with participants drawn from both the officers and inmates.
The workshop, which was officially opened by Mr Sadek on March 5 this year, is expected to end by April 5, 2011. This workshop has attracted 32 participants, out of which 12 are inmates and the rest are prisons officers.
“Whilst at Mwembeshi, convicted prisoners are entitled to programmes that will give them life skills, or enhance the skills they already possess as well as rehabilitation programmes so that the period spent in prison is beneficial to both society and the inmates, as they would be expected to be better citizens after release from prison.
Inmates who are engaged in agricultural activities stand a chance of being employed as farm personnel or start up their own farming activities. At the end of their training, inmates will receive certificates of attendance which have no reference to their imprisonment,” Mr Chato says.
Another inmate, who is also a participant, says once released from prison, he will use the certificate to change his life for the good of his family.
“My imprisonment is a blessing, I am scheduled to be released in August this year and this workshop has come at a time I needed it the most because once I get my certificate from this workshop, I will use it to better my life come August this year,” he says.
The inmate says Open-air Prison System like Mwembeshi is a remarkable innovation in the realm of correctional treatment. He says it provides an offender with greater freedom with natural surroundings and lesser tension.
Besides agricultural activities, training in horticulture, poultry farming, dairy and goat rearing is also imparted to the prisoners at Mwembeshi Prisons Farm.
Agricultural training programmes in prison provide inmates with theoretical and practical skills that prepare them to improve or start their own agricultural projects after their release from prison.
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