Life at University of Zambia

DOREEN NAWA, Lusaka
DESPITE being one of the country’s highest learning institutions, the University of Zambia (UNZA) leaves much to be desired as its infrastructure can no longer match the changes that have happened in the last 48 years since it was established.
Etambuyu Muyunda, a second-year student, feels the institution needs drastic infrastructural upgrading.
When Muyunda set foot at the campus, her picture of the institution was that of the University of Namibia (UNAM).
“My sister did her tertiary education in Namibia and we used to visit her time and again, so I thought any African university looked like UNAM. But when I came here (UNZA), I was very sad and regretted that I had decided to do my school here in Zambia,” Muyunda says.
She says she worked hard and excelled in secondary school after which she came from Mongu to Lusaka for the first time in pursuit of a university degree.
To her shock, she found a crumbling university education system which sees over 200 students share a lecture room and many of them have no accommodation.
“It may sound dramatic, but sadly this is the reality facing many Zambian students seeking to further their education,” Ms Muyunda says.
She describes her two-year stay at the campus as “disturbing” because she has to wake up very early for her to find sitting space in the lecture theatre.
“If you come on time for a lecture, you will find all space taken; the best is an hour before class starts.”
She says the living and teaching conditions at the nation’s highest learning institution are “appalling”.
“In many instances, the lecturer teaches over 200 students in one class without the PA [public address] system and the lecture rooms are too small for such a number. I believe they were meant for about 50 students,” she said.
UNZA was built in 1966 shortly after Independence to be a leader in the provision of higher education in the region and to produce professionally trained human resources for the new country’s growing economy.
However, the institution’s original goals are now under threat from overcrowding, falling staff levels and lack of investment in infrastructure.
A lecturer who sought anonymity said the learning infrastructure at the university is demotivating to the teaching staff.
“It is demoralising and it also affects our performance as lecturers where you are teaching and you see students sitting on the floor and others are standing,” the UNZA lecturer said.
Other students talked to said most lecture rooms at the university are in a dilapidated state, many with leaking roofs, creating severe difficulties for students to learn during the rainy season.
“Take a moment and visit our libraries at every school like Education, the books are outdated…there are leakages in almost every lecture theatre.
“In the rainy season you will find that a student has to move from place to place during learning and that is inconveniencing. It’s a sorry sight,” says Kafula Makasa, a student in the school of education.
Besides the learning infrastructure, accommodation crisis has continued to be a thorny issue at UNZA.
In 2011, Government built new hostels, the Levy Mwanawasa hostels, to accommodate 240 students but this has proved to be a drop in the ocean.
Students say living in the hostels is like life in exile in their own country.
Apart from the new Levy Mwanawasa hostels, the old students’ hostels are congested and in a state of disrepair.
More than 80percent of the students are not accommodated and in some cases, eight students share a room that is supposed to be occupied by two people.
In a male hostel called Africa the situation is unbearable. In a tiny room, there are four beds with three or four people sleeping on each bed.
UNZA currently has 3,736 bed spaces for a student population of full-time undergraduates of about 10,500.
Luckily, President Sata recently assured the nation that a project to construct in excess of 4,900 bed spaces would commence this year at UNZA.
And UNZA acting public relations manager Stanslous Chewe says the university is faced with a critical shortage of learning and teaching infrastructure because of the ever growing number of students each year.
“Like the current library built at the inception of the university to cater for just over a thousand students is today not able to meet the demand for reference resources by over 24,800 students.
“We are hopeful that Government will soon fulfil its promise to build hostels,” Mr Chewe said.
World over, it is acknowledged that the universities are premier centres of excellence for research and training aimed at offering practical and workable answers to the challenges mankind faces.
As rightly observed by First President Kenneth Kaunda at his inaugural ceremony as UNZA Chancellor in 1966, a university is one of the keys that can open doors to the future and help overcome the persisting evils of poverty, ignorance and disease.
“Without such an institution, we cannot hope to become the nation we want to be,” Dr Kaunda said.
PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL DATED OCTOBER 19, 2014

Agriculture: Potential solution to our economic challenges

DOREEN NAWA, Lusaka
WHEN most people think of agriculture in Zambia and Africa, images of poor and overworked farmers with crude tools on a rural farm readily come to mind.
Many, especially young Africans too, still think that agribusiness is a poor man’s occupation. Nowadays, everybody wants a white-collar office job in the city. Agribusiness is hardly on anyone’s mind.
But for Zambia’s Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda, time to transform agriculture sector is now and the power to do so lies in the hands of the young population.
Agribusiness seems to be topical now and not by Africans, but the world’s top business people.
“Lately, many of the world’s top business people are investing in African agribusiness, all because our youths have shelved it and are not taking it seriously. Time to go back to the land is now. Farming has the potential to all our economic challenges that we face as a continent,” Mr Lubinda said.
Evidenced from the huge number of world’s top business people that invest in agribusiness in Zambia and Africa, agriculture is the biggest business opportunity right now.
According to the World Bank, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly 50 percent of the world’s fertile, usable and uncultivated agricultural land. The size: over 200 million hectares.
This is why the continent is now widely considered to be the future breadbasket of the world. It is this huge abundance of land resources that gives Africa the strategic potential to feed the world. Africa has cheap agricultural land.
Interestingly, a large proportion of Africa’s agricultural land is located in the rural areas. That’s why they’re often cheap to buy or lease. On the average, one hectare of land can be leased for as low as K1000 (US$100) per year (depending on the location). This makes it one of the best land bargains you can find anywhere in the world.
Most of Africa’s agricultural land lies in the savannah and tropical rain forest belt, which receives a favorable amount of rainfall and sunlight all year round. As a direct consequence, more than 80 percent of food crops consumed across the world can be produced here.
But the most challenging aspect of doing business in agriculture or agro-processing is finding a market for the product and adapting the business to cater for changing consumer demands. These are often the leading factors that cause businesses in this industry to fail.
“One of the challenges we face here in Zambia and Africa as a whole is getting to proper market for our produce due to poor road infrastructure. Our feeder roads are in deplorable state,” says Neva Banda, a young farmer Chief Mpezeni’s area in Chipata district in Eastern Province.
Mr Banda says despite the challenges that Zambia and Africa may be facing, the good news is that there is already a ready market and high demand for agricultural produce due to the ever increasing population.
“Agribusiness is one of the best business opportunities in the world because food never goes out of fashion. People must eat food every day,” Mr Banda says. Currently, Africa’s population is just over one billion people. At its current growth rate, the continent’s population is expected to reach 2.2 billion by 2050. Now and in the future, Africa will always have a lot of mouths to feed.
Africa currently spends billions of dollars every year to import grains, flour and all kinds of finished and semi-finished foods which it can produce locally. There is a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs who can provide cheaper and locally-grown alternatives to the food that Africa imports.
“It’s not just the food industry that depends on agribusiness. Several other industries, especially the manufacturing and processing industries, depend on agribusiness for a wide range of raw materials,” Lumuno Organic farms proprietor Khama Mbewe says.
Mr Mbewe says as Africa’s economies continue to grow, the demand for raw materials will surely increase and create more interesting opportunities for agribusiness on the continent.
“Agribusiness in Africa has suffered through the years because of its poor yields and crude farm practices. Most of the crops cultivated on the continent produce very little and are often very prone to pests, diseases and drought,” Mr Mbewe said.
However, due to advances in crop and animal science and technology, it is now possible to harvest more food per hectare than ever before in Africa’s history.
There are now improved crop and animal varieties that mature earlier, require less resources, and are less susceptible to pest attacks, diseases and drought. Across Africa, these improved varieties are increasing yields by as much as 100 percent.
There are now improved and locally-adapted varieties of maize, cassava, millet, rice, sorghum, beans, sweet potato, cowpea, groundnut, soybean, pigeon pea, banana, durum wheat, and bread wheat.
There are also several local and international organisations that are focused on supporting African farmers with improved seedlings and support. One of such organizations is the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), launched by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2006.
Entrepreneurs like Mr Mbewe started the agribusiness in 2007 on his farm. Today, he is a major supplier of Lumuno Chilli sauce to Pick n’ Pay, the South Africa supermarket chain.
And AGRA president Agness Kalibata says the opportunity to start small means that people with little capital can become part of Africa’s multi-billion dollar agribusiness industry.
Dr Kalibata says because of the guaranteed demand for agricultural produce, that small vegetable or poultry farm in your backyard could just become a huge business tomorrow.
“Every evidence shows that you don’t have to be a wealthy investor with millions of dollars in the bank or a highly-educated person in order to start a business in agriculture in Africa. You can start where you are and use what you have, and grow from there,” Dr Kalibata said.
Agribusiness is one of the most effective ways to create jobs and empower millions of Zambians and Africans too.
At present, up to 60 per cent of the labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa is employed in the agribusiness industry. Agribusiness remains a top employer of labour in many African countries.
The value chain in the agribusiness industry, from food production, processing and marketing provide huge opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
Africa is changing. Young people need to be a part of this big dream that’s finally coming true.

Chikankata: Agriculture, livestock and craft-making giant

DOREEN NAWA in Mazabuka
SITUATED on the southern side of Kafue district, Chikankata constituency is home to one of Zambia’s oldest missions, Chikankata and Zambia’s biggest producer of electricity, the Kafue Gorge.
The constituency is situated 149 kilometres south of Lusaka.
Chikankata is a district as well as a constituency and is known for being Zambia’s maize production powerhouse after Kalomo.
The constituency is home to Chikankata Salvation Army Hospital, a part of Chikankata Mission, and is situated 32km from the Livingstone Lusaka road.
The constituency has eight wards namely Kasengo, Namalundu, Musaya, Nansenga, Chitete, Malala, Mabwe Tuba and Upper Kaleye.
Considering that some meaningful activities only take place around the Chikankata mission and the Kafue Gorge, the population too is concentrated around these areas.
What drives the economy in the constituency is mainly agriculture, livestock rearing and craft-making of reed mats and baskets for those that live closer to the Kafue River.
Illegal charcoal production is high in the constituency because only 20 percent of its population is in formal employment and 80 percent who are mostly youths are self-employed.
The main employers in the constituency are Kafue Gorge (the largest employer in the constituency) and the Chikankata Mission.
Chikankata constituency has one Government secondary school (Namalundu), one mission secondary school (Chikankata High School) and 30 primary schools.
Chikankata High School is run by the Salvation Army. It is one of the most well-known schools in the country. The school has about 760 pupils, with the majority being boarders that come from southern and Lusaka provinces.
The constituency is also home to Chikankata College of Bio-Medical Sciences and Chikankata Nursing School.
The two institutions are the major health training facilities in the country.
The constituency which has a population of over 90,000 has two hospitals namely Chikankata and Kafue Gorge.
Chikankata Mission Hospital is funded by Government, but it is run by the Salvation Army. The hospital is a second level health institution, that is, it is a referral hospital. The hospital was the first to introduce the concept of home-based care in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Kafue Gorge Hospital is a government hospital. In addition, Chikankata constituency has 15 rural health centres scattered around the constituency.
In addition to the generation of power at Kafue Gorge Power Station and running of hydropower courses and conferences at Kafue Gorge Training Centre (KGRTC), the constituency is also involved in commercial and peasant farming.
Chikankata produces a lot of maize. It is second only to Kalomo and no area produces as much as it does. The district also keeps a lot of cattle.
With the main giant economic players; Kafue Gorge Power Station and Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre (KGRTC) and its strategic location of having two international roads passing through it, that is, Livingstone and Chirundu roads, the constituency is poised to develop substantially.
The constituency is linked to the rest of the country using the 32-kilometre road from the Livingstone-Lusaka road as well as the Kafue-Chirundu road.
Besides the two main roads, the constituency has feeder roads which have not been graded in over three years.
One of the residents, Kebby Chiinda says the poor state of the feeder roads are affecting the transportation of agricultural products to markets.
“We need a periodic maintenance of the feeder road by the Rural Roads Unit. Our share of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is not enough to cater for the numerous needs in our area,” Mr Chiinda said.
The constituency has two chiefdoms namely Naluwaama and Mwenda.
The main ethnic groups are the Tongas.
The constituency has not had its share of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for the year 2014 and 2015, and just like several other rural constituencies, the CDF is not enough following the numerous challenges the people of Chikankata constituency face.
“We are doing our best to ensure that each ward in the constituency gets a share of the CDF projects but the allocation is like a drop in the ocean. We have challenges regarding the poor road networks in the constituency, poor school and health infrastructure, and making an equal share of the funds amount to nothing.
“As rural members of Parliament, we have brought this to the attention of the house; it is our hope that one day something will be done,” Chikankata member of Parliament (MP) Munji Habeenzu said.
Mr Habeenzu said from the 2013 CDF funding, a number of projects have stalled in all the eight wards.
“Drilling of boreholes and construction of classroom blocks and additional health infrastructure is underway in most wards but they have stalled because we have not received funding for two years now,” Mr Habeenzu said.
Mr Habeenzu cited the construction of a maternity wing at Mapangazya Rural Health Centre (RHC), construction of a three-classroom block at Buche Buche all under CDF funding.
And Chieftainess Mwenda says the construction of the 32-kilometre road commonly known as Chikankata road will bring development and recognition to the constituency and district as a whole.
The Chieftainess says Chikankata constituency needs an industry especially for maize to keep the youths in the constituency productive.
“Currently there is no industry here and opening up of any industry in Chikankata constituency will be of great benefit to the unemployed youths,” Chieftainess Mwenda said.
The constituency is surrounded by hills and traditional village settlements with the majority of the population living in remote areas of the Southern Province.

African poverty impacts Europe UN agency tells Pope meeting

DOREEN NAWA

AS Pope Francis began his first trip to Africa this week, the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo F. Nwanze calls for unity, resilience and dignity “in the face of those who wish to divide us” at an event today hosted by the Holy See on the Pope’s encyclical.

Relevant to the Pope’s visit Nwanze said, “What happens in a small village in Africa can have a ripple effect that reaches Europe and beyond.” He added that the world’s “problems and solutions are not limited by geographic or political boundaries.”

Speaking alongside Cardinal Beniamino Stella and Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations agencies in Rome, Nwanze called the “invisible people of the developing world” part of “our shared humanity” and said that “their poverty is our poverty; their hunger is our hunger; and their dignity is our dignity.”

With international climate change talks starting in a few days, Nwanze’s keynote at the Holy See event echoed what the Pope said shortly after arriving in Kenya when he urged world leaders to pursue economic development while protecting the environment for future generations.

Nwanze called for “investing in change that is social as well as economic so that rural areas are socially viable and economically vibrant,” as well as a “change that is comprehensive and inclusive in its nature and lasting in its impact.”  He went on to say that “a world without small farmers would be a hungry world. The future of humanity depends on a sustainable food supply based on sustainable agricultural practices.”

This will be the message Nwanze will take to the 21st UNCCD Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris next week, where he will be engaged in several side-events including the press launch on 4 December of an IFAD research report that looks at how media coverage has been missing key connections between climate change, migration and food.

The event today was organized by the Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum and Università Europea of Rome in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights, which encourages a wide exchange of ideas through dialogue among international institutions of higher education especially with developing countries.

“Poor rural people are not waiting for hand-outs; they are looking for economic opportunities and a safe home for their families,” Nwanze said in conclusion of his keynote address at the Holy See event. “Young people who can see a future for themselves at home have little reason to migrate to urban centers and big cities, where too often they fall prey to divisive rhetoric and extremism.”

Feira: Striving for economic growth

DOREEN NAWA, Luangwa
SITUATED on the eastern side of Lusaka Province, about 350kilometres from the capital city, Feira constituency is home to the confluence of the Luangwa and the Zambezi Rivers.
To the east, the Luangwa River borders with Mozambique and to the south the Zambezi River borders with Zimbabwe.
The constituency has one of Zambia’s extreme temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius and is drought prone making it difficult for tangible agricultural activities.
The constituency has fifteen wards namely Dzalo, M’kaliza, Mandombe, Phwazi, Mphuka, Kabowo, Kapoche, Chiriwe, Lunya, Katondwe, Chikoma, Mburuma, Mwalila, Kaunga and Mankhokwe.
Consider ing that some meaningful activities only take place along the two main rivers, the population too is concentrated along the Luangwa and the Zambezi Rivers. What drives the economy in the constituency is mainly fishing, livestock rearing and craft-making of reed mats and baskets.
Illegal charcoal production is high in the constituency because only 20 percent of its population is in formal employment and 80 percent who are mostly youths are self-employed.
Feira constituency which is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Luangwa has six government secondary schools, one mission school, 15 government primary schools, two private schools and one school for children with special needs.
Under health, the constituency currently has one mission hospital, Katondwe and will soon see the opening of the first ever district hospital, Luangwa, which is nearing completion. Luangwa District hospital is yet to undergo phase 3 (equipment fittings) in its construction stage. The constituency has eight rural health centres and 27 primary health care centres.
The constituency is linked to the rest of the country using the recently constructed D145 road which was upgraded to bituminous standard between 2013 and 2014. Besides the D145, the constituency has 17 feeder roads which are periodically maintained by the Rural Roads Unit.
Accessing telecommunications network in the constituency is quite poor for most parts in the constituency. The constituency has poor signal reception for Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC).
The constituency has an airstrip for light aircrafts only, situated three kilometres from the Feira Central Business district.
Feira constituency is not connected to the national electricity grid. Currently, only the boma has power which is diesel generated under Zesco and the surplus is exported to the neighbouring Zumbo district in Mozambique.
Solar, charcoal and firewood are also used as alternative sources of energy. Currently, construction of two Zesco sub-stations is underway in the constituency to connect Luangwa district in Feira constituency to the national electricity grid.
The constituency has no industry; currently the Luangwa district council has approved a 200 hectares piece of land for a government project spearheaded by Zam-capitol for the construction of a milling plant.
Feira has two chiefdoms namely Mburuma and Mphuka. The main ethnic groups are the Nsenga Luzi under senior chief Mburuma in the Northern part of the constituency and the Chikunda people under Chief Mphuka in the Southern part.
The constituency has its share of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), but just like several other rural constituencies, the CDF is not enough because of the numerous challenges the people of the constituency face.
“We are doing our best to ensure that each ward in the constituency gets a share of the CDF projects but the allocation is like a drop in the ocean. We have challenges regarding the poor road networks in the constituency, poor school and health infrastructure, and making an equal share of the funds amount to nothing. As rural members of Parliament, we have brought this to the attention of the House; it is our hope that one day something will be done,” Feira member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Ngoma said.
Mr Ngoma who is also Tourism deputy minister said from the 2014 CDF, a number of projects were approved in Mkaliva, Chiriwe, Dzalo, Kapoche, Mandombe, Mburuma, Mphuka, Katondwe and Kaunga wards.
“Drilling of boreholes and construction of classroom blocks and additional health infrastructure is underway in most wards,” Mr Ngoma said.
Mr Ngoma cited the construction of a maternity wing at Mandombe Rural Health Centre, construction of a two-classroom block at Kaluluzi in Kapoche ward, construction of a health centre at Kapoche and the construction of two by two boarding houses for girls and boys at Chitombe. Boreholes have been drilled in Kanyenze, Molo and Chitombwe all under CDF funding.
And Chief Mphuka says the construction of the D145 road commonly known as Luangwa road has brought development and recognition to the constituency and district as a whole.
Chief Mphuka says Feira constituency needs a mine to keep the youths in the constituency productive.
“Currently there is no industry here and opening up of a mine in Feira constituency will be of great benefit to the unemployed youths,” Chief Mphuka said.
FEIRA FACTS
Total Registered Voters: 11,260 (according to the 2015 Presidential elections)
Population: 27, 294 (Central Statistical Office)
Wards: 15
Current MP: Patrick Ngoma (2011-2013 as MMD) (2013-to date as PF)
Past MP: Charles Shawa (2006-2011 MMD)
 https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=41293
PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON AUGUST 23, 2015

Oral health care still daunting problem

DOREEN NAWA, Lusaka
ALL her life she believed that the only solution to toothache is extraction. But her recent visit to Lusaka’s Champ Zambia Chaisa Centre recently made her realise that there are other solutions to toothache.
Bridget Phiri, 37, says on a date she cannot remember but in the last week of July, 2015, she went to Champ Zambia Chaisa Centre for a dental check-up. This was after word went round that a United States of America (USA) couple would be in the area to provide dental services.
Boston-based doctors, Bill and Pilar Papadopoulos are experts in dental services and run a project called Project SmileWell. The couple was in Chaisa to provide dental services to the people in the area for four days.
Ms Phiri says accessing dental health in her area has been a big challenge.
“We have problems accessing health care services here especially dental. Whenever one has a dental problem, medical staff will quickly advise extraction. I am surprised to learn there is such a thing as tooth filing,” Ms Phiri said.
Ms Phiri first visited a nearby dentist, where she was told one of her wisdom teeth had to be extracted. However, as an unemployed, single mother, she opted not to go through with the procedure because she had no money. She endured the pain.
Unfortunately, a few weeks later, she developed a headache which caused the side of her face to swell. At the clinic, she was prescribed pain-killers, which cost K15 and antibiotics, which cost K35.
Unable to afford both, she bought only the pain-killers. And because she was able to suppress the pain over the next few days, the infection spread to jaws and she had to undergo an operation.
This is not a one-off tragedy. Like Ms Phiri, majority of Zambians especially in the rural areas and low-income bracket do not have access to dental health services due to the high cost and scarcity of the services.
It is because of such cases that the vision carriers of SmileWell project decided to come to Zambia to conduct dental services. Project SmileWell specialises in dental services. The project was implemented in Chaisa recently.
Dr Papadopoulos says what started as a dream began to show fruition in February 2015 when he visited Zambia and consolidated his dream with Champ.
“My dream is not to come to Zambia and remove hundreds of teeth. Zambians have beautiful teeth and it hates me to just come here and remove their teeth. What I noticed is that there is a huge demand and underservice in the community regarding dental health services.
“If we can start somewhere, it’s a good start. We need to do more on awareness, and help educate and train more people on dental services. We have set up an online initiative, where we can share books with the Dental Training School here. It pained me to see that the dental school does not have enough books,” Dr Papadopoulos said.
Oral health, which comprises good oral health care, hygiene and adequate nutrition, is a vital component of one’s overall health.
According to Dr Pilar, people with limited access to preventive oral health services are at greater risk of oral diseases.
“I see the necessity for basic dental home care, most of the questions we were getting were based on how they can prevent dental illnesses, and we need to look at the prevention part. There is a huge gap,” Dr Pilar said.
Dr Pilar said providing dental care for those in need is the driving force for their project.
“In co-operation with the Ministry of Health, and amazing local organisations; such as Champ, we have run a four-day event. We setup a five tent clinics to of fer various dental services. We invited one orphanage to bring in their children for dental services and activities,” Dr Pilar said.
Oral health care remains the greatest unmet health need for children. Insufficient access to oral health care and effective preventive services affects children’s health, education, and ability to prosper. Early dental visits teach children that oral health is important.
According to research, children who receive oral health care early in life are more likely to have a good attitude about oral health professionals and dental visits. Pregnant women who receive oral health care are more likely to take their children for oral health care.-https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=41958 PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON AUGUST 30, 2015

Zambia, Netherlands sign tax treaty

DOREEN NAWA, Ethiopia
ZAMBIA and Netherlands have signed a new tax treaty for the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income.
The treaty was signed at the sideline of the third International Conference on Financing for Development on Wednesday.
A tax treaty is a bilateral economic agreement between two nations that aims to avoid or eliminate double taxation of the same income in two countries.
Representing the Zambian government, Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda said fundamentally, the purpose of the treaty is to promote international trade and investment by ensuring that businesses are not subjected to double taxation of certain types of taxes between the two countries.
He said subjecting businesses to double taxation is detrimental to investment adding that the treaty is one of the measures to tackle tax avoidance.
“I recognise and welcome the initiative and commitment of the Dutch Government to re-negotiate its tax treaties with a number of least developed countries and particularly include anti-abuse provisions in the new treaties,” Mr Chikwanda said.
Mr Chikwanda said the effort should be emulated by other developing countries to ensure that more taxes are paid in jurisdictions where companies generate their incomes.
Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Co-operation Lilianne Ploumen signed on behalf of her country.
“By making use of loop-holes in tax treaties in combination with differences between national tax rules, internationally operating companies can avoid paying tax. It means that poor countries miss out on tax revenues, funds they clearly need for matters such as infrastructure and education,” Ms  Ploumen said.
She said the Netherlands want sto help developing countries put a stop to this loss, preferably by means of internationally binding measures.
The Netherlands has tax treaties with over 90 countries.
Studies show that these international treaties of the Netherlands are not out of line, compared to tax treaties of other countries.
However, the tax treaty with Zambia, stemming from 1977, was outdated, and most treaties comprise no anti-abuse clauses.
This, among other things, meant that their unintended use was a risk in both countries.
Negotiations to replace the 1977 tax treaty were held in April last year in The Hague in Netherlands, where the two countries successfully renegotiated for the new tax treaty. https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=36994 PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON JULY 17, 2015

CSO role vital, UN chief

DOREEN NAWA, Addis Ababa
UNITED Nations (UN) secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has told civil society organisations (CSOs) that have converged on Addis Ababa that their role is vital in keeping governments accountable and ensuring that the voices of billions around the world are heard.
As member states press on with efforts to reach consensus on a plan to secure the necessary financing for sustainable development, Mr Ban said: “Now, more than ever, the world needs your advocacy, expertise, and ingenuity.”
Mr Ban was speaking when he addressed CSOs during the Global Civil Society Forum at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD3) here on Monday.
“You are the voice of the people. You can count on the UN to make it heard, loud and clear,” Mr Ban said.
The FFD3 is expected to launch a renewed and strengthened global partnership for financing people-centred development this week.
The conference, commonly referred to as FFD3, brings together high-level political representatives, including heads of state and government as well as ministers of finance, foreign affairs and development cooperation, along with international financial institutions, non-governmental organisations and the business sector to secure resources for the well-being of the world’s people and the planet.
“I am inspired by your passion, commitment and energy,” Mr Ban told representatives of civil society.
He added that their engagement marks the culmination of “untiring efforts” to ensure a successful and meaningful outcome at the conference.
Managing director of the Society for International Development Stefano Prato said CSOs are engaged on many different levels and have a fundamental watchdog responsibility.
“Independently of what policy commitments are being taken, it’s fundamental to track what is happening and be able to review and follow up into a process that is not exclusively based on numbers and data – despite their importance – but in the direct participation of those most affected by development challenges,” Mr Prato said. PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON JULY 16, 2015

Be professional, Malama tells scribes

MINISTRY of Information and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary Godfrey Malama has challenged journalists in the country to uphold professionalism.
Mr Malama said it is sad that most journalists and media houses have continued to conduct themselves unprofessionally in the process of disseminating information to the public.
He said this at the first ever Airtel media excellence awards in Lusaka on Friday.
And Airtel acting managing director Mustafa Kapasi said the company will continue to support journalism that is accurate and creative.
During the awards, Times of Zambia reporter Gethsemane Mwizabi scooped two awards.
Among other winners were Francesca Banda and Kennedy Phiri of MUVI-TV while runner-up in print story was Doreen Nawa of Zambia Daily Mail. – ZNBC. PUBLISHED ON JULY 13, 2015 IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL
https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=36543

Africa recommits to sustainable growth

DOREEN NAWA, Addis Ababa
THE Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD3) kicked off on July 13, 2015 in the Ethiopian capital with calls to ‘reboot’ global finance initiatives to improve human lives while protecting the planet.
In what the United Nations has dubbed 2015 “A Year for Global Action,” the four-day gathering brought together high-level government officials, financial institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organisations and civil society representatives.
It came at an important juncture, as member states prepared to adopt a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September and reach a universal climate change agreement in December.
Speaking at the official opening UN secretary General Ban-Ki-moon said, “You have recognised that in a world in which both the global population and resource constraints are growing, development finance needs a reboot.”
The UN chief said without resources, commitments will amount to little more than promises on paper and that the outcome of the conference – known as the ‘Addis Ababa Action Agenda’ – would be the starting point of a new path for financing sustainable development.
The Addis Ababa Action Agenda draft outcome document, which is still under negotiation, presents an “ambitious financing framework” that includes concrete policy commitments in at least six crucial areas, beginning with a new social compact for quality investment.
It also includes a package for least developed countries, including a commitment to increasing official development aid, as well as a new Technology Facilitation Mechanism that aims to break new ground to help facilitate the development, transfer and dissemination of relevant technologies for the sustainable development goals.
Mr Ban told the delegates that the draft document calls for greater international co-operation in tax matters to stem the tide of illicit financial flows; mainstreams gender equality throughout the financing for development agenda; and makes clear that everyone’s actions need to be underpinned by a strong commitment to protecting and preserving the planet.
“Let us put aside what divides us and overcome narrow self-interest in favour of working together for the common well-being of humanity,” Mr Ban appealed to delegates. “Let us build on our shared vision of a sustainable world free from poverty and deliver a transformative outcome here in Addis.”
Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who was also the president of the conference said sustainable development agenda is the right way to go.
“There are those who say that the sustainable development agenda is too ambitious. I am not one of them. For me, this is the right agenda for a world in transition. It is the right agenda for a world with the power, for the first time in history, to wipe poverty out entirely.
“And the right agenda for a moment in history when our future on this planet is no longer certain, unless we embark on a serious change of course,” he said.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister further said the soaring ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals will only mean anything if the intentions that the delegates bring to delivering them through the Addis Ababa Action Agenda is every bit as ambitious as the goals themselves.
“If it is not, we will let down the people we all represent and will ultimately be blamed for years to come for our lack of seriousness. We will also seriously undermine the credibility of our key global institution, the United Nations… This will be a devastating blow at a point when the need for collective action has never been greater.
“But I don’t believe that we will choose that path,” the Prime Minister said.
And President of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, Sam Kutesa, told delegates that the conference should result in an ambitious, holistic and comprehensive framework for financing sustainable development.
“We need concrete deliverables, actions, policies and measures which will result into increased mobilisation of resources from all sources, and ensure their effective use, to support the implementation of the universal post-2015 development agenda,” Mr Kutesa said.
He cited six areas that are crucial: generating increased domestic resources; international public finance; the need for countries to access long-term financing for infrastructure at concessional or affordable rates; finding ways of increasing the private sector’s participation and contribution to the implementation of the new agenda; addressing the enabling domestic and international environment for development; and effective follow-up to track progress.
“Through a renewed global partnership, solidarity and collective action, we can and will mobilise the resources to achieve a prosperous and sustainable future for all,” he said.
The FFD3 was held at the headquarters of the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
With Africa basking in increased attention as the favourite destination for investment the conference strikes a chord that reverberates across the continent and beyond.
The powerful economies of the west and the east are thirsting for Africa’s abundant natural resources to feed their insatiable manufacturing industries.
Africa has become the ‘battle ground’ for the United States and Europe on the one hand and China, the world’s second largest economy, as it grapples with poverty, youth unemployment, slow economic growth, disease and the more threatening climate change.
It is gratifying that the continent is showing its commitment to achieving development goals beyond 2015 for sustainable development.
There has been a lot of discussion in Addis about how to finance Africa’s $100 billion per year infrastructure needs – and mainly how to attract private sector money.
Everybody seems to have ideas for what needs to be done. Many have proposals for projects, large and small. However, so far, few have so far come up with readily investable projects; projects that would actually be realistic to present to institutional investors.
Coming out of Addis, the focus must be on bringing the few investable projects to reality. Africa must learn and be inspired by the projects done in developed nations so that the successful ones can be adapted and replicated. PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON AUGUST 1, 2015-https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=38643

All is set for the 25th World Water Week in Stockholm

BY DOREEN NAWA
World leaders, water experts and development professionals will meet in Stockholm 23-28 August to seek solutions to the world’s several escalating water crises. With both World Water Week and Stockholm Water Prize celebrating their 25th jubilee, several special events and campaign finales will take place during the Week.

The role of water for development, this year’s World Water Week theme, cannot be overestimated. Water is the foundation for all aspects of human and societal progress. We need it to survive – literally, to quench our thirst, to prepare our food, and maintain our hygiene, but it is also central to economic and social development, sustainable growth, and a prerequisite for healthy ecosystems.

While we need to ensure access to safe water for those 1.8 billion people who do not have it today, we must also manage the global rise in demand for water from growing economies by increasing water productivity, and find incentives for using it more effectively. Water security is both a condition for, and a result of, sustainable development.

At World Water Week, the complex challenges related to water and development will be addressed by over 3,000 participants from some 120 countries, representing governments, the private sector, multilateral organizations, civil society and academia. Speakers at the Opening session on 24 August will include the Prime Minister of Sweden, Stefan Löfven; the Prime Minister of Jordan, Abdullah Ensour; the President of the Marshall Islands, Christopher J. Loeak; the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Adnan Z. Amin, and Peru’s Minister of State for Environment and President of the COP20, Manuel Gerardo Pedro Pulgar-Vidal Otálora.

During the Week, the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize will be awarded to Rajendra Singh of India, for his innovative water restoration efforts, improving water security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve the living conditions for those most in need. The prize will be awarded to Rajendra Singh by H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, during a ceremony in Stockholm City Hall on Wednesday 26 August.

Other prizes that will be presented are the Stockholm Industry Water Award, which will be awarded, on Sunday 23 August, to CH2M, a Colorado-based global service and engineering company, for developing and advancing methods to clean water, and increasing public acceptance of recycled water, and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize which, on Tuesday 25 August is given to one national team out of the 29 competing nations by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

Water is a central part in a range of issues that will shape the world in the decades to come. They will be discussed in-depth during World Water Week:

Water and food. About 800 million people in the world are undernourished, and prevalence is going down. Overweight and obesity rates are heading the other direction and today, around 2 billion people are overweight or obese. Meanwhile, about a third of all food produced is either lost, or thrown out by the consumer. Since most food production demands huge amounts of water, this means rivers of water are literally lost as a result of food being lost or discarded, or overeating.

Water and climate change. Climate change is to a large extent water change. We feel the impact of climate change through water. Increased rainfall variability, less reliable monsoons, prolonged droughts and reduced water storage in snow and ice are just some effects. California is currently suffering the worst drought in living memory, straining parts of the state’s economy. Cities are rationing water and food prices are increasing. Water is also critical for the mitigation of climate change, as many efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depend on reliable access to water resources. Expansion of renewable energy will to a large extent also depend on access to water - on all levels.

Water and conflict. Approximately 276 river basins cross the political boundaries of two or more countries, and serve as a primary source of freshwater for approximately 40 percent of the world's population. Decisions on water allocations can be a source of conflict, but also a catalyst for cooperation and peace building. Cooperation over transboundary waters is an opportunity for people, regions and states to strengthen and develop cooperation, and to open up new paths of working together.

Water and health. An estimated 1.8 billion people live without access to safe water and 2.4 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation. Diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation and hygiene kill more than 5,000 people each day.

About SIWI
The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is a Stockholm-based policy institute that provides and promotes water wise solutions for sustainable development. SIWI performs research, builds institutional capacity and provides advisory services. SIWI organizes the annual World Water Week and hosts the Stockholm Water Prize, the Junior Stockholm Water Prize and the Stockholm Industry Water Award.

Zambia to host global climate meeting

DOREEN NAWA, Lusaka.
Zambia will host a board meeting of the Worldwide Green Climate Fund (GCF), a financial mechanism of the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Friday.
Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba said the government was happy that the country has been given an opportunity to be the first African nation to host the event, saying it was in recognition of the country's positive image in the international community.
"I am pleased to announce that Zambia has been awarded the opportunity to become the first African country to host the board meeting of the Worldwide Green Climate Fund," he was quoted as saying by the paper.
Zambia, he said, was expected to share its experience and raise awareness to the world about the impacts of climate change in the country's regions considered as most vulnerable to climate change.
The official said apart from preparing for the meeting, Zambia was also taking active steps to become one of the first beneficiaries of the Green Climate Fund.
During the meeting, the GCF board would approve some financing request proposals just in time for the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC scheduled for France towards the end of this year.
The GCF, he said, was an important avenue for the country to scale up existing initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change.
The meeting, to be held in November, will be attended by over 300 delegates in southern Zambia's Livingstone city.
The delegates would comprise GCF board members, observers from civil society, the private sector, and various international organizations.
The GCF aims to make an ambitious contribution to attaining the mitigation and adaptation goals of the international community in view of climate change. Overtime, it is expected to become the main multilateral financing mechanism to support climate action in developing countries.

Africa’s Historic Moment: Pan-African Food Security

By: Richard Munang
THE ills facing Africa today including low agricultural productivity under a changing climate to Africa’s socio-economic growth are widely documented.
Consequent to low agricultural productivity, Africa spends more than $35 billion annually on food imports while food worth up to $48 billion is lost annually in postharvest losses, and a further 6.6 million tonnes of potential grain harvest, enough to meet annual calorific needs of approximately 30 million people, is lost due to degraded ecosystems.
Exacerbating these challenges is rapid population growth projected to hit 2.4 billion by 2050, youth unemployment currently at 60 percent with an additional estimated 350 million young people entering the labor market by 2035, and climate change expected to hit the crucial agriculture sector with 11 – 40 percent yield reductions on key staples. These grim statistics are unacceptable in the face of Africa’s inherent agriculture potential and the prevailing bountiful strategies to harness this potential into affordable and sustainable solutions to inclusive growth.
Africa’s agriculture potential
It is estimated that Africa holds up to 65 percent of the world’s arable land. On incomes and poverty reduction, the World Bank reports that in Africa, a 10 percent increase in crop yields translates to approximately a 7 percent reduction in poverty. Neither the manufacturing nor services sectors can achieve an equivalent impact. In addition, agriculture currently employs up to 60 percent labor in the continent, making it the most potent conduit sector through which inclusive growth in Africa can be achieved. However, current productivity of Arica’s agriculture is low, contributing a lowly 25 – 34 percent of continental GDP.
Nevertheless, agriculture can potentially ensure inclusive and sustainable growth in the continent if its value chain is optimized holistically. It can create jobs for many of the 17 million youth entering the job market annually while simultaneously feeding Africa. A climate proofed agriculture sector based on EBA techniques that work with nature and augmenting on farm productivity with value addition strategies to unlock income opportunities along the entire agro-value chain will potentially result in yield increases of 116 – 128 percent and accompanying farmer income increases, and be two to four times more effective in reducing poverty relative to other sectors.
A new African beginning
Conference deliberations were founded on a ground breaking study done by a continental task-force team that underscored the transformative benefits of EBA driven agriculture to Africa and how it can be up scaled and entrenched into policy throughout the continent.
Based on the taskforce findings, EBA driven agriculture augmented with value addition along the agro-value chain can potentially ensure not only food and nutritional security, but livelihood security,enhanced community climate resilience, enhanced ecosystem productivity and unleash numerous income and job opportunities along the value chain.
While this is the case, to date, the long term effectiveness and efficiency of mainstream agricultural productivity strategies – such as extensification based on clearing large tracts of land to grow more food and subsidizing fertilizer to achieve more usage – without taking into account sustainability of ecosystems, is doubtful. For instance, Malawi’s experiment with large scale fertilizer subsidies proved economically unsustainable among small holders as long term affordability of subsidies proved untenable and environmentally unsustainable, with soils degraded due to un-metered application of fertilizers.
On land uses, between 2000 and 2010, up to 13 million hectares of forest were cleared annually in Africa primarily to expand land for food and fuel. The consequence was a degradation of ecosystems that underpin food production in the first place and loss in potential yields further compounding the food security scenario. As an example, due to deforestation, up to 6.6 million tones of potential grain yields are lost annually in Africa.
It can be said that left unchecked, such approaches contribute to the virtual cycle of poverty and food insecurity in the continent.
It is against this backdrop, that UNEP in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and other partners convened the 2nd Ecosystems Based Adaptation for Food Security Conference to deliberate the wide scale implementation of a transformative strategy to enhance agricultural productivity in Africa that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.
The conference converged over 1200 delegates – experts in policy, the public and private sector, representatives of regional economic communities, UN agencies, academia, research think tanks, civil society, youth organizations, NGOs, students and the general public from across Africa and the globe.
The express mandate of this congregation was to deliberate and adopt transformative instruments toward implementing a transformative strategy for upscaling EBA-driven agriculture and its value chains across the entire continent, to ensure not only food security, but also economic and environmental benefits toward solving Africa’s nexus challenges of food insecurity, poverty, youth unemployment, environmental degradation and climate change. This innovative and participatory approach, premised on decentralization and generating continental ownership & buy-in holds great promise of progress in solving the continents food & livelihood security challenges, climate resilience as well as achievement of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) toward sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Africa.
 To this end, the conference deliberations were organized around key agents that can transform dominant agricultural development paradigms towards EBA-driven agriculture. This was tackled under the following core themes: harnessing EBA to protect and restore Africa’s ecosystems and contribute to reduction in postharvest losses; building scalable and inclusive business models for EBA-driven agriculture that can create opportunities across the entire agricultural value chain; identifying scalable and innovative financing models for EBA-driven agriculture to stimulate growth, job creation and value chain partnerships in Africa; understanding the role of south-south cooperation in harnessing EBA for food security in Africa; identifying and harnessing the role of education, ICTs and data in transforming EBA agriculture in Africa; identifying and harnessing the role of youth and women in upscaling EBA agriculture; identifying enabling policies and legislation that will incentivize countries to invest in agriculture, soil conservation and EBA; and developing strategies to incentivize private sector involvement in EBA-driven agriculture for increased capital mobilization and competitiveness.
Africa’s historic moment
On 31st July, delegates made history by unanimously, through consensus, adopting the “Nairobi Action Agenda on Africa’s Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security” and the “Constitution of the Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly,” two landmark instruments to facilitate the EBA for food security assembly. Through this assembly, ownership of the process of upscaling the holistic EBA paradigm is decentralized beyond conference rooms and bureaucratic red tape directly to the action area – the country and community levels, where much needed action has been long overdue. This will be achieved through a spoke and hub analogy, where the assembly is hosted on rotation by countries across Africa, and progress, lessons and developments in implementation and upscaling is reported by the assembly to the assembly secretariat that plays the coordination role and overall progress oversight across the continent.
To this end, the three main objectives for the assembly elucidated in the constitution include: promoting environmentally friendly approaches to food production; promoting value addition for all EBA products by efficient technologies; and developing a regional monitoring instrument and evaluation instruments on EBA.
Furthermore, an additional landmark provision in the constitution is the setting up of a Trust Fund to support upscaling activities and provide a platform for voluntary contributions from members, observers and partners.
New era in Africa’s food security
The transformative approach, bringing under one policy framework, the key players involved in enhancing Africa’s food security using ecological approaches hence harmonizing efforts signifies a new era in applying ecological approaches to agricultural productivity in Africa’s food security solutions space. It creates a conducive environment for a participatory, joint-effort approach that promises to be more effective in upscaling into policy and practice, ecological approaches to achieving Africa’s food security. With the structured decentralization of implementation, fostered through instruments ratified in this conference, Africa’s destiny is in its own hands. Through this conference, Africans have been facilitated to take responsibility of their own socio-economic and environmental future through the lens of optimizing agricultural productivity through working with nature. Through this conference, a new page was turned, potentially guaranteeing Africa’s food security and socio-economic progress for posterity. As a journey of 1000 miles begins with one step, the birth is the pan Africa assembly provides an added step for prosperity. So Let us begin!

Mauristius joins CAADP family

Mauritius has become  the 15th member country in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to sign its national Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Compact.

“CAADP responds to the aspirations of Africa by placing agriculture as the engine of social and economic growth,” said Mr. Mahen Kumar Seerutun, Mauritian Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security.

Speaking on behalf of the NEPAD Agency and the African Union Commission, Dr. Janet   Edeme, Head of Rural Economy and Agriculture Division, expressed gratitude to Mauritius for building consensus among partners on necessary solutions to meet the challenges in agricultural development.  Dr. Edeme also remarked that it is important that Africa commit its own resources towards the continent’s development.

The signing of a CAADP Compact symbolises a commitment to investment in consensually agreed key priority areas, and an overall vision for agricultural transformation.  According to CAADP principles, these agricultural priorities are arrived at through an inclusive national roundtable process. The priorities are by nature, results-based and reflect the views of all stakeholders in the country’s agriculture sector.

The signing ceremony of the CAADP Compact was led by the Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mahen Kumar Seerutun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Etienne Sinatambou and COMESA’s Assistant Secretary-General for Programmes, Dr. Kipyego Cheluget.

“Africa boasts huge resources and economic potential, and therefore the role of both public and private sector in agriculture cannot be overemphasized,” Dr. Cheluget said. He added, “The Mauritius CAADP Compact will give impetus to other countries that have not already done so to sign their compacts and implement their National Agriculture Investment plan.“

The national CAADP Compact was also signed by representatives of the African Union Commission, the NEPAD Agency, Small Farmers Welfare Fund, the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Ministry of Ocean Economy, the Mauritius Chamber
 of Commerce and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Etienne Sinatambou stressed that the CAADP process is in line with the Mauritian development priorities, with particular emphasis on biotechnology.

Although continental in scope, the CAADP agenda is an integral part of national efforts to promote agricultural sector growth and economic transformation. In the case of Mauritius, the focus of the CAADP process is to strengthen and add value to the strategy for agricultural transformation under the ongoing Economic Development Strategy of the country as outlined in the Government Programme (2015-19).

The ultimate goal of the CAADP process in Mauritius is to answer that call for the agricultural sector, by:

(i)      Helping define a coherent long term framework to guide the planning and implementation of agricultural programmes; and

(ii)     Identifying strategic options and sources of economic empowerment and inclusive growth for the agricultural sector, and

The CAADP Compact in Mauritius sets the parameters for long-term partnership in the agricultural sector.  It also specifies key commitments on the part of government and development partners.  Furthermore, the Compact clarifies expectations with respect to the agribusiness and farming communities in order to ensure successful implementation of the Government Programme 2015-2019.

Therefore the goals of CAADP are very much in harmony with Mauritius’ goals of creating a modern and sustainable agricultural sector  that will contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in the country.