Tanzania to start exporting meat to Zambia next month

Tanzania will next month start exporting meat to Zambia, top official of the National Ranching Company (Narco) has revealed.

The deal between the two countries had already been sealed, and exportation would start immediately after finalisation of the logistical planning.

Narco general manager Dr John Mbogoma said they were currently working on the logistics for the exports to Zambia.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, the official explained that at the moment, they are laying the groundwork; and hopes that exportation would start effectively in February, this year.

This provides reliable market for the country’s livestock products, particularly cattle, as Zambian authorities need 24 tonnes of meat (equivalent to 240 cows) from Tanzania daily.

he said Tanzania has the capacity to supply the required quantity of meat under the latest programme which is implemented by Narco, Ministry of Livestock Development and Fisheries and Sumbawanga-based meat-processing campany.

According to the official, the beef export deal came after Zambia Beef Company requested to be supplied with the products from Tanzania daily.

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CITIZEN Forum say the country has lost a golden opportunity to have a new constitution before 2011 polls

CITIZEN Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda has charged that country has lost a golden opportunity to have a new and accepted republican constitution before they go to the polls this year.

And Mr Kabanda has disclosed that his organization has embarked on an exercise to petition parliament to ensure the immediate amendment of the republican constitution before this year’s general elections.

He said the are targeting to collect about 100,000 signatures from people around the country and are going to present these signatures to parliament when it resumes seating.

Mr kabanda stressed that Zambians are demanding for the immediate amendment of the constitution.

Speaking during alive program on Radio Icengelo in Kitwe today, mr kabanda said  the National Constitution Conference(NCC) denied Zambians to have a durable and accepted republican constitution as delegates threw away a lot of things that Zambians wanted to be included in the constitution.

He explained that the people proposed through the Mung’omba draft constitution that the position of the republican vice –president should be elective and that he should be a running-met to the President, but that was rejected by the NCC.

Mr Kabanda said the NCC also threw away the 51 percent plus one threshold for a presidential candidate to be declared winner among other proposes.
He explained that the NCC spent about K136billion on the constitution, money which he said could have been used to improve peoples’ living standards countrywide.

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The Zambian govt has awarded a diamond exploration license to Tamarisk investments

GOVERNMENT HAS AWARDED AIM-LISTED PARAGON DIAMONDS THROUGH ITS SUBSIDIARY TAMARISK INVESTMENTS A DIAMOND EXPLORATION LICENSE IN THE COUNTRY.
THE LICENSE WHICH GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN TO PARAGON DIAMOND IS IN THE EAST OF THE COUNTRY COVERING 862 SQUARE KILOMETERS AND CONTAINS 14 OLIVINE LAMPROITE PIPES.
AND OF THE FIVE HIGH-PRIORITY OLIVINE LAMPROITE PIPES CURRENTLY TARGETED BY TAMARISK, TWO TARGETS WERE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK, WITH THE REMAINING THREE LOCATED WITHIN 3 KILOMETERS OF THE WESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE PARK.
DE BEERS ALSO LOCATED A SET OF 13 PHOTO ANOMALIES 10 KM NORTH OF THE TARGET LAMPROITES, OUTSIDE THE PARK, WHICH MIGHT REPRESENT A NEW, HITHERTO UNTESTED LAMPROITE FIELD.
TAMARISK INVESTMENTS, THE ZAMBIAN SUBSIDIARY OF INTERNATIONAL DIAMOND CONSULTANTS (IDC), IN WHICH PARAGON HOLDS A 44.3% INTEREST, WAS GRANTED THE PROSPECTING LICENSE FOR THE KAPLAMP AREA FOR AN INITIAL TWO-YEAR PERIOD AND EXPIRES IN NOVEMBER 2012.
CHAIRPERSON FRANK SCOLARO SAID THE AWARD OF THE KAPLAMP LICENSE WOULD ADD TO PARAGON’S GROWING ASSET BASE.
HE NOTED THAT THE LICENSE HAD PROVIDED THE COMPANY WITH PROSPECTIVE OPPORTUNITIES, GIVEN THE ESTABLISHED PRESENCE OF RECOVERED DIAMONDS IN A PREVIOUSLY LITTLE UNDERSTOOD STRUCTURE TYPE.
IDC IS NOW PRIORITIZING TARGETS WITHIN THE LICENSE AREA FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION, USING MODERN EXPLORATION TECHNIQUES.
THESE FEATURES WERE INCLUDED IN THE DIAMONDIFEROUS LAMPROITES IN TAMRISK’S RECENTLY GRANTED KAPLAMP LICENCE.
PARAGON BELIEVED THAT THE KAPLAMP PROJECT WAS HIGHLY PROSPECTIVE, OWING TO THE SIZE OF THE LICENSE AREA.
HISTORIC EXPLORATION WORK UNDERTAKEN BY DE BEERS IN THE 1960S AND EARLY 1970S ALSO RECOVERED SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF DIAMONDS.
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Zambia eligible to receive funding from the millennium challenge corporation

THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION (MCC) BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS ANNOUNCED THAT ZAMBIA IS AMONG TWO OTHER ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES THAT WILL CONTINUE THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING COMPACTS WITH A POSSIBILITY OF SIGNING THIS YEAR.
A STATEMENT RELEASED TO THE ZAMBIAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON DC, BY THE MCC, STATES THAT CAPE VERDE AND INDONESIA WILL ALSO JOIN ZAMBIA IN THIS PROCESS.
ZAMBIA’S AMBASSADOR TO THE USA, MRS. SHEILA SIWELA SAYS SHE LOOKS FORWARD TO THE SPEEDY FINALISIZATION OF THE PROCESS SO THAT ZAMBIA COULD QUALIFY FOR THE GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR THE TWO PROJECTS UNDER CONSIDERATION.
THE TWO PROJECTS UNDER CONSIDERATION ARE THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE GREATER KAFUE NATIONAL PARK INTO AN ECHO -TOURISM AREA AND THE EAGERLY AWAITED OVERHAUL OF THE LUSAKA WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
SHE SAID THEY WILL CONTINUE TO EXTENSIVELY ENGAGE WITH ALL THE PARTNERS IN THE MCC SO AS TO ATTAIN THIS OBJECTIVE.
RECENTLY, THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION RELEASED A COUNTRY BY COUNTRY REPORT ON POLICY PERFORMANCE OF 84 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THAT WERE CANDIDATES FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE FROM MCC IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2011.
ZAMBIA’S PERFORMANCE HAS SINCE SHOWN STEADY PROGRESS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
THIS IS ACCORDING TO A NEWS STATEMENT OBTAINED BY RADIO PHOENIX FROM THE FIRST SECRETARY FOR PRESS AT THE ZAMBIAN MISSION IN WASHINGTON DC, BEN KANGWA.
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Zambian govt calls on all stakeholders to fight corruption

GOVERNMENT HAS CALLED ON ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO COME ON BOARD AND ENSURE THAT CORRUPTION IS FOUGHT AT ALL LEVELS.

INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING MINISTER LIEUTENANT GENERAL RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA STATES THAT IT IS EVIDENT THAT GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO THE FIGHT AGAINST THE VICE CONSIDERING THE NUMBER LEGISLATION AND THE POLICY THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE.

SPEAKING ON RADIO PHOENIX LET THE PEOPLE TALK PROGRAMME, THE MINISTER DECLINED THAT GOVERNMENT DOES INTERVENE WITH THE RUNNING OF PUBLIC MEDIA INSTITUTIONS CHARGING THAT THE DISMISSAL OF THE TIMES OF ZAMBIA NEWS EDITOR WAS DONE BY THE BOARD.

GENERAL SHIKAPWASHA STATED THAT THE PUBLIC MEDIA IS NOT A PRESERVE OF THE RULING MMD ADDING THAT AT NO TIME DO THEY CENSOR THE PROGRAMMES OR NEWS ITEMS THAT ARE PUBLISHED.

MEANWHILE, THE CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON HAS CHALLENGED OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES TO HOLD CONVENTIONS JUST AS THEY ARE DOING.

AND GOVERNMENT HAS REITERATED THAT IT WILL ENSURE THAT THIS YEAR’S ELECTIONS ARE HELD IN A PEACEFUL AND TRANSPARENT MANNER.

AND RESEARCHER, LECTURER AND POLITICAL ANALYST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA DR ALEX NG’OMA HAS PREDICTED THAT THE OPPOSITION IS LIKELY TO WIN THIS YEAR’S ELECTION PROVIDED THEY MOVE IN AS A UNITED FRONT.

DR NG’OMA HOWEVER NOTED THAT IN THE RECENT YEARS THE CIVIL SERVICE HAS WORSENED AND ATTRIBUTED THIS TO INEFFICIENCIES WITHIN THE VARIOUS MINISTRIES.

AND SPEAKING ON THE SAME PROGRAMME BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC CONSULTANT BOB SICHINGA CHALLENGED GOVERNMENT TO BE TRUTHFUL AND ENSURE THAT IT EMBRACED THE DIVERGENT VIEWS FROM ALL CITIZENS.

HE SAID GOVERNMENT AND ALL POLITICAL PLAYERS IN THE COUNTRY MUST IMMEDIATELY INSTITUTE A CAUCUS MEETING THAT WILL CHAT THE WAY FORWARD ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO VIOLENCE AHEAD OF THIS YEAR’S GENERAL ELECTIONS.

AND RADIO PHOENIX PROPRIETOR ERROL HICKEY HAS ASKED GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER WORKING WITH ALL THE MEDIA HOUSES AHEAD OF THIS YEAR’S GENERAL ELECTIONS.

MR HICKEY STATES THAT THE RADIO STATION AND MANAGEMENT STANDS READY TO WORK WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY.

AND ONE OF THE CALLERS’ REVEREND EDITH MUTALE NOTED THAT NEED TO TRADE ON CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES EVEN AS THE COUNTRY GOES TO THE POLLS AND STOP IMPOSING LEADERS ON THE PEOPLE.

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NAREP charges that the Zambian govt should not dismiss voices that call on it to re-examine the past

THE NATIONAL RESTORATION PARTY (NAREP) HAS CHARGED THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT DISMISS THE VOICES THAT CALL ON IT TO RE-EXAMINE THE PAST AND HAS SINCE DEMANDED THAT AN ASSESSMENT ON ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR FULFILLING THE OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS BE MADE.
SPEAKING ON THE SIDELINE OF THE CONTINUED WRANGLES REGARDING THE BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT, NAREP INTERIM PRESIDENT ELIAS CHIPIMO JUNIOR NOTED THAT THERE IS NEED TO NOT ONLY CAREFULLY EXAMINE THE OBLIGATIONS SET OUT IN THE BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT, BUT TO EXTEND ITS SPIRIT AND INTENTIONS TO ALL AREAS GOVERNED BY  TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES.
HE SAID HIS PARTY BELIEVES THAT THE CENTRAL IDEA BEHIND THE AGREEMENT IF CORRECTLY HANDLED COULD BE EXTENDED TO ALL MAJOR TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES AS A WAY OF MORE DIRECTLY INVOLVING THEM IN THE GOVERNANCE OF THE VAST AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE NATION.
MR CHIPIMO QUESTIONED WHAT DEMOCRACY WOULD BE AND WHERE TOLERANCE IS IF GOVERNMENT CHOSE TO BURY THE PAST AND NOT EXAMINE THE PAST AFRESH TO UNDERSTAND AND LEARN FROM IT.
HE STATES THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR RECOGNITION AS SYMBOLS OF AUTHORITY IN RURAL LOCATIONS, ALL AUTHORITIES SHOULD BE ACCORDED THE OPPORTUNITY OF INVOLVEMENT IN MANAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
THE NAREP INTERIM LEADER STRESSED THAT THE TERMS OF BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT OFFER A USEFUL BASIS FOR COMMENCING A DEBATE ABOUT A VIABLE MEANS OF INCORPORATING CHIEFS AND TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES INTO THE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING OF THE LARGE AND SPARSELY POPULATED COUNTRY.
AND NAREP HAS ADVISED THAT A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY BE CONSTITUTED THAT WILL LOOK AT THE CAUSES OF VIOLENCE AND SUBSEQUENT SOLUTION.
MR CHIPIMO STATES ALL STAKEHOLDERS MUST NOT UNDULY FEAR REKINDLING AND RESTORING AN OLD HOPE, BUT MUST DO THIS IN A NEW WAY, AND FIND NEW IDEAS ON HOW THIS WILL DELIVER DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MAJORITY.ENDS////

APNAC to launch the code of ethics fo all its members

THE AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIAN NETWORK AGAINST CORRUPTION (APNAC) IS THIS YEAR EARMARKED TO LAUNCH THE CODE OF ETHICS THAT WILL GOVERN THE CONDUCT OF ALL ITS MEMBERS.
AND APNAC-ZAMBIA CHAIRPERSON GIVEN LUBINDA HAS DESCRIBED THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN THE YEAR 2010 AS A FAILED EXERCISE CITING THE DECISIONS AND CHANGES IN CERTAIN PIECES OF LEGISLATION.
MR LUBINDA WHO IS ALSO KABWATA MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT HAS TOLD RADIO PHOENIX THAT THE COUNTRY CANNOT HAVE LEGISLATION WHICH IS CONTRARY TO REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS TO WHICH ZAMBIA IS SIGNATORY TO.
HE SAYS IT IS MALICIOUS TO SAY THAT “THE ABUSE OF OFFICE LAW” IS ILLEGAL WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY PROVIDED FOR IN THE AFRICAN UNION, SADC AND THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION.
MR LUBINDA ARGUES THAT “THE ABUSE OF OFFICE LAW” IS A GOOD LAW AND GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO REMOVE IT SO AS TO PROTECT ITS OWN INTEREST.
AND THE ZAMBIA APNAC CHAIRPERSON HAS INDICATED THAT THIS YEAR, A MASSIVE MEDIA CAMPAIGN WILL BE LAUNCHED WHERE THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR ITS MEMBERS WILL BE INTENSELY PUBLICISED IN A BID TO MEASURE THE BEHAVIOUR OF ITS MEMBERS.
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