Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
In this issue
In this issue Why is Zambia peaceful?
24 out of 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa
Why is Zambia peaceful? 1 have experienced at least one period of civil
5 out of 9 new judges are women 1 war over the past 50 years. Yet, the other half
– including Zambia – has avoided civil war.
Can mayoral elections be free and fair? 2 Why is that?
Quotes 2 A research study (Inclusive Elite Bargains
2011 budget is out 3 and Civil War Avoidance: The Case of
Zambia) by Stefan Lindemann at the Crisis
One presidential trip costs K 5 billion? 3 States Research Centre of the London
No more patients in corridors at UTH 4 School of Economics has taken a closer
look at Zambia’s unique peace in a region of
Two women sue first lady 4 conflict.
How to survive a political suicide? 5 Lindemann argues that “Zambia’s enduring peace and stability goes back to the persistence
Advert: Colour your Life 6 of inclusive elite bargains, which have manifested themselves in high degrees of political,
economic and military power sharing between competing linguistic and tribal groups”. He
Now you can fuel in Zambezi District 7 defines elites as holders of strategic positions in powerful organisations and movements,
including dissident ones, who are able to affect national political outcomes.
Mabenga’s daughter buried - at last 7
The inclusive elite bargains have helped to address the colonial legacy of high social fragmen-
tation, prevented the emergence of cohesive group grievances and thereby laid the founda-
Editor’s note tions for Zambia’s lasting peace.
The closest Zambia has come to civil war was when Adamson Mushala and his followers
The government is busy building hospitals
tried in vain to launch an armed rebellion in North-Western Province between the mid-1970s
left, right and centre in Zambia (see page
and the early 1980s. This is the only attempted insurgency in the history of post-colonial
4). No doubt a hospital in each of Zambia’s
Zambia. Four coup attempts in 1980, 1988, 1990 and 1997 were either uncovered in the plan-
72 districts will improve access to health
ning phase or put down within a matter of a few hours.
care – but how about the access to quality
health care? After all, our current hospitals The avoidance of civil war has also been helped by the presence of credible political leaders as
are chronically understaffed. Zambia has mediators “above tribe”, the existence of an external threat in form of regional instability and
for a long time been struggling with brain high levels of urbanisation, which have blurred linguistic and tribal cleavages.
drain in the health sector, and the prospect
Lindemann points out that the governing Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)
of working in a faraway district – albeit in a
initially was dominated by Bemba speakers, yet, over time, the MMD party leadership has
new hospital – is not going to entice many
come to reflect a “broadly national outlook”. He warns, however, that Zambia’s stability
brains to return. Zambian salaries are still
should not be taken for granted. He refers to the “re-tribalisation” of political competition,
uncompetitive compared to abroad. The gov-
evident in the strength of the Patriotic Front (PF) in the Bemba-speaking North and the
ernment is putting a lot of money into edu-
United Party for National Development (UPND) in the Tonga-speaking South.
cation and training of new health personnel,
but is it sufficient? This week, president Ban- The MMD has also lost ground to the PF in the urban centres, and “most of the people”
da commissioned new diagnostic equipment interviewed by Lindemann in Zambia – and the list is very long – agreed that a PF victory in
at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, the 2011 elections may polarise Zambia further (Sunday Times).
but this state-of-the-art technology is only
as good as the people operating the machin-
ery – along with the ones interpreting the
results. Hopefully, the government will do 5 out of 9 newly appointed judges are women
better than some of the private hospitals that
brag of the newest medical equipment but Nine new judges have been appointed to the benches of the High and Supreme Courts
can’t use it properly. One could argue that it in Zambia. Five of them are women, which is no coincidence, according to president
would make more sense to gather Zambia’s Rupiah Banda: “This is a deliberate move both by the judiciary and government to
medical expertise in a smaller number of ensure that participation of qualified ladies is taking place in our country continu-
central hospitals rather than spreading it ously,” he said. Banda swore in seven new High Court Judges, including Mrs Anessie
thin on 72 district hospitals? According to Bobo, Mr Justine Chashi, Mrs Flavia Chishimba, Mr Isaac Kamwendo, Mrs Mugeni
Banda it is now a thing of the past to fly Mulenga, Mrs Petronella Ngulube and Mrs Gaudentia Salasini. The two new Supreme
people to South Africa for cancer diagnostic Court judges are Mr Muyinda Wankie and Mr Gregory Phiri. The SADC Protocol
services. Maybe the government could con- on Gender and Development commits countries to work towards having 50 percent
sider shelving all flights for all people for all women in political and decision-making positions by 2015 (Post/Times/Daily Mail
medical problems. Now, that would improve 11). The government is also in the process of increasing the number of high court and
the access to quality health care! supreme court establishments from 30 to 50 and from 9 to 11, respectively (Post 10).
”
councillors were expelled for allegedly voting for you cease to live a life of your own.
the governing MMD party’s candidate Trudy Minister of local government, Eustackio
Ng’andu. Ng’andu was elected new Chililabom- Kazonga, to new Kitwe mayor Elias
bwe mayor with 12 votes even though her party Kamanga (Post 15).
has 8 seats in the council.
In Kalalushi, the MMD suspended newly elected “ Your most unhappy customers are your
”
greatest sources of learning.
mayor, Emmanuel Mazokela, for alleged gross
indiscipline. The MMD had chosen Mazokela’s Bill Gates (Daily Mail 10).
“
predecessor, Evaristo Mwalilino, as their candi-
date, but Mazokela decided to contest the elec- The problem we have as a church is
tion as well – and won, according to the MMD that we always talk about things other
”
because Mazokela had “aligned himself ” with the PF. In fact, the election was “characterised people fail to talk about.
by exchange of gifts and money”, said MMD provincial chairperson Joseph Chilambwe. Zambia Episcopal Conference president
In Luanshya, police arrested and detained Adam Zulu (PF), who was aspiring for the position bishop George Lungu on the Catholic
of mayor and allegedly had offered 2 million kwacha cash as inducement to another councillor Church’s involvement in development
who he wanted to vote for him. The arrest prompted the PF councillors to boycott the elec- (Daily Mail 14).
“
tions, which was won by MMD’s Peter Phiri.
Architects should freely express them-
In Solwezi, Jameson Kapumba (MMD) was elected mayor some 24 hours after mayoral elec- selves and come up with world class
tions were deferred after results were nullified. Kapumpa, who before the postponement of the buildings that will improve the faces
first polls had his nomination rejected, beat two others. of our cities. At the moment, many
buildings are lacking. We need to up
In Kitwe, the MMD suspended three councillors and reprimanded four other after they al-
”
standards in our cities and towns.
legedly went against the party’s directives to contest the position of mayor (Daily Mail 10 and
Times 11). Deputy minister of works and supply,
Christopher Malila, on building new
rather than renovating old (Post 15).
Zambia’s world press freedom hero
The International Press Institute (IPI) has commemorated its 60th anniversary by presenting
“ I do not believe as a health institution
we have anything to hide. If there is
something that is wrong, we are ready
their 60 World Press Freedom Heroes from around the world. One of them is Zambian. Post to say, yes, there is this which needs to
editor Fred M’membe was mentioned when IPI interim director Bethel McKenzie gave nar- be done and thank you for letting us
ratives of each journalist’s achievements and challenges in their furtherance of press freedom.
”
know and we are going to fix it.
She mentioned M’membe’s recent four months prison sentence for contempt of court. “In
addition the authorities continued to use criminal defamation and other laws to stifle inde- Acting minister of health, Brian Chi-
pendent reporting,” she said. The IPI is a leading press freedom organisation consisting of a tuwo, on picture in the Post showing
global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists (Post 14/15). patients sleeping on the floor in the
corridors at UTH’s filter clinic
(see page 4) – Daily Mail 10.
”
Government says there is neither brutality nor torture in the Zambian prisons. “[S]ome of the progress.
things that have been reported are not true because government has already addressed some UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon -
of the challenges prisoners were facing in our prisons,” explained Minister of Home Affairs, see page 5 (Post 13).
Mkhondo Lungu. Last week, Human Rights Watch released a report that stated inmates
were routinely tortured and subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment at the
hands of police. Together with two local civil society organisations, Human Rights Watch had
interviewed prisoners at six prisons in Zambia between September 2009 and February 2010. Advertise in Zambia Weekly
But Lungu said the government has dedicated its efforts and resources towards improving the
welfare and conditions of prisoners in line with the international Convention against Torture One full page in full colour for extra impact.
to which Zambia is a signatory. Improvements include the construction of a second maximum Only one advertiser per week.
security prison at Mwembeshi, new prisons in Kalabo and Luwingu districts and 36 open-air Contact the editor for more details.
prisons throughout the country. The government has also amended the Prisons Act to allow
for the establishment of parole and a medical directorate (Daily Mail 11). But these improve-
ments hardly change the behaviour of prison staff. Hopefully the 11.4 million US dollars Zambia Weekly
recently pledged by donors to the Access to Justice programme will help.
Zambezi district is about to get its first filling station. The Cheeka
Service Station is expected to be completed in October, according to
its proprietor, Brian Mukuyu, who explained that Cheeka’s investment
of 1.5 billion kwacha was supplemented with 250 million kwacha
from the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission. Allegedly
people travel 560 kilometres to source for fuel today (Times 13).
Zambia Weekly
Cultural villages across the country Week 37, Volume 1, Issue 23, 17 September 2010
The government intends to construct cultural villages throughout Zambia Weekly is a free e-zine that extracts the news you really need to
Zambia as a way of preserving the country’s cultural heritage and know about. It provides an effortless way of keeping up-to-date with current
enhancing development. When officiating at the Kusefya Pa Ng’wena affairs in Zambia. Zambia Weekly is being distributed by email every Friday.
ceremony of the Bemba speaking people in Mungwi District, presi- If you wish to advertise in Zambia Weekly please contact the editor. Feel
dent Rupiah Banda said the government will also continue to support free to share Zambia Weekly with colleagues and friends. Comments, criti-
cisms or suggestions are always welcome!
traditional ceremonies because of their role in cultural heritage and
tourism. 300 million kwacha has been earmarked for the Mwela Cul- Editor: Camilla Hebo Buus, zambiaweekly@gmail.com, mobile 0977 461 877
tural Village in Mungwi District (Sunday Times).