Zambia

Fred M'Membe Conviction

Daniel — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:44:32 +0200

After reading the June 2, 2010, Saturday Post editorial on the conviction and imprisonment of Mr. M’Membe for contempt of court I cried. I cried because with this conviction the dedication of The Post in the last twenty years to the betterment of Zambia can be instantaneously destroyed. Regardless of how faltering the Post Newspaper has been in some of its reporting, its work has been exceedingly important to Zambia’s democratization process. But as Mr. M’Membe stated in his editorial, the Post can now be crushed.

I am in deep grief that someone who has done so much to help sustain our fragile democracy by being the voice of the silent majority while exposing corruption and mismanagement in public affairs could end up in prison for a misdemeanour. What has happened to M’Membe reminds us that in Zambia leaders who ennoble other people’s spirits are rarely encouraged or honoured. M’Membe’s imprisonment is a powerful statement that heroic acts by ordinary leaders are not encouraged in Zambia.

Yes, The Post can be crushed because as much as it is dedicated to the cause of good governance and skilled leadership lacks one thing: the power to change the world. This is not to minimize the contribution of The Post and other organizations in performing acts of compassion and justice in the pain of HIV and AIDS, orphans, unemployment and women abuse. Lest we forget, M’Membe is in prison today because his newspaper dared to speak out on behalf of an ordinary Zambian woman who gave birth on the pavement at a hospital because of a nurses’ strike. Still the Post does not possess the power of Jesus Christ our Lord who assures us that the church will triumph when it is doing things right.

The church that will be sustained is the one that goes beyond meeting the physical and material needs to “addressing with courage and sensitivity the deep concerns of the soul,” says Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church. This church will visit the M’Membes who are in prison and cry with them, pray with them, give them a listening ear, hug them and share hope with them. But to do these things, the church needs to recapture its unique mission of offering healing to deeply wounded souls.

The incarceration of M’Membe is an invitation to the church to reflect on its mission to bring light to kingdoms, rulers and authorities. As Christians we are aware that God is not only the creator of the world, but he is also its sustainer. In Christ, everything is held together, protected, and prevented from disintegrating into chaos. Our hope for sustained peace in our nation therefore depends, largely, on whether the church leaders understand that mission and mobilize their members accordingly. Hopefully, no Zambian will ever be incarcerated for making a positive contribution to the welfare of his or her fellow people. Yet as a young democracy with systems that still appear to favour the rulers, our people will suffer injustices and other acts of violence that grieve the heart of God. The question is: will the church of Jesus Christ be a light bright enough to shine in such darkness?

Jacob Zuma Reflects Us

Daniel — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:56:59 +0200

If Africans saw themselves, or at least saw how they would like to be, in Nelson Mandela, the Jacob Zuma reflects who we really are. To accuse him is to lay blame on ourselves. Zuma is a mirror that reflects what we would be in his position. After all, has he not been invited to attend Nc’ wala ceremony in Zambia later this year? If he were not a reflection of us, what would he be coming to do at Nc’ wala ceremony?

When President Zuma starts talking about what is moral, as he is doing in his e-mail to the Zambia Post newspaper on the rights of children and on his government’s efforts to promote prevention treatment, research, and the fight against the stigma attached to the HIV and AIDS endemic, we unfortunately cannot hear him because his words do not coincide with his actions.

President Zuma has no moral standing to talk about the rights of children when he is the father of a child with a woman to whom he is not married. Similarly, he has no ethical position to talk about HIV and AIDS prevention when he is not committed to one woman and does not practice safe sex. It would be like asking Tiger Woods, the USA professional golfer who it was recently revealed had a score of mistresses, to come out in favour of marital fidelity as a standard for leadership.

Zuma and the ANC Youth League are saying that character doesn’t count and that people can separate, especially if they are elderly, what they do in private from what they do in public. But you can’t subdivide character; the same ethical standards that guide in public matters will also guide in private ones.

King David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba gives us a wonderful illustration that it is impossible to separate one’s private moral compass from one’s public moral compass. When King David found out that Bathsheba, the beautiful woman he had an affair with (private life) was pregnant, he sent her husband off to the front line to be killed in a battle (public). Character cannot be subdivided.

African people are weary of looking at the children of poverty who live without fathers, mothers, and hope. Unemployment, HIV disillusion, and AIDS have created a pain that weighs heavily on the average African. Africans are seeking leadership with the capacity and will to rally men and women to the common purpose of overcoming these challenges, but within this leadership there must also be the character that inspires confidence. Jacob Zuma has failed in both instances.

Zuma’s testimony is an invitation to every Christian leader to do some critical self reflection. Yes, Zuma must be held accountable for his private actions, but how many of us are also being held accountable for our private actions? Do we try to divorce our public moral compass from our private moral compass? Are we inspiring the people around us to overcome challenges while also possessing a character that inspires confidence? When African Christians take seriously this call to holistic living, we will start to see the emergence of new leaders in public life who will mirror this value and hope.

Presidential Press Release

moses — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:04:04 +0200

It is of great honour to be in contacts with the union members we just thank God who has enabled it. Firstly I thank God who enabled us all to coverge for the surmmittes both at Rodese Univesity Makana Municipality Grahamstown city and Summerstone Port-Elizabeth city all in Eastern Cape about 800km south of J'burg.

Most importantly I thank all the union members who converged for they made it a succusses the attendace of DCI Highway Africa and CJA, CJA organizers, funders HIVOS group of SouthAfrica, the Rodese University for its great reception, Makana Municipality for its comeness and coolness and all the good time.

I specially observe the chief host and major organizer the Highway Africa for the purely African welcome and excitement that was exihibited all through our stay, also the Rodese University for its hospitable students who made us be at home away from home due to the extreme care and behaviour exihibited. The entire crew of cheaufers by their patience, the caterers played a great role, and the entertainers and the whole Zambian Delgation by their great dancing that welcomed everybody into twisting.

Union members I just say thank you for that union spiritthat was exihibited for these are issues of pertinent nature the topics, skills if we properly utilize them Africa and our respective regions will have a great future. And we can still devise ways of involving our opinion leaders and our communities to urderstand our pertinent concerns.

I give specail recognition for the Director Highway Africa who was there to see us off in the rains of wednesday as we left for Port Elizabeth we thank you.

Union President

Mwangu Moses May God Bless us and uphold us in Jesus mighty name Amen

Choosing Political Leaders

Daniel — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:46:51 +0200

The majority of Zambians, including Christians living in low income urban communities, believe it is not possible for them to actually influence or even redirect their government’s policies. Many believe that, like their vote, their voices don’t really count. One reason why corruption is so rife during election campaigns is because people know that their voice will not count after the election; therefore, they might just as well sell their vote to the highest bidder for instant gratification.

Hence, winning elections in Zambia has very little to do with issues that one articulates but has everything to do with how much money and goods one offers to voters during the election campaign. For example, the Fifth National Plan (FNDP) is the vehicle that Zambia is using to progress toward a middle-income nation. The government should be telling us how it is implementing the FNDP to move the majority of our people out of extreme poverty and how it is reducing child mortality. The opposition political parties should be articulating how they will use the FNDP to transform our nation into an HIV and AIDS free nation, how it will eradicate malaria, how it will work to provide a free education for all, and how it will provide water and sanitation to the marginalized people. Those contesting the Milanzi and the Mufumbwe bye-election should be highlighting their strategy for ensuring environmental sustainability and for creating jobs for our college and university students.

What Zambia needs is a new generation of leaders with a proven track record of genuine help towards the people. We are not doing enough to identify people with a record of standing up for social justice! There are many people serving the local communities who possess a heart of compassion and a voice of justice. We have men and women who possess a discontent about the high level of poverty and HIV and AIDS and are faithfully addressing these issues. Zambians, especially those in rural and urban poor communities, need help identifying such people whose mission is to restore the value base in communities where fifteen year old boys are fathering children with fifteen year old girls. Zambians need help identifying men and women who will pass legislation in Parliament which seeks to free poor people from economic dependency on government programs. We need a Parliament whose mission is to pass legislation that will empower communities by their own efforts to free themselves from malaria infection and other preventable diseases and ensure that they have a role in improving the quality of education offered within their community. Zambians are tired of politicians who are only interested in helping themselves to the gratuities at the end of their term.

We know of no other institution than the church that can do the work of equipping churches and communities to identify the workers who understand the community’s problems and how they can respond. Acts Chapter 6 gives us a powerful principle in how to deal with a community problem. When the problem of vulnerable families started increasing in the community, the church leaders made a proposal that the people look for spiritual and mature men. Through this proposal the needs of vulnerable families were met. The Bible says, “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests become obedient in faith” (6:7) WOW! Church it can be done. Are you equipping leaders for community transformation? The result is church growth.

Need for New National Vision and Leaders

Daniel — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:36:21 +0200

Poverty, HIV and AIDS, education, tribalism, orphans and vulnerable children, corruption, roads, and water and sanitation are among the overwhelming problems of Zambia. A number of these problems are now at crisis stage, and they need leaders of heroic stature. But who has the wisdom, the passion, the integrity, and the compassion to provide the leadership required to successfully combat these socio-economic challenges?

There is a great need to rekindle the national hope that the Kaunda leadership team briefly provided from the inception of Zambia in 1964 until the early 70s’. We need a leader with an understanding of why we fought for independence and one who is able to recall the hopeful days after independence to our minds; not as a thing of the past but as the future within reach. We need a leader with the personal integrity, pleasant sincerity and splendid communication skills necessary to convince our people that Zambia can return to the original vision of a country built on respect, peace, and unity. Which leader is able to unify Zambians though? Christians should know that it will not come from those who make the headlines in our newspapers and television; those who attack each other on the basis of their health; those who are opportunists who have replaced morality and courage with personal gain; or those who fuel up violence against fellow Zambians. What Zambia is crying out for is leaders in all sectors (church, volunteer, business, etc.) who have integrity and compassion for all people, especially those on the fringes. Zambians are tired of leaders who do things as usual. They are seeking for men and women with new and radical solutions.

How can we identify effective leaders though? We must understand that leadership is earned through the hard work of serving those in our community. It is not won by one political combatant outdoing the other through vote-buying and violence. Leaders are not elected, but they are made as they learn to serve. We are taught in the Bible that true greatness comes in serving others (Mark 10:42-45). Until Zambians learn to identify leaders who lead out of eagerness to serve, not out of an obligation or what they can get out of it, we will always have leaders who will spend more time out talking about each other than serving the real needs of the people.

However, the tragic part is that average Christians will be hard pressed to find local churches sponsoring any services to the community at large, except for perhaps a few HIV and AIDS or vulnerable children programs. An average Christian rarely hears a call from the church to address issues that are important to their community-education, children’s and women's rights and protection, water and sanitation, political violence, crime prevention and unemployment. An average Christian is more likely to hear a message about a church building project and how his or her financial contribution will make the person get more out of God for his own personal blessings and well-being. The attention is on the gospel of self. An average Christian is rarely challenged to volunteer his services for the benefit of others. Churches that envision their members to care for people affected by HIV and AIDS or to support orphans or engage the poor in income generating activities are also discovering that these initiatives enhance evangelism and church growth and make their volunteers more visible in the community. Is your church producing volunteers who are serving communities? If you are, then you are developing leaders with a new vision for our nation. And your church will grow.

‘Empower women’

mwiinga — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:36:05 +0200

By Lucy Ngandwe
KITWE City Council has said more strides should be made by stake-holders to ensure global attainment of equal rights, equal opportunities and progress for all.
The organising Chairperson, for this year’s Women’s Day, Ms Grace Sampa Mikunga said in a speech that more resources should be pushed in supporting gender equality and women's empowerment.
This years’ Womens Day took place on March 8. Nine women clad in Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation (MEF) T-shirts and chitenge wrapers represented the institution during a procession held on that day.
The special assistant to the director, Ms Vivienne Muluwa, has said International Women's day is declared for women to gather and celebrate so that government can provide a platform for them to express their concerns.

Tribal Victimisation

Daniel — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:15:05 +0200

Before 1964, black Zambians went to different schools and lived in different communities from the whites because of their colour. In those times, black Zambians were born into a different world than today. Black Zambians experienced officially sanctioned forms of segregation and discrimination. Black Zambians did not have access to the mainstream of Zambian society. After Zambia’s independence in 1964, one would think that discrimination of this nature would have disappeared.

However, in 2010 this is not the case. Today, the issue is not the colour of one’s skin, but today the challenge is the tribe to which one belongs. With the demise of segregation and discrimination, Zambians expected that they would be in better position in every way-economically, mentally, legally - united and working for common good. Instead, the overall situation has continued to deteriorate as certain tribes are complaining that they are being shut out from the mainstream of success. Instead of consolidating our unity as a people, our leaders are the ones who are championing tribalism. Presidents of political parties, chiefs and government ministers are all saying that their tribes are tired of being victims - used, neglected, unprotected and vulnerable. If this is the language of our leaders, can you imagine what this is doing to the poor, the unemployed, the university students and the boys and girls in high schools?

Zambia, at this stage of development, cannot afford to raise our children in an environment where they think their tribe is a victim. God forbid! What Zambia needs today are leaders - chiefs, presidents and government leaders who will stand up and speak. We need leaders who have courage to believe that as a people we can overcome tribalism and move forward. We need to hear more from leaders who will state: no matter your tribe, your gender, your status, or your religion we are all allies in changing our future for the better.

Last Sunday in Ndola, we saw a glimpse of this alliance when churches of different denominations marched together to remember Palm Sunday. But this demonstration of unity as the body of Christ is meaningless when it is not translated into our everyday life. The church must take the lead in bringing the change necessary to turn around our communities, our families and our lives. The Christians have the power to set this country right. To do this, the church leaders must begin by preaching the inspiring story of our Lord Jesus Christ and how he fought evil with good and succeeded.

The leaders must help their members see how Christ overcame hatred and mistreatment. The leaders must continue challenging their members to the call of being the body of Christ that takes seriously the role of being my brother’s keeper. What can be a better day to share this message than at Easter? Faith in Christ transcends tribal differences and makes us all believers one in Christ. Is your church ready to demonstrate this concept to our chiefs, government ministers and political leaders? May we help our nation to remove tribal distinctions that Christ removed on the cross.

Two Systems of Justice

Daniel — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:26:09 +0200

Last week one newspaper ran a headline stating that a driver, who is married and with four children, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for insulting the President, Mr. Rupiah Banda. In another newspaper on the same day, a leading politician was quoted insulting the president and hence infringing upon the same law.

Today, we have yet to know whether this politician will be prosecuted or not. We are not in any way advocating that the politician be prosecuted; however, our concern is that when the poor or the illiterate violate the law, punishment is swift and brutal. One would expect it to be the other way around. Because the elite are supposed to know the law, their punishment should be the stiffer one.

This situation demonstrates that in Zambia we have two systems of justice. Why are the poor hampered while the rich and powerful are allowed to do as they please? While this is an important question, we must question further why we have a law that protects only the president from being insulted and not me or my son or somebody’s daughter?

Teachers insult our children in the morning, at noon and in the evening. Some children have come to believe lies about themselves because of insults from their teachers who tell them that they are too useless or are too fat for anything good. Women are abused with insults by their husbands who call them all sorts of names. Similarly, men are daily insulted by their wives for being loafers and lazy and for failing to provide for their families (Kwati pali baume). How about a law that protects all of us from being insulted?

Our other concern is that this law allows the head of state to be above the law. The late president Mwanawasa called a certain group of people ‘stinking.’ Kaunda the first president often insulted Zambians as being ‘stupid’ and as ‘idiots.’ Both got away with it because the law protected them from being prosecuted for insulting citizens. We should never make laws that suggest that the head of state is a god.

Questioning the just nature of the law is an important Christian discipline, but we Christians must realize that we are also called to live by another law. We are told to bless those who persecute us. Can you imagine what Africa would be if we had leaders who lived by this principle? Instead of demanding their rights they would give them up freely.

When was the last time you were insulted? Did you demand justice? When was the last time you gave mercy to those who hate you? This day as you reflect on the man who is in prison for insulting our president imagine he insulted you. Would you have dragged him to court or would you have blessed him for persecuting you? Would you demand your rights or would you freely give them up to show that you truly love Christ?

Only those who give themselves fully to God are able to freely give up their rights, because only He can deliver us from natural selfishness. When operating within an unjust system, may we allow the Holy Spirit to help us show love towards those whom we may not feel love.

Zambia's New Constitution Forbids Same Sex Marriages

nthateng — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:21:28 +0200

ZAMBIA: While Zambia undergoes a Constitution Review Process, the gay community in that country has been dealt a severe blow by the National Constitutional Conference's (NCC) decision to adopt a clause that prohibits marriage between people of the same sex.

Prior to the adoption of the clause, article 47(3) of the proposed constitution provided for marriage between two people of the opposite sex who are above the age of 18 years; however on 18 February 2010 clause 5 was added to article 47 to enforce that, 'marriage between persons of the same sex is prohibited'.

The move has been met with outrage and has caused 'fear and uncertainty in the Zambian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community'.

Friends of Rainka, an LGBTI organisation in Zambia, has condemned the move by the NCC, saying it's a direct attack against an already vulnerable community, which may overshadow any successes that the community has made to date.

In light of these developments, Zambia continues to regress even further into an abyss of ignorance, intolerance and fear. The challenge for the LGBTI community remains civil society's option to remain silent while such evils are being perpetrated,' Friends of Rainka stated.

The NCC's decision has come in the wake of the current persecution of the LGBTI community on the African continent where in Uganda, the Anti Homosexuality Bill before parliament could see the execution of homosexuals if passed. and the arrest of a gay couple in Malawi after their marriage as well as the recent anti-gay attacks in Kenya.

According to the Post Online (Zambian newspaper), Foreign Affairs minister Kabinga Pande supported the clause, saying events around the world should be a wake-up call for Zambia to be clear on such issues.

I think let's adopt this clause in view of what's happening in the world. We have people in some other countries that think that same sex marriage is a right. If we are not clear on this one, the same situation could come down to this country some day. It's a very progressive clause that I urge all to support,' Pande told the Post Online.

Friends of Rainka also highlighted that it is not the first time that Zambian policy makers have taken such a hard and homophobic stance against the LGBTI community since Zambia's former president, Frederick Chiluba once said 'homosexuality is the deepest level of depravity, which is unbiblical and abnormal'.

The NCC was established under an Act of Parliament, No. 19 of 2007 which gives it (NCC) legal powers to debate recommend and adopt recommendations from the Mung'omba Draft Constitution and Report.

The NCC is currently in the process of 'recommending a timeless constitution, that abhors diversity, that is faith based, a constitution that hypocritical leaders can be comfortable with, that will divide the nation and put human beings in little boxes, based on petty emotions, small mindedness and ignorance', Friends of Rainka concluded.

Article by: Simangele Mzizi (Behind The Mask Intern)

MEF extends media course duration

mwiinga — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:33:36 +0200

The Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation (MEF) has changed its duration of Media and Communications (Journalism) diploma course from nine months to two years. This is in a bid to meet Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TEVETA) regulations.

Speaking during a welcome address to first-years on Friday 22 January, the head of programmes, Mr Michael Mwanachoongo, revealed that a longer duration had more advantages for students as compared to a nine-month programme. “The industry is now demanding for journalists with a diploma of at least two years' training. So we must meet the needs of the industry,” he said.

Media lecturer, Ms Mwiinga Shimilimo, said two years of training will give students more study time and hours to do practical assignments in courses like photo journalism. She said students will have longer attachment periods of three months, unlike the previous six-week-long field work.

The media and communications (Journalism) programme has been running for nine months over the past seven years as a department under MEF. This programme started in 1959 under the Africa literature centre as a nine month course for training young Africans to speak and write without fear of colonialists. The programme was aimed at training Africans who would take over offices from colonial masters once African countries had gained independence.

By Florence Sichula

MEF took over the running of Africa literature centre in 2003.

Mef clinic to get drug boost

mwiinga — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:28:35 +0200

Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation (MEF) director, Rev Reuben Daka, has revealed that the clinic will this year experience fewer drug shortages, compared to last year. Rev Daka said this on Friday 22nd January, during a two-hour orientation talk with first year students.

“Last year we experienced a lot of medicine shortages at the clinic because we had miscalculated the required number of drugs against the student populace. When we enrolled the first Zambian-based students last year, we overlooked the need to accurately calculate how much medical fees they could have paid,” he said.

Rev Daka affirmed that this year the MEF clinic would experience fewer drug shortages because it had signed an agreement with the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ) to assist the clinic with medical supplies.

Meanwhile, project assistant officer, Mr Jonathan Mwape, has revealed that CHAZ wants to build the capacity of the MEF clinic by opening up a Voluntary Counselling and Testing centre (VCT), putting up computers, stocking test kits and training peer educators to inform the community about HIV/AIDS. He said it would be easy for people within MEF and surrounding areas to access VCT services, anti-retroviral therapy and treatment for sexual transmitted infections.

Mr Mwape added that MEF, under the Global Aids Fund, had successfully implemented behavioural change communication to 12,800 people in various project sites. “MEF has successfully managed to reach target populations as prescribed to us by CHAZ and Global Aids Fund round one and two,” he said.

CHAZ is an organisation which funds faith-based organisations. MEF has been in partnership with CHAZ for eight years now.

By Agness Lubinda Mulonga and staff members

Mary Sikaneta pre-school receives interns

mwiinga — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:02:17 +0200

Mary Sikaneta pre-school has received four student teachers from Oslo University in Norway. The students, who are studying early-childhood training, are on a three month internship. Their names are Hane, Vebeke, Turio and Camilla.

''We are excited to learn teaching methods, social behaviour and Zambian culture. It is a good experience for both us and the children,'' said Hane. The interns are to visit community schools within Kitwe to share their knowledge on children's activities and teaching methods.

Pre-school supervisor, Mr Thomas Masaba said the nursery had been affiliated with Oslo University for five years now. Every year, interns from the University come to Zambia to do their teaching practice as part of the affiliation agreement.

“The affiliation agreement allows students to have great Zambian experiences. The programme would be of great benefit to Zambian teachers at the pre-school if they could go to Norway as well. This way, ideas and experiences will be shared in a balanced manner,” Mr Masaba said.

By Kundananji Sichinga

The K5 Billion Question

Daniel — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:33:40 +0200

It is very frustrating to be in Zambia and remain a Zambian at a time such as this when corruption seems to be here to stay.” Heritage Party leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda made this statement as he urged President Rupiah Banda and his cabinet to reject Vice-President George Kunda’s recommendation to pay about K5 billion to ministers and other Lusaka-based parliamentarians attending the National Constitution Conference (NCC).

His argument is that the issue is a scandal in the making. General Miyanda is agitated and frustrated that Zambian leaders, especially the trade unions, are not saying anything on the K5 billion that has been earmarked to pay government ministers and members of Parliament. Why should we pay them double as they are already drawing a salary for the same work? Is this what the Christian singer meant when he sang about the Lord who blesses ‘double, double’?

The frustration being experienced by General Miyanda is understandable when you consider the levels at which we tolerate abuse of resources as a people. The Auditor General's report has stated that most of the K20 billion that was released for the medical and funeral expenses of president Mwanawasa was irregularly spent and unaccounted for by the people responsible. But who cares? We tolerate court cases on corruption that take 10 years to dispose off. Don’t we know it is corrupt to have a court case that takes ten years? How many of us know that as cabinet is sitting to debate whether to pay the K5 billion or not, we have thousands of vulnerable and poor children who will not go to school this year because they cannot afford the minimum of K500,000 being demanded by government schools for a child to be enrolled?

This frustration ought to change our attitudes and fuel our hearts to do something in order to put things right. For us Christians, our immediate response should be prayer. We must seek the face of God and hear his heartbeat for the situation and ask Him how we can join him. Second, we must join him knowing that it is God sending us and that whatever we do is about his glory. Third, we must go knowing that God has revealed the problem to us because he has no other option but us. This frustration must not only be understood and acknowledged by us who call on the name of the Lord. Christians must diligently engage the secular world in a way that calls everyone into the fight against injustice.

Throughout the Bible, we see God raising men and women to royal positions where they could put things into right order. Esther, Nehemiah, Moses and Nathan are powerful examples of men and women who stood in the gap at a great cost to their own lives, to correct injustices in their time. Today in Zambia we have several men and women of God in royal positions. Could it be that God is calling them to correct injustices where children are denied education because they can’t afford K500,000? Could it be that God is calling them to speak out and stop this payment of K5 billion double blessing? This is a great test to Christian men and women who serve in royal positions. Will they like Esther echo these words: “I will go to the king… if I perish, I perish”?

Meanwhile, I am fasting that this K5 billion will be directed to pay for the education of vulnerable and poor children. How are you praying?

Provide condoms to inmates, says top Zambian prison officer

Mumba — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:02:55 +0200

The director of the newly-established prison medical directorate in Zambia, Deputy Prison Commissioner, Dr Chisela Chileshe, has urged the prison command in Zambia to start providing condoms to inmates in Zambian prisons to avert the escalating prevalence of HIV infections.

Speaking during a consultative workshop held between senior prison officers and human rights advocates from the Human Rights Watch at the prison headquarters in Kabwe last weekend, Dr Chileshe disclosed that the HIV prevalence rate amongst inmates in Zambian prisons is almost twice that of the outside community.

He said that HIV prevalence rates for the vulnerable and marginalised prison inmates now accounts for 27 percent as compared to 14 percent for the outside community. He attributed the rising prevalence of HIV infections to sodomy that he said had become very prevalent in most correctional facilities in the country.

"I really shed tears when am attending to sickly prison inmates, most of whom are in the advanced stage of their HIV infection with very low CD4 counts, yet they have been unable to access antiretroviral treatment despite opportunistic infections seriously manifesting themselves," explained Dr Chileshe.

He said that most of the juvenile delinquents who are awaiting trial were sharing the same cell with adult convicts, a situation that exposed them to high risks of exposure to sodomy.

The consultative meeting was chaired by the prisons commissioner for the Zambia Prisons Service, Gibby Nawa, and the entire top hierarchy of the prisons command in Zambia.

Human rights advocates from the US-based Human Rights Watch are in the country on a three-week research trip, to investigate the welfare and human rights issues facing prison inmates in the country. The research team includes a human rights advocate from the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA),who also are the sponsors of the research.

The team also includes representatives from the Prisons Care and Counselling Association (PRISCCA), a prisons based civil society organisation working to improve the well-being of inmates in Zambia and the author, who is a human rights activist under ARASA. Among the six prisons to be visited is Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison, that holds 320 inmates on death row and 471 serving life imprisonment.