Archive for December, 2009

GOOD EVENING, FELLOW ZAMBIANS. TONIGHT WE BID FAREWELL TO THE YEAR 2009 AND WELCOME THE YEAR 2010. LET ME INVITE YOU ALL TO JOIN ME IN THANKING OUR GOD ALMIGHTY FOR HIS GUIDANCE AND FOR THE ACHIEVEMENTS WE HAVE SCORED AS A NATION. AS A PEOPLE, WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH QUITE A LOT -- MOMENTS OF JOY, OF SADNESS, AND OF REAL ACHIEVEMENT -- ... Full story

The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has announced the inclusion of the bid submitted by Altimo for a majority equity stake in Zambia Telecommunications Limited (Zamtel). ZDA Acting Director General Muhabi Lungu explained that the bid by Altimo of Russia was received five minutes after submission deadline of 15:00 hours Zambian which he said could not be opened because ... Full story

219,581 grade seven (7)pupils who sat for examinations in 2009 have been selected to grade eight (8). Education Minister Dora Siliya announced that from the total number of 307,191 candidates that sat for examinations in 2009, 111,407 boys and 108,174 girls were selected to grade eight with a progression rate of 71.48% compared to 65.44% in 2008. Ms. Siliya observed that out of 340, 509 who entered ... Full story

Vice president George Kunda has called on all media bodies in the country to dialogue with government. Mr. Kunda said the planned demonstration by the media bodies over government’s draft bill is not a solution. He said it was important for the media bodies to concentrate on producing their self regulatory mechanism. The Vice President wondered why the media bodies were planning to demonstrate over the bill ... Full story

The Vice-President of India is expected to visit Zambia in the first week of January 2010, the Watchdog has been informed. Hamid Ansariis is expected to start off from India on January 5 and will visit two other countries in southern Africa namely Botswana and Malawi. According to information received the Indian vice president's ... Full story

Zambia's inflation slowed in the year to December, falling into single digits for the first time in 21 months, data from the Central Statistical Office showed on Thursday. The CSO said inflation braked to 9.9 percent year-on-year in December from 11.5 percent in November, the first time it has been below 10 percent since March 2008. "The decline of 1.6 percentage points in annual inflation rate in ... Full story

By John Nyawali Looking at the illicit drug trends in the year 2009, one thing came out clear. The quantities of illicit drugs earmarked for trafficking continued to increase as well as the number of people getting arrested in connection with trafficking in the psychotropic and narcotic drugs. The high incidences in trafficking and cultivation were ... Full story

Government says it will soon resume the electrification exercise of chiefs’ palaces in Lufwanyama district in the Copperbelt province. The electrification exercise is under the Rural Electrification programme. Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lufwanyama, Deputy Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry Lwipa Puma urged the chiefs not to despair over the stalled electrification exercise. Dr. Puma said government was currently working on modalities to resume the ... Full story

The Islamic Council of Zambia has encouraged the Muslim community and other religious leaders to work with the government of the day in promoting peace and unity in the country. ZANIS Ndola reports that the Islamic Council of Zambia Deputy Mufti (Chief Priest) Sheikh Isaa Bonomali said this during a one-day Leaders’ workshop aimed at seeking a new beginning among Muslims in Zambia. The workshop was ... Full story