Zambia Fights Corruption

By Derrick Silimina

Corruption and embezzlement in Zambia have for long plagued the country. However, the new government of President Hakainde Hichilema assures that it strives to fight corruption and it has taken first measures.

In Zambia, political and economic governance declined between 2019 and 2021 according to research data. Additionally, the people’s dissatisfaction with the status quo increased as the currency lost roughly 50 % of its value against the US dollar, which resulted in increasing prices for goods and services.

Zambia’s business domain has continued to be hindered by corruption due to a weak institutional framework. This includes flaws in company registration, tax evasion, flaws in the procurement of goods and services and unfair tender processes. 

After taking power in 2021, Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia’s seventh head of state, launched a battle against corruption, in the hope that countering the vice would help redirect huge sums of public funds towards economic development.

“We will have zero tolerance to corruption. The fight against corruption will be done from a professional angle, a legal angle to recover the assets as much as possible so that we can apply those assets’ revenues to benefit owners (people of Zambia) in education, health and investment for women and youths,” said President Hichilema.

Through its law-enforcement agencies, the new government has conducted several operations to reprimand corrupt individuals and government officials. 

The Zambia police swung into action in Lusaka’s new Kasama suburb, where they discovered trunks of cash amounting to 5.3 million kwacha (around $ 3.7 million). 

In addition, they also unearthed a safe containing $ 57,900. Both sums of money were suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained by Faith Musonda, a well-known former national radio journalist. The state also took possession of the house, where the sum of cash was discovered.

Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Commission is also investigating a total of 87 cases of suspected corruption, of which 55 are of public interest and involve politically exposed individuals from the former ruling party, the Patriotic Front (PF).

However, senior PF bigwigs claim that the new government has turned its war on corruption into a witch-hunt of its political opponents. 

“It’s us they want to fix and not the economy,” lamented former PF Secretary General Davies Mwila.

The government is not deterred by cries from its opponents, and the president in a recent address to the National Assembly reiterated his government’s commitment to further the fight against corruption.

“We have waged war against corruption and will fight it from the past, present and the future so that resources benefit all citizens. We will improve the benefit of being honest, rather than being dishonest and more funding will be allocated to the law enforcement agencies to deal with corruption,” Hichilema said.

He also touted the creation of a Fast-truck Stolen Assets Recovery System to fully deal with corruptly acquired assets. In this regard, Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane recently handed over forfeited funds by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to the treasury in Lusaka.

“The funds will benefit an additional 2,232 university students across the nation who were left out on government bursaries in December 2021 due to budget constraints,” said Musokotwane.

The rise of a Solwezi film-maker

 

By Derrick Silimina

Youthful Shadreck Mfwana, an upcoming film maker from Solwezi’s Kazomba area, started pursuing film-making as far back as 2007 after completing his Grade 12, though without generating any income then.

“I Would hire a camera to learn how to go about film-making, and I also did videos and still photos to raise some income,” Mfwana, now 30, narrates. 

In 2016, Mfwana attempted to make a film, courtesy of a certain studio, after having borrowed some money to invest in the venture. The attempt flopped. However, in January 2018, after learning how to manage his talent, Mfwana enrolled for the business development training programme powered by Kansanshi Mine Limited through Fortune World Investment limited (FWIL) and completed the 12 topic module the same year. 

Prior to attending the training, Mfwana had little knowledge of marketing and advertising. After the training, he began to advertise his business through Facebook and grew his customer base.

“I have now registered my business and opened a bank account, as the workshops enlightened me a lot on how to runmy film-making enterprise,” he notes. 

Mfwana bubbles with confidence that he now has the capacity to offer various services including; Film-making, script writing, directing for clients, editing for clients, photography and cinematography (camera directing, placement, lighting). 

Some of his works so far include screenwriting, translation and time coding for his client, a prominent actor on Zambezi Magic, a channel on DSTV. He recalls that one of the productions on Zambezi Magic, in all worth about K270,000, earned him K5000 per series, giving him a total of K65,000 for 13 episodes. 

Mfwana has described the film industry as “very lucrative,” but requires capital investment approximately K30,000 to cater for production costs to pay crew members, logistics, food and clothes for actors among others. 

He currently has three pending projects; a feature film of 1 hour 30 minutes in length which has the capacity to earn him K150,000 and a two-part series with 13 episodes each, which could earn him about K400,000. 

Other pending outcomes include a 50-per cent profit in some film projects and some TV stations pay commission to air every episode. 

“My gratitude goes to the Kansanshi Mining Plc management team for the training and I encourage them to continue to raise more self-employed persons like myself,” Mfwana says.

Spreading Truth and Faith Through The Media

 

Sr. Beatrice Mwansa of the Daughters of the Redeemer in Lusaka, Zambia

By Derrick Silimina

While Zambia transitioned into pluralism and liberalization of the media in the 1990s, Catholic sisters were already at the center of their ministries for a better world.

As the nuns continue to embody the mercy of God through their vocations, Sr. Beatrice Mwansa of the Daughters of the Redeemer believes society cannot underestimate the role of the media in evangelism because it can quickly spread God's message to the world.

“We cannot underestimate the role of the media in evangelization because the media have the power to spread God's message to the whole world in a flash of a minute,” said Mwansa, a renowned media tutor at both private and public media training institutions in Lusaka, Zambia's capital. “This gives me joy to be part of this apostolate of spreading God's message through radio or television and even informing those who are in the media industry.”

Mwansa was attracted to the Daughters of the Redeemer in part because of its motto, "To radiate Christ's goodness to the people," and made her first vows in 1995. The next year, she started her studies in mass communication at the University of Zambia, where she earned a bachelor's degree in mass communication and a master's degree in communication for development in 2002 and 2008, respectively.

After graduating with her bachelor's degree in 2002, Mwansa worked at Radio Icengelo, a Catholic community radio station, for three years. As a head of programming, she supervised the news and production departments; oversaw radio announcers, producers and news reporters; and managed all operational budgets.

"Radio broadcasting exposed me to meeting different people from various works of life," she said. "It widened my horizon of understanding different community issues affecting people and moving toward being action-oriented."

After she earned her master's degree, she embarked on her lecturing career. Since 2009, she has been teaching at various public, private and religious institutions, such as the Zambia Institute of Mass Communications, Cavendish University, Mulungushi University and Zambia Catholic University.

GSR: Tell us, what drew you to media and journalism?

Mwansa: What drew me to journalism was the desire or urge to evangelize like our Lord Jesus Christ did as he went about proclaiming the kingdom of God from town to town. That inspired me to take up this apostolate.

While at the radio station, I produced religious programs and programs on social issues. I always felt joy to share some reflections from the word of God and to give hope to people experiencing different problems.

I was also happy to do research on social issues such as alcohol abuse, housing, unemployment, juvenile delinquency, etc.

What are the topics that you usually lecture on?

Since I started lecturing, I have taught news reporting, investigative reporting, media and society, sociology, media and social context, media law and ethics, foundations of public relations and customer relations. These courses have widened my understanding in reporting skills, in-depth investigative reporting, how the media interacts with society, how the media operates with the law, and how journalists uphold ethical standards in their profession.

I have also acquired skills in module writing for the students studying via distance learning. Teaching different courses has also taught me to be up to date with current issues.

How do you see your role as a media expert relating to your religious vows and life?

My role as a media expert vis-à-vis my religious vows and life blends very well because it gives me satisfaction to share the word of God with a lot of people via radio or television. It gives me joy to teach upcoming journalists to be principled and uphold ethical standards. As you may be aware, most of these ethics stem from Judeo-Christian ethics and Christian values. My role is to encourage truth-telling, objectivity, impartiality, integrity, etc.

I have learned to be mainstream in my lessons. I emphasize peace journalism because I believe the media has the power to build and to destroy. It is a faithful and obedient servant but can also be a dangerous master. The media can act as glue to cement society, but at times, it can act as dynamite and can blow issues and society into pieces. My role is to be a defender of justice and peace, democracy, responsibility and prudence.

Sr. Beatrice Mwansa of the Daughters of the Redeemer teaches a journalism class at the Zambia Institute of Mass Communications in Lusaka. 

Recently, I had the privilege of serving as a media regulator at the independent broadcasting authority and also as a communication commissioner for Zambia's conference of Catholic bishops, and I have realized that there is a need to encourage media houses to adhere to media ethics.

Have you taken an active role in educating and communicating with the public about safety and health protocols during the coronavirus pandemic? Or the need for vaccines and their safety?

During the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in March 2020, I realized that the many conspiracies and false information that were circulating were filling everyone with so much fear. I appreciated the need to correct this and spread true information about the pandemic.

So, I decided to give feedback to the reporters at the Ministry of Health who were giving briefings to the minister of health before addressing the nation on the status of the pandemic. I would share with them whatever I heard or observed on the ground; for instance, if COVID guidelines were not followed in the minibuses, and the many fears and myths that the people had.

When teaching the students, I shared ideas on how to go about giving important information and how to write a COVID-19 campaign and use the media to support the fight against the pandemic.

When the vaccines came, there was a need to encourage the radio and television stations to send messages that would help people to improve their lifestyle, such as exercising and eating healthy, to fight COVID-19.

As a regulator, I participated in monitoring radio and television programs across the country vis-à-vis COVID-19 messages. The authority also lobbied partners and the government to pay the community radio stations who were airing these programs.

What are your spiritual messages about hope?

When COVID-19 hit our country, it reminded me that we are fragile and not exempt from diseases and death, as well. After the government quickly closed churches, schools and workplaces and encouraged people to work from home, then reality dawned and woke us up to face the pandemic head-on. This experience, I remember, triggered fear, anxiety, stress and even pain as we began losing many people we knew and loved.

The statistics we heard were now translated into names of people we knew. The crisis had come, and we needed to face it. There was no turning back or running away. It was difficult, but we needed to be honest, be real and accept it.

Sr. Beatrice Mwansa of the Daughters of the Redeemer in her office at the Zambia Institute of Mass Communications in Lusaka

For us Christians, this was the time to spread the message of hope and give meaning to people so that they could have the courage to face the crisis. It was the word of God that sustained us each day.

It is said that the phrase "Do not be afraid" is echoed 365 times in the Bible. To hear God telling those who were affected directly or indirectly "Do not be afraid" really uplifts our spirits and gives us reason to live in joy again.

What lessons are to be learned about communication from the experience of the pandemic?

There are many lessons to be learned from the experience of the pandemic. Truth is sacred; hence, the need to counter false information is key. As media practitioners, there is a need to educate the people on conspiracy theories and bring out the truth from well-researched documentation.

The other lesson is to be professional when dealing with the COVID crisis. There is a need to balance up stories and debates. There is also a need to develop critical thinking and deal with the issue holistically rather than deal with emotions.

What do you think are the most important traits for journalists to have?

There are many attributes for journalists, but the most important traits are truth-telling. Every report should be fully complete. Every journalist must ensure accurate information is disseminated. Accuracy is more important than speed.

A sound journalist must avoid misinforming people and provide space for the right to reply where allegations are being made. Whatever they write must be free from sensationalism.

Every piece of information must be double-checked from sources, avoiding single sourcing and ensuring fairness and balance. Every journalist must treat all with respect, not as a means to your journalistic end.

Exploring New Ways of Doing Business

 

By Mbuyoti Silimina

The African continent has the world’s highest rate of entrepreneurship, according to the African Development Bank. 

In this context, innovative, homegrown ventures are cutting across various sectors including education, commerce, FinTech, healthcare, agriculture, among others in a bid to offer a range of services to entrepreneurs, including workspaces, mentoring, technical tools, infrastructure, training, networking and access to funding.  

According to the GSMA, an international trade organization of mobile-phone operators, the number of tech hubs in Africa doubled to 618 in the years 2016 to 2019. In Senegal, the CTIC incubator, founded in 2011, has supported more than 170 startups, while in Ghana the Meltwater School of Technology (MEST) was created in 2008 and is considered to be one of the most dynamic tech incubators in West Africa.

In Zambia, where the new government was elected on promises to rebuild the struggling debt-laden economy by leveraging business-friendly reforms, entrepreneurs are seeking a new business haven, and are determined to create one for themselves with willing partners.

For this reason, Zambia’s renowned tech hub – BongoHive aspires to develop such innovative solutions via business incubation that provides training, internet access and office space to startups.

“BongoHive started on the premise that when we are able to provide a number of things, we can support the start and growth of enterprises. In the physical space, we know that having a high-speed internet connection that allows people to work, effectively leveraging internet technologies is key and also creates a real community of like-minded people that want to work together, collaborate, learn and teach one another, breeds new ideas and the growth of businesses,” BongoHive co-founder and Executive Director Lukonga Lindunda told Nkwazi.

“BongoHive started on the premise that when we are able to provide a number of things, we can support the start and growth of enterprises.”

There is no doubt that African innovation hubs have encouraged the growth of startups and tech innovation in countries like South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, among others.

Lindunda observed that the high level of interactions that takes place at BongoHive among investors, mentors, business partners and startups are a major component of an innovation hub and the maturity of the ecosystem.

BongoHive has worked with over 8,500 beneficiaries to drive startups in Zambia and helped give them an opportunity to realize their dreams.

A tech hub’s impact is partly determined by how many jobs it can generate, directly or indirectly. Their success is determined by factors including an economy’s maturity, public policies, the availability of skilled personnel and the general business climate.

Asked how BongoHive is faring in terms of its projects in various economic sectors in view of an increase in innovation hubs across the African continent, Lindunda said, “What we have noted over the years is that we have been seeing substantial projects focused on technology and its application in various industries and so you will see us work more in FinTech, insuretech, eggtech, agritech, among others.”

While the number of innovation hubs in Africa has increased to over 600, they still face numerous challenges, key among these being, lack of funding.

The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has affirmed that innovation hubs are excellent training grounds for a value chain of businesses that will stand poised to benefit from the wider market of around 1.4 billion people within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

“Most African countries are facing a problem of illicit financial flows and high debt burdens. Debt service will require a broadening of the tax base to support growth. Innovation hubs create an opportunity for African countries to widen their tax base through business startups, and formalization of businesses outside the tax net,” CTPD Head of Research Boyd Muleya told Nkwazi.

Africa is certainly getting a lot of recognition as home to a youth-filled, tech-savvy population, as several fast-rising tech hubs are producing brilliant solutions to Africa’s unique problems in order to leverage heavily on these strengths in boosting its economy.

As more than $4.3 billion poured into African startups in 2021 which is 2.5 times the figure in 2020, Zambia will face stiff competition to become Africa’s leading tech-friendly hub as Nigeria, Tunisia, and Senegal have either proposed or passed startup acts designed to support tech innovation and encourage capital to stay within the country.

“We work across the value chain and entrepreneurs that we work with exist across a broad spectrum and there are people who have not thought of a business idea and when they attend some of our workshops or webinars, they are in a better position to decide how to start a business. And as they grow their idea into a startup business, they receive support to enable them to identify opportunities and also to avoid pitfalls that kill many businesses, whether it’s compliance, regulations or pricing,” Lindunda stated.

Casting a wide net

 By Derrick Silimina

It’s not often that a mining company dives into the fishing business. But in the mining region of Zambia’s North-Western Province, Kalumbila Minerals Ltd (KML) has done exactly that. 

The company recently put a large quantity of fish in two dams that it had built to facilitate its mining operations.

In particular the company, a subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals, put 30,000 young fish of the species Tilapia, green bream and yellowfin bream into freshwater dams at Chisola and Musangezhi.

The action is part of KML’s corporate social responsibility programme, aimed at presenting itself as socially and environmentally responsible. It is also a way to defuse any remaining objections that environmentalists, farmers and local residents raised when the dams were first built nine years ago.

“We cast our net wide by putting 30,000 fingerlings (young fish) into the ecosystem,” says KML general manager Sean Egner. “We are not doing this just to meet a compliance obligation. We are affirming our commitment to extract resources responsibly. Our sustainability strategy is part of everything we do.”

In addition to contributing to the environment, KML hopes to boost the region’s fishing industry. Despite Zambia’s many water resources, which include lakes, rivers and streams, the country’s fishing and aquaculture industries face many challenges.

According to a 2020 econometric analysis by agricultural experts Emmanuel Chibanda Musaba and Enedy Namanwe, constraints on fish production in Zambia include: “high feed cost, poor extension services, poor marketing support, inadequate storage facilities, limited capital, poor power supply, predators, high cost of pond construction, high fish prices and inadequate water supply.” The study was published in the International Journal of Research Studies in Agricultural Sciences.

In addition, the sector suffers from a lack of adequate fish seed and feed supplies. As a result of all these issues, Zambia is a net importer of fish, with most of its supply coming from China.

Local officials praise KML’s contributions both to the environment and to replenish fish stocks. “We are really pleased with KML management’s initiative to restock the Chisola and Musangezhi dams with fingerlings,” says Alick Mbewe, a technical officer at North Western Province’s Fisheries Ministry. “We encourage other stakeholders to emulate KML.”

Moreover, restocking of fish should not be a one-time event. Water bodies need to be restocked frequently with a variety of species to meet high consumer demand for fish, according to Mbewe.

Before putting small fish into the two dams, KML took advice from North-Western Province’s fisheries department. The company is also working with a local Community Resource Board to develop good strategies for managing fisheries. The aim is to manage all water ecosystems within the mines’ catchment areas in a sustainable way, Egner says.

Is Mobile Money Complementing or Challenging Traditional banking?

By Mbuyoti Silimina

The dawn of digital payment technologies is opening doors to a whole new generation of clientele in Africa whose very first ‘bank’ account is accessed purely through mobile phones. 

Lauded as a revolutionary tool for expanding access to financial services in low resource environments on the continent, the onset of mobile money technology is helping transform economic sectors in many developing countries.

The story of mobile money in Africa begins in Kenya when Safaricom launched its M-PESA solution for peer-to-peer money transfer in 2007. Before that, due to a low rate of banking, sending money to family, friends or business associates could be a big issue.

In Zambia, countless mobile money account holders say financial transactions have been made much easier, thanks to advancements in FinTech.

“With just my mobile phone, I can transact at a low cost. For me, this is a real deal, unlike in the past where access to an existing bank account was hectic,” George Manda told Nkwazi.

Undoubtedly, just as the internet has changed the way people access information and shop for products online, mobile phones are transforming many industries, ranging from finance and travel to advertising and retail. Users can receive, withdraw, and send money without being connected to the formal banking system.

For Sarafina Mambwe, a mobile money agent at Lusaka’s sprawling Kamwala market, “If you check around, many youths including me are self-employed and depend on this sector for survival and in that way, mobile money services are helping in job creation.”

The Bank of Zambia recently disclosed that mobile money platforms had recorded increased usage last year, with numbers growing to 8.6 million users by December 31 compared to around 4.85 million in 2019.

The central bank further hinted that higher mobile money usage in Zambia has coincided with increased financial inclusion over the two corresponding years where financial inclusion in the country increased by 10.1 percentage points last year.

“Zambia has continued to make significant progress in the digital transformation agenda, especially in the area of digital financial services. For example, the number of active MNO (Mobile Network Operator)-based mobile money users increased by 77 percent from 4,852,040 as of December 31, 2019, to 8,607,461 as of December 31, 2020,” BoZ Deputy Governor for Operations Dr Francis Chipimo stated.

According to a 2020 FinScope survey, financial inclusion in Zambia increased 10.1 percent to 69.4 per cent from 59.3 per cent in 2015. This was mainly attributed to mobile money services. Further afield, it is estimated that in Uganda, 43 percent of people have a mobile money account while in Kenya, it’s 72 percent.

With approximately 100,000 plus agent lines officially registered in Zambia, according to the Mobile Money Business Association of Zambia, the sector is contributing significantly to the national treasury in terms of taxes.

Asked whether mobile money service providers are reducing banks’ clientele base, the Bankers Association of Zambia told Nkwazi that the current is beneficial for both parties.

“We’re not in competition with mobile money platforms. It’s a win-win situation for both parties. For instance, mobile money transactions have increased our reach as some clients can do banking online even through mobile platforms that are interconnected with various banking payment platforms such as e-wallet, e-pay and payment vouchers, among others,” Bankers Association of Zambia Public Relations Officer Mirriam Zimba affirmed.

Lusaka based economist Mambo Haamaundu echoed BAZ’s observation and reiterated the importance of mobile money because Zambia has low levels of financial inclusion and a high number of unbanked people.

“Mobile money services are tapping into the unbanked population and as a result play a complementary role with traditional banks. For instance, cash can now easily be transferred from a bank account to a mobile money account with ease,” Haamaundu stated.

In view of the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most businesses in Zambia have been crippled. MNOs have stepped in to provide the Zambian business sector with digital transaction solutions in light of the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Putting money in the right hands

By Derrick Silimina

Zambia’s government has significantly increased the amount of money it gives directly to local districts to spend on development projects. But corruption and mismanagement continue to plague the funding system, blocking the intended improvements in local services.

Since 1995, Zambia has given funds to electoral districts through its Constituency Development Fund (CDF) programme. The money is intended for local infrastructure and services such as roads, schools, clinics, courts, canals, bridges and community boreholes.

Significantly, local officials – not government ministries – decide how CDF money is spent. The idea is that local officials can best decide what projects are most needed in their communities. Unfortunately, however, the funds have been misused in many electoral districts across the country.

“The CDF has been misused, leading to constituencies lagging in development ,” says a recent editorial titled “Use CDF for intended purposes” in Times of Zambia, a national daily newspaper. “There has been rampant abuse of the funds … across the country. It is high time that the local authorities entrusted to handle these funds channel the resources to the intended projects.”

Despite persistent reports of CDF mismanagement, the government has boosted the amount of money available for distribution. The 2022 national budget increases CDF funding from 1.6 million Kwacha to 25.7 million Kwacha (about €81,000 to € 1.3 million) for each of Zambia’s 156 electoral constituencies.

To address complaints of mismanagement, the government has changed its disbursement system. Instead of handing CDF money to individual members of parliament to distribute in their constituencies, the government now gives the money to councils in each constituency.

The government also asks the councils to write Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) detailing their spending priorities. Significantly, however, most local constituencies still do not have IDPs. In response, the government has issued guidelines to help local authorities write the documents.

The increased funding and the IDP requirement will produce good results, according to Mubika Mubika, a member of parliament from Shangombo District in the Western Province. “This is the first budget that will uplift the lives of the people of Shangombo,” he says. “We will try by all means to ensure that we have enough roads, clinics, classrooms, computers and accommodations for our teachers.”

However, Peter Sinkamba, president of the Green Party of Zambia, remains sceptical, noting that CDF spending has been plagued by corruption. “If nothing is done to ensure accountability and transparency, the increased funding will not yield desirable results,” he says.

Several pieces of existing legislation that involve the use of CDF funds should be amended to increase transparency in how the funds are used, says the Zambia United Local Authorities Workers Union, an association of local officials. Their aim is to make CDF an effective tool for community development.

 

Link

Editorial: “Use CDF for intended purposes,” Times of Zambia, 20 Sept.  2021.

http://www.times.co.zm/?p=111494

Derrick Silimina is a freelance journalist based in Lusaka.

derrick.silimina@gmail.com