Book Review: Iris Mwanza Goes Into ‘The Lions’ Den’ With A Zealous, Timely Debut Novel For Pride

This cover image released by Graydon House Books shows "The lion's Den" by Iris Mwanza. (Graydon House Books via AP)

BY DONNA EDWARDS

Grace Zulu clawed her way out of her village and into college to study law in the Zambian capital Lusaka. Now, at the end of 1990 and with AIDS running rampant, her first big case will test her personally and professionally: She must defend dancer Willbess “Bessy” Mulenga, who is accused of “committing acts against the order of nature.”

Iris Mwanza’s debut novel, “The Lions’ Den,” is as zealous, smart and fresh as its main character.

But, while Grace is a talented and hardworking lawyer, she’s also hot-headed and naive. She can’t see the forest for the trees beyond her own righteousness, and wouldn’t know diplomacy if it smacked her in the face — something that makes the character and the novel verge into frustrating and tiresome.

Fortunately, we have characters like Grace’s wise and eclectic landlady, Ms. Njavwa, who was a freedom fighter in Zambia’s struggle for independence. Ms. Njavwa and Grace’s discussions over dinner are punctuated by interruptions from her aptly named dogs David and Goliath, who eat better than Grace did in her home village growing up.

Food becomes a refrain in the novel, one of the many ways we see disparity in Zambia and between the characters, whether because they’re rural, gay, female, foreign, poor or some other “other.”

Yet the heavy topics come with bits of levity, which are sorely needed, especially when everything seems to be going wrong for Grace. Sometimes she only has herself to blame, but there’s no denying the odds are severely stacked against her in conservative Christian, early-1990s Zambia, when political unrest and government corruption festered after nearly 30 years of increasing authoritarianism under the country’s first President, Kenneth Kaunda. Grace must learn to work with people and navigate the system that has become riddled with bribes and favors if she has any hope of helping Bessy and holding police to account.

Alongside the history and politics embedded throughout the novel, religion also plays a huge role in the story, as the title implies. “The Lions’ Den” opens with the Biblical passage in which Daniel notes that he hasn’t done God nor the king any wrongs.

Grace’s ally and mentor, Father Sebastian, provides one type of religious view of the issues. The Christian colonialism dictating the law and societal opinions of LGBTQ+ people and women provide another. And Grace challenges all of it.

Then, in the final stretch, we finally get into courtroom drama mode; the culmination of Grace’s efforts that could have far-reaching effects beyond Bessy and his family.

On her website, Mwanza — who herself has worked as a lawyer in Zambia — says her goal was “to write a page-turner that doesn’t shy away from big societal issues.” She’s off to a great start. Her writing is well-versed and skilled beyond what you’d expect in a debut. While the pacing didn’t hit quite right for me, the characters and subject matter are compelling enough to push through any snags. Particularly with the novel’s timely release as Pride month comes to a close, “The Lions’ Den” is an important story told with nuance that makes it excellent for book clubs and sparking thoughtful discussion.

AP book reviews: https://apnews.com/hub/book-reviews

Oldest Human-Made Wood Structure Found In Zambia

REUTERS

Along the banks of the Kalambo River in Zambia near Africa’s second-highest waterfall, archaeologists have excavated two logs of the large-fruited bushwillow tree that were notched, shaped and joined nearly half a million years ago.

These artifacts, researchers said on Sept. 20, represent the oldest-known example of humans — in this case a species that preceded our own — building wooden structures, a milestone in technological achievement that indicates that our forerunners displayed more ingenuity than previously thought.

The logs, modified using stone tools, appear to have been part of a framework for a structure, a conclusion that contradicts the notion humans at that time simply roamed the landscape hunting and gathering resources.

“The framework could have supported a walkway or platform raised above the seasonally wet surroundings. A platform could have multiple purposes including storage of firewood, tools, food and as a foundation on which to place a hut,” said archaeologist Larry Barham of the University of Liverpool in England, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature.

“Not only did the working of trees require considerable skill, the right tools and planning, the effort involved suggests that the makers were staying in the location for extended periods whereas we have always had a model of Stone Age people as nomadic,” Barham added.

The rarity of wood preservation at early archaeological sites — it is perishable over time — means scientists have little understanding of how early humans used it.

“While the vast majority of archaeological sites of this age preserve only the stone tools, Kalambo Falls provides us a unique insight into the wooden objects that these tools were being used to create, allowing us a much richer and more complete picture of the lives of these people,” said geographer and study coauthor Geoff Duller of Aberystwyth University in Wales.

“Wood can be shaped into a variety of forms making it an excellent construction material that is strong and durable,” Barham added.

The earliest-known Homo sapiens fossils date from roughly 300,000 years ago in Morocco. The Kalambo Falls logs were determined to be from about 476,000 years ago.

No human remains were found there, but Barham suspects the artifacts were fashioned by a species called Homo heidelbergensis known to have existed from about 700,000 to 200,000 years ago. Homo heidelbergensis possessed a large browridge and a bigger braincase and flatter face than earlier hominins — species on the human evolutionary lineage.

The overlying log at Kalambo Falls is about 1.4 meters long, with tapering ends. About 1.5 meters of the underlying log was excavated.

“The structure involves the intentional shaping of two trees to create a framework of two interlocking supports. A notch was cut into the overlying log and the underlying tree was shaped to fit through the notch. This arrangement prevents the overlying log from moving side to side, giving stability to the structure,” Barham said.

The wood, found in a waterlogged condition, was preserved by a permanent high-water table at the site. Clay sediments surrounding it provided an oxygen-free environment preventing decay.

The earliest-known wooden artifact is a plank fragment from Israel, about 780,000 years old. Wooden tools for foraging and hunting are known to date from about 400,000 years ago. A wedge-shaped wooden tool about as old as the logs was found at Kalambo Falls.

The site, about 400 meters upriver from a spectacular 235-meter high waterfall, was discovered in 1953, but its age remained unclear. The new study used a method called luminescence dating, measuring the amount of energy an object has trapped since it was buried.

“The finds from Kalambo Falls indicate that these hominins, like Homo sapiens, had the capacity to alter their surroundings, creating a built environment,” Barham said. “Use of wood in this way suggests the cognitive ability to these early humans was greater than we have believed based on stone tools alone.”

China’s Global Influence Looms Over Harris Trip To Africa

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, accompanied by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, wave as they depart, at Julius Nyerere Airport, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Friday, March 31, 2023. Harris will visit Zambia on Friday for the final stop of her weeklong trip across Africa. (Emmanuel Herman/Pool Photo via AP)

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN, CARA ANNA AND ANDREW MELDRUM

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (AP) — When Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Zambia on Friday for the final stop of her weeklong trip across Africa, she touched down at an airport that’s doubled in size and features glittering new terminals.

Rather than a symbol of promising local development, it’s a reminder of China’s deep influence. Beijing financed the project, one of many that has expanded its footprint on a booming continent that’s rich in natural resources, often generating goodwill among its citizens.

The global rivalry between the United States and China has been a recurring backdrop for Harris’ journey, and nowhere has that been more apparent than Zambia and her previous stop in Tanzania.

Besides the airport, China built a 60,000-seat stadium in Lusaka, plus roads and bridges around the country. Zambia is on the hook for all of the development with billions of dollars in debt. Tanzania is a major trading partner with China, and it has a new political leadership school funded by the Chinese Communist Party.


The developments have alarmed Washington, and President Joe Biden’s administration is worried that Africa is slipping further into Beijing’s sphere of influence.

Harris has played down the issue on her trip, preferring to focus on building partnerships independent of geopolitical competition. However, she acknowledged there’s limited time for the U.S. to make inroads on the continent.

“I do think there’s a window, and we have made a concerted, intentional effort to demonstrate our commitment and our willingness to invest in a relationship,” she told reporters earlier in the trip. “I do believe the window is definitely open now, and I do believe that based on what we do now, the window will continue to be open. But it will be a function of the investments that we make starting now to create the momentum that is necessary for this approach to endure.”

China’s roots in both Tanzania and Zambia run deep. In the 1970s, Beijing built the Tazara Railway from landlocked Zambia to Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port, allowing copper exports to circumvent white-minority-ruled Rhodesia and apartheid South Africa.

Today, China is Africa’s largest two-way trading partner, with $254 billion of business in 2021, according to the United States Institute of Peace. That’s four times the amount of trade between the U.S. and Africa. In addition, dealing with Beijing features less admonishments about democracy than with Washington.

“Most African countries are rightly unapologetic about their close ties to China,” Nigeria’s vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, tweeted on Thursday. “China shows up where and when the West will not and/or are reluctant.”

Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat who has worked on Africa issues in Congress, expressed frustration over China’s growing influence on the continent.

“We switched from being the No. 1 trade partner or the No. 1 investment partner in two dozen countries, to China being the No. 1 trade and investment partner,” he told reporters aboard Air Force Two on the flight to Ghana at the beginning of Harris’ trip. “I think our challenge for this decade is to address that.”

Biden has been taking steps toward that, such as hosting a summit for African leaders in December, when he announced that he wants to commit $55 billion to the continent in the coming years.

Harris has made announcements as well during her trip, including more than $1 billion in public and private money for economic development, $100 million for security assistance in West Africa and $500 million to facilitate trade with Tanzania.

However, there’s skepticism about whether the U.S. will follow through on its promises, and Harris has been faced with not-so-subtle hints that Africa expects more. For example, the presidents of Ghana and Tanzania bluntly said they hope Biden chooses to visit their countries during his expected trip to Africa later this year, which would be his first to the continent as president.

By comparison, Tanzania was among the first countries that Chinese President Xi Jinping visited after becoming president in 2013. And after Xi secured a third term, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan was the first African head of state to visit Beijing.

“Kamala faces Chinese dominance in Tanzania,” the Tanzania Business Insight publication tweeted Wednesday.

Ian Johnson, a former China-based journalist who works at the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations, said Beijing presents a powerful narrative in the developing world as a country that rapidly built its economy and pulled much of its population out of poverty.

African leaders think “let’s see what we can learn from China,” he said, adding that “there’s a certain fascination in how they did it.”

Johnson also said China views Africa differently than the U.S.

“We have a tendency to see Africa as a series of problems — wars, famines, something like that,” he said. “But in China’s eyes, Africa is much more of an opportunity.”

Edem Selormey, who conducts public opinion research at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, said the feeling is often mutual.

“China’s influence in Africa is largely seen as positive,” she said. “And the U.S. trails China in that regard.”

The difference, she said, is often about “what citizens see on the ground,” such as infrastructure projects, and “the U.S. has been missing from this picture for a while.”

John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said the debt that comes from China’s involvement is ultimately corrosive. He said African leaders are “beginning to realize that China is not really their friend.”

“China’s interests in the region are purely selfish, as opposed to the United States,” he said.

It’s a sentiment that draws scoffs in some corners of Africa.

“America is like playing the role of a big Uncle Sam in trying to defend African countries against what they think is the encroachment of China into the liberty of African countries through these loans,” said Tanzania-based analyst Mohamed Issa Hemed.

However, he added, “China is ahead of the U.S. in many, many ways.”

Daniel Russel, a former State Department official who is now at the Asia Society Policy Institute, summed up the African perspective as “enough with the lectures” about China. “They’ve got something we want. And they’ve got it right here.”

When it comes to U.S. hopes for Africa, he said, ”you can’t beat something with nothing.”

___ Anna reported from Nairobi, Kenya, and Meldrum from Johannesburg. Associated Press writer Evelyne Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report.

'We're Definitely Not Prepared': Africa Braces For New Virus

In this Feb. 6, 2020, photo, a sign indicates the way to the fever clinic at the Sino-Zambia Friendship Hospital in Kitwe, Zambia. The coronavirus that has spread through much of China has yet to be diagnosed in Africa, but global health authorities are increasingly worried about the threat as health workers on the ground warn they are not ready to handle an outbreak. (AP Photo/Emmanuel Mwiche)

BY DAKE KANG, NOEL SICHALWE, CARA ANNA

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (AP) — At a Chinese-run hospital in Zambia, some employees watched as people who recently returned from China showed up with coughs but were not placed in isolation. A doctor tending to those patients has stopped coming to work, and health workers have been ordered not to speak publicly about the new virus that has killed hundreds around the world.

The virus that has spread through much of China has yet to be confirmed in Africa, but global health authorities are increasingly worried about the threat to the continent where an estimated 1 million Chinese now live, as some health workers on the ground warn they are not ready to handle an outbreak.

Countries are racing to take precautions as hundreds of travelers arrive from China every day. Safeguards include stronger surveillance at ports of entry and improved quarantine and testing measures across Africa, home to 1.2 billion people and some of the world’s weakest systems for detecting and treating disease.

But the effort has been complicated by a critical shortage of testing kits and numerous illnesses that display symptoms similar to the flu-like virus.

“The problem is, even if it’s mild, it can paralyze the whole community,” said Dr. Michel Yao, emergency operations manager in Africa for the World Health Organization.

Those growing worried include employees at the Sino-Zambia Friendship Hospital in the mining city of Kitwe in northern Zambia, near the Congo border. Chinese companies operate mines on the outskirts of the city of more than half a million people. One company is headquartered in Wuhan, the city at the center of the virus outbreak. Hundreds of workers traveled between Zambia and China in recent weeks.

“We’re definitely not prepared. If we had a couple of cases, it would spread very quickly,” physiotherapist Fundi Sinkala said. “We’re doing the best we can with what resources we have.”

The Sino-Zambia Friendship Hospital, or Sinozam, a low-slung facility near the city’s train station, has taken some precautions, including checking patient temperatures with infrared thermometers and establishing isolation areas. Employees wear masks. Gloves, disinfectant and oxygen inhalers have been stockpiled. Sinozam treats many Chinese in Kitwe and its precautions go further than other hospitals in the area.

But the employees and others familiar with the matter, some of whom spoke anonymously under the new rules, say some Chinese patients checked in with coughs and fevers but did not get placed in isolation.

Visiting Zambian health officials concluded the patients did not merit special treatment and did not take samples to test for the virus. After the people recovered, they were sent home with antibiotics, employees said.

On Wednesday, the hospital set up a new fever clinic, where people arriving with a high temperature are now taken to right away. It’s “unfortunate” the ward wasn’t set up earlier, Sinkala said.

Two people familiar with the matter say a doctor tending to the sick has fallen ill. Dr. Yu Jianlan has not come to work in the past week and hospital administrators have not explained her absence, Sinkala said. The other person spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

Hospital administrator Li Zhibing said there were no patients with a fever and said Yu had a urinary tract infection, not a fever. But a notice posted by the Zambia-China Cooperation Zone, which manages the hospital, quoted an employee as saying on Jan. 27 that the facility “probably sees 120 fever patients a day, and at least 70 of them are carrying germs” of various diseases.

Earlier this week, a Zambian official acknowledged for the first time that his country was following up on an unspecified number of suspected cases. Zambia is one of 13 African countries identified by WHO as a high priority because of busy travel links with China.

Copperbelt provincial health director Dr. Robert Zulu, who oversees Kitwe and the surrounding region, told The Associated Press he would not discuss details, citing privacy. But he added, “when any case is confirmed, you will be informed.”

Crucially, no one in Zambia has been able to test for the virus so far. Like most African countries, it has been waiting for a substance known as a reagent, which labs require to confirm whether a patient is infected. Labs in just six of Africa’s 54 countries were equipped as of mid-week. That means a wait of two or more days to know whether a sample shipped to South Africa or even outside the continent tests positive.

Without testing, officials are “just relying on the symptoms” and whether they persist. “But from what we are learning right now, some people show hardly any symptoms at all,” Sinkala said, calling that the hospital’s biggest worry.

Zambia is one of the additional countries WHO planned to equip by the end of the week. As of Friday, WHO emergencies chief Dr. Mike Ryan said 28 labs across the continent could diagnose the new virus.

Adding to concerns at Sinozam, three employees say Zambian health officials visited on Tuesday and have been testing the bodies of two Chinese patients that have been in the morgue for days, though some added it was out of an overabundance of caution.

Li, however, dismissed the accounts of testing the bodies as “rumors.” He said one died last month of malaria and the other of a heart attack. The bodies are still there because family members in China wish to come and pay respects but cannot because of the outbreak, he said.

Zambia’s health ministry spokesman, Dr. Abel Kabalo, called the employee accounts of events at the hospital “very strange.” He vowed that if Zambia confirms a case, authorities “will definitely inform the world.”

It’s “pointless to hide information,” Kabalo said.

The WHO says countries are obligated to inform it of any confirmed cases and are requested to report suspected cases as well. The WHO chief has publicly urged countries to share information. So far, African countries appear to be complying, a WHO adviser on health security, Dr. Ambrose Talisuna, told reporters.

Several African nations such as Ghana, South Africa and Ethiopia have announced their precautions, including updates on negative test results for suspected cases and demonstrations of surveillance and quarantine capabilities. Ethiopian Airlines, however, faces questions by some in Africa about why it continues to operate more than 30 China flights a week while other African airlines have suspended theirs.

Adding to the difficulties in diagnosing the new virus are numerous diseases in Africa with symptoms that include fever or coughing or both.

It’s impossible to diagnose the new virus by symptoms alone, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman said, adding that there is a “significant likelihood” that the virus will be confirmed in Africa. And there is a risk that “panic overtakes good public health and good science.”

The foundation has committed up to $20 million to help health authorities in Africa and South Asia, another vulnerable region, improve their disease surveillance, isolation and treatment for the virus.

Concerns are high among some in Kitwe. A local pharmacy manager, Edward Goma, estimated that his business had sold more than 800 face masks in the past few days.

“So far everyone is scared,” he said. And yet he has not noticed the stricter surveillance measures seen in other countries, beyond temperature checks at the international airport an hour’s drive away.

The 15th Metallurgical Construction Group, based in Wuhan, said on its website that its overseas operations in Zambia and Congo must purchase masks, disinfect living quarters and workspaces daily and check workers’ temperatures three times a day.

Chinese employees are temporarily barred from returning to Africa, while those in Zambia are not allowed to go to China, said Li, the hospital administrator.

Chinese embassies in Zambia and elsewhere in Africa have been unusually outspoken, giving news conferences and television interviews to discuss their response to the outbreak. Embassies require arriving Chinese citizens to declare where they have been in China. They also urge citizens to voluntarily isolate themselves for 14 days.

“We are now practicing hygiene, even in the mines,” said the Kitwe-based president of the Mine Workers Union of Zambia, Joseph Chewe. “Any report of a person with coronavirus here will be very disastrous.”

___

Kang reported from Beijing. Anna reported from Johannesburg. Maria Cheng in London and Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal, contributed.

God Loves A Cheerful Giver, Zambian Ambassador To US Tells Books For Africa

Dr Ngosa Simbyakula, (R) Zambia Ambassador to the United States. Image via Embassy of Zambia

BY TOM GITAA

ST. PAUL, MINN. (MSHALE) – Books for Africa (BFA) held its annual fundraiser luncheon Thursday at the Town and Country Club with 300 people attending. This year’s African ambassador speaker was Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula, the ambassador of Zambia to the United States. Sponsored by Thomson Reuters, Bremer Bank, Lerner and the University Club, the event was expected to raise more than $100,000 for the organization once all numbers are tabulated.

“The 44 million books and counting that Books for Africa has shipped to Africa for the last 31 years, has touched and changed the lives of millions in the continent,” said Ambassador Simbyakula. “Most of Africa are still youth, so through your kindness you are helping to educate Africa’s future.”

The ambassador said that the books sent also helps in strengthening democracy and the rule of law in the continent, adding that a well-informed electorate is “vital to a thriving democracy.”

“The bible says God loves a cheerful giver and that is what you are,” said Simbyakula. “I would therefore beseech the almighty to add many more years to your life, so that you might continue the wonderful work you are doing. Through books, you are giving Africa the greatest gift of all”

This year’s program was moderated by Books for Africa board president Jote Taddese while former board president Rosemond Sarpong-Owens moderated the ask portion of the luncheon. Highlights included the unveiling of a 30th anniversary short video that was shot last year featuring testimonials from supporters and recipients of books in Africa. “My US dollar goes further with this organization than any other non-profit based in the US,” said former board president Luanne Nyberg in the video.

BFA benefactor Frank Babka, as in previous years, committed to match any new container sponsorships pledged at the luncheon – a two for one deal. A container typically contains over 22,000 school textbooks. Kenyan-American Mutune Mutisya who has a project in the works with BFA to ship a container to his hometown in Kenya, was eager to sign up for a new container project to take up Babka on his offer. “(This) is a sweet deal man,” he said, beaming.

Books for Africa founder Tom Warth, spoke of the urgent need to increase book shipments to the continent, saying there are still millions of children that do not have access to reading material, despite the millions of books the organization has shipped.

Earlier at a breakfast reception at the University Club attended by its top donors known as the Kilimanjaro Society, Books for Africa honored its volunteers and donors. In a moment that drew heartfelt applause, the organization bestowed its Volunteer of the Year Award to students from the Metro Deaf School of Saint Paul. The students have been regulars at the Books for Africa warehouse in Saint Paul, volunteering to help sort and pack books, according to Patrick Plonski, BFA’s executive director.

Also honored by Books for Africa was prominent businessman, Abdirahman Kahin, a member of the Kilimanjaro Society. Members of Kilimanjaro are donors who give at least $1,000 annually, but Plonksi heaped praise on Kahin for being a longtime high-level donor and also helping BFA during its many events with food and other assistance. Kahin owns the popular Afro Deli whose delicacies have become mainstays at Books for Africa events.

Notables attending this year’s luncheon included Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Liberia’s Consul General in Minnesota Jackson George and former Minnesota Secretary of State, Mark Ritchie who now heads Global Minnesota. Plonksi noted that Ellison has been a longtime BFA supporter such that when he was a congressman, he would take along books from the organization during congressional trips to Africa.

SOURCE: MSHALE

Zambia To Vote On Tuesday

Supporters of Zambia’s leading opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) Hakainde Hichilema attend an election rally in Lusaka, Zambia. Zambians go to the polls Tuesday to elect a new president after the death of former president Michael Sata in October, 2014

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (AP) — Zambia will hold a presidential election on Tuesday to replace Michael Sata, who died in October after a long illness.

Eleven candidates are vying for the top post in the southern African nation. Zambia has been led since Sata's death by acting President Guy Scott, a white Zambian of Scottish descent who is not a candidate. Scott was not entitled to become president under Zambian law because his parents were not Zambian or of Zambian descent.

The main presidential contenders are Edgar Lungu of the ruling Patriotic Front party and Hakainde Hichilema, leader of the opposition United Party for National Development. Lungu, in charge of Zambia's justice and defense ministries, is portraying himself as a candidate for continuity, saying he wants to complete economic development projects initiated by Sata.

Hichilema, an economist, says he has the necessary experience to revamp the economy of Zambia, a major copper producer. Zambia has 5.1 million registered voters from a total population of about 15 million. The winner of Tuesday's election will serve out the remainder of Sata's term until September 2016.

Under the constitution, a presidential election must be held within 90 days of the death of the incumbent.

Rupiah Banda ‘Oiled’ With K1.4m – Nigerian Witness

By Caroline Kalombe

Zambia Daily Mail, August 13, 2013

FORMER president Rupiah Banda received US$260,000 (about K1.4 million) from a Nigerian businessman as financial support for the 2008 general elections, the Lusaka High Court heard yesterday.

This is in a matter in which Banda, 75, of house number 3, plot 2759 off Leopards Hill Road in Lusaka, is charged with one count of abuse of authority of office, contrary to section 99 (1) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Sab Energy managing director Acpan Ekpene told the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court that he came into the country on a personal visit to deliver campaign materials for the MMD.

He said he personally handed over the cash to Banda, which he had raised from Nigeria to assist him with election campaigns.

Mr Ekpene said the materials included T-shirts, MMD logos and many other items.

“We took contributions from our sponsors but most of the funds were from my personal finances,” he said.

Mr Ekpene said he made the donation after former MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe solicited for the funds.
Mr Ekpene said he was asked by Major Kachingwe to make the donations to the MMD to help Banda win the elections.
He also told the court that he has no dealings with the current ruling party and that the only official from the Patriotic Front government he met concerning the oil transaction is the former Ministry of Energy permanent secretary George Zulu.
Mr Ekpene said his communication with the Ministry of Energy is intended to clear his company’s name with regard to the government-to-government oil transaction.

He said the Nigerian investigative agencies have questioned him over the oil transaction and that he was told that it is only by testifying in court that his name and company can be cleared.

“We have not been investigated but when the case came up here, we were asked to give our position and I gave reports to Mr Zulu and to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria,” Mr Ekpene said.

Banda allegedly procured  a government-to-government oil contract in the name of the republic of Zambia, “which he in fact meant to benefit himself and his family”.

He is accused of instructing his son, Henry Chikomeni Banda, to determine the destination of the proceeds of this contract, an instruction from which the republic of Zambia did not receive any benefit.

Mr Banda’s alleged act is “arbitrary and prejudicial to the interests of the republic of Zambia”.

Zambia inks refugee deal with Rwanda

By Kapala Chisunka
Zambia Daily Mail, Monday, July 8, 2013

ZAMBIA and Rwanda have signed a joint communiqué on the comprehensive strategy for former Rwandan refugees living in the country.

The communiqué was signed on Friday night following a bilateral meeting by the two governments held in Lusaka last week, at which they reiterated the call for the two countries to establish diplomatic missions in their respective capitals for enhanced bilateral cooperation.

During deliberations, the Zambian delegation was led by Minister of Home Affairs Edgar Lungu while the Rwandan team was headed by that country’s Minister of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs Seraphine Mukantabana.
The deliberations were a follow-up to the regional assessment meeting of the global strategy on the search for durable solutions for former refugees held in April.

The cessation clause in Zambia took effect on June 30 and affected about 4,000 Rwandan refugees who fled a civil war in their country between 1959 and 1998.

The two delegations agreed that voluntary repatriation will remain open and efforts to encourage it will continue. It was also agreed that former Rwandan refugees who wish to stay in Zambia will be facilitated by the Rwandan government in collaboration with the Zambian government.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo signed the joint communiqué on behalf of Mr Lungu and the Zambian government while Ms Mukantabana signed on behalf of her country.

“This is in order to facilitate processing and issuance of immigration permits in Zambia. The criteria and procedures for the eligibility to local integration will be set and published by the Zambian government,” the joint communiqué reads in part.

The communiqué further states that passport application forms for former Rwandan refugees shall be made available in Zambia through the office of the Commissioner for Refugees (COR) as the focal point for the process in Zambia.
The focal point in Rwanda will be the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration. Additionally, the two governments also agreed that the said forms shall be available online for download and submission to COR.

African Woman: Dambisa Moyo Responds To Bill Gates' Personal Attack Against Her

Dambisa Moyo is a Zambian-born economist and author of Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way For Africa (2009). Moyo holds a Doctorate (D.Phil.) in Economics from St Antony's College, Oxford University; her 2002 dissertation is titled "Essays on the determinants of the components of savings in developing countries". In 1997, she earned a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.She also earned a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Finance and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Chemistry from American University in Washington D.C.Moyo worked for the World Bank as a Consultant and at Goldman Sachs where she worked in the debt capital markets and as an economist in the global macroeconomics team.

Illustration of Dambisa Moyo by Anthony Jenkins/Globe & Mail

On May 28th, 2013 during a Q&A session at the University of New South Wales, Bill Gates, co-Founder of Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, made some shocking and inappropriate ad-hominem attacks against me and my book Dead Aid.

In this video excerpt, Mr. Gates answers a question about Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There is A Better Way for Africa by claiming that I “didn’t know much about aid and what it was doing” and that my work is “promoting evil”.

I find it disappointing that Mr. Gates would not only conflate my arguments about structural aid with those about emergency or NGO aid, but also that he would then use this gross misrepresentation of my work to publicly attack my knowledge, background, and value system.

I would like to take this opportunity to address both of Mr. Gates’ claims here:

1. I wrote Dead Aid to contribute to a useful debate on why, over many decades, multi billions of dollars of aid has consistently failed to deliver sustainable economic growth and meaningfully reduce poverty. I also sought to explicitly explain how decades of government to government aid actually undermined economic growth and contributed to worsening living conditions across Africa. More than this, I clearly detailed better ways for African leaders, and governments across the world, to finance economic development. I have been under the impression that Mr. Gates and I want the same thing – for the livelihood of Africans to be meaningfully improved in a sustainable way. Thus, I have always thought there is significant scope for a mature debate about the efficacy and limitations of aid. To say that my book “promotes evil” or to allude to my corrupt value system is both inappropriate and disrespectful.
2. Mr. Gates’ claim that I “didn’t know much about aid and what it was doing” is also unfortunate. I have dedicated many years to economic study up to the PhD level, to analyze and understand the inherent weaknesses of aid, and why aid policies have consistently failed to deliver on economic growth and poverty alleviation. To this, I add my experience working as a consultant at the World Bank, and being born and raised in Zambia, one of the poorest aid-recipients in the world. This first-hand knowledge and experience has highlighted for me the legacy of failures of aid, and provided me with a unique understanding of not only the failures of the aid system but also of the tools for what could bring African economic success.

To cast aside the arguments I raised in Dead Aid at a time when we have witnessed the transformative economic success of countries like China, Brazil and India, belittles my experiences, and those of hundreds of millions of Africans, and others around the world who suffer the consequences of the aid system every day.

In conclusion, I am disappointed that Mr. Gates would choose the route of personal attacks rather than a logical counter argument about the role of aid in modern Africa. Such attacks add no value in the important discussions on the challenges the world faces to deliver economic growth, eradicate poverty, combat disease, and reduce income inequality, to name a few.

As I have always maintained, I respect the views of others and am open to having logical and meaningful debates with the ultimate goal of finding sustainable solutions to Africa’s economic problems.

Thank you,

Dr. Dambisa Moyo

Court Orders Arrest Of George Mpombo

Published March 25, 2013 By Nse Udoh

Lusaka chief resident magistrate Joshua Banda has today issued an arrest warrant against recently recalled Zambian High Commissioner to Nigeria George Mpombo.

This follows Mpombo’s absence at court in a matter where he is facing charges of theft by public servant and forgery.

The former Defence minister in the MMD government is accused of uttering false document amounting to Kr18, 000 (K18 million).

When the matter came up this morning, Mpombo could not take his defence as he was absent.
Magistrate Banda said it was not the first time that Mpombo had absconded his court hearing and went ahead to issue an arrest warrant against Mpombo to be returned on April 8.

Recently, government recalled Mpombo from the Nigerian mission without stating clear reasons.
Foreign affairs permanent secretary Margaret Miyoba said government was recalling Mpombo as part of the realignment of Zambia’s missions abroad.

----------Zambia Reports

Zambia Ex-Leader Arrested Over Oil Deal

ZAMBIA'S ex-leader, Rupiah Banda, has been arrested and charged with abuse of authority over an oil deal struck with a Nigerian firm while he was in power, an investigator says. 
  
"President Rupiah Banda has been formally charged and arrested in connection with the procurement of oil which did not benefit the country," Namukolo Kasumpa, a spokeswoman for government investigators, told reporters on Monday.

He was immediately freed on bail and is due to appear in court on Tuesday.

The arrest came after parliament earlier this month lifted Banda's immunity. The former leader who ruled Zambia between 2008 and 2011 was promptly questioned about allegations of corruption, money laundering and fraud.

He lost power in an election to the current president, Michael Sata.

Banda's lawyers claim the accusations are part of a ploy by Sata to silence opposition.

"The charge is extremely vague and our only defence is the truth; he is innocent and the truth will be known," said Banda's lawyer, Sakwiba Sikota.

"We will see the kind of witnesses that they are going to bring, but we know he is innocent," he said.
Appearing exhausted after three hours of questioning by a special government probe unit, 76-year-old Banda told reporters: "Naturally I would have been happy to be sitting at home, but I have to go through this."

Sata's government says Banda engaged in corrupt activities in the procurement of crude oil from a Nigerian firm, listed as the Nigerian National Oil Company in official documents. Nigeria's state oil outfit is known as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

He is also accused of funnelling taxpayer cash into his election campaigns.

Since Sata came to power he has rolled out an anti-corruption drive that some have seen as a move to silence dissenting views.

--------The Australian, Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Burkina Faso, Nigeria Clear Hurdle; Zambia, Ethiopia Exits (Photo News)

Eagles celebrate Victor Moses first penalty kick.

 

A disappointed Zambia team exit tournament after a goalless draw with Burkina Faso at the Mbombela Sports Stadium, South Africa, Tuesday, January 29, 2013. Image: AFP

Nigeria's Victor Moses scores his secong penalty kick at the Royal Bofakeng Palace Stadium Rusenburg, South Africa January 29, 2013

Collins Mbesuma, Zambia (L); Mohamed Koffi, Burkina faso (C) and Emmanuel Mayuka (R), Zambia in action during the Group C match at the Mbombela Stadium, January 29, 2013

Nigeria's Victor Moses (right) celebrates with Elderson Echiejile at the end of their African Nations Cup Group C match against Ethiopia at the Royal Bofakeng Palace Field in Rustenburg, South Africa. Image: Associated Press.

Emmanuel Mayuka reacts after the disastrous stalemate with Burkina Faso

Victor Moses fired up as he helps his struggling team to victory at the Royal Bofakeng Palace Field in Rustenburg, South Africa Tuesday, January 29, 2013. Image: Gallo/Getty

Zambia's Isaac Chansa (L) tackles Burkina Faso's Mohamed Koffi during their African Nations Cup Group C match at the Royal Bofakeng Palace Field in Rusenburg, South Africa Tuesday, January 29, 2013. Image: Reuters

Nigeria's Victor Moses celebrates his second goal during the African Nations Cup Group C match with Ethiopia at the Royal Bofakend Palace Field in Rusenburg, South Africa January 29, 2013. Image: Alexander Joe/Gallo/Getty 

Ethiopian goalkeeper, Azzeddine Doukha (C) reacts as Victor Moses scores from the penalty box. Image: Alexander Joe/Gallo/Getty

Zambia's Collins Mbesuma and Burkina Faso's Kebe Paul Koulibaly battle it out during their teams' 2013 African Cup of Nations at Mbombela Sports Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa Tuesday, January 29, 2013. Image: Manus Van Dyke/Gallo

NIGERIA-ETHIOPIA MATCH HIGHLIGHTS 

BURKINA FASO-ZAMBIA MATCH HIGHLIGHTS 

Nations Cup: Eagus allow lead to kpafuka again

Football Tori For Pidgin

By Ibitoye Shittu, Super Sport 

De game na dia sekond group C game as na 1-1 draw na im de Naija team take start dia campaign against Burkina Faso.

Na Zambia wey na dem be de current Afcon champions wan shock Naija fans for de 16minute wen Kalaba face Naija goalie, Vincent Enyeama but de guyman troway de chance.

De refiree con give Naija penarity for de 26 minute and Mikel wey dey tap him futball for Chelsea for Ingland no score de kick for Naija.

Chizamba wey be Zambia strika take style test Naija goalie, Enyeama but de goalie dey kampe as him take hin left hand save de ball.

Mikel wey don miss penarity for Naija come dribu two Zambia playas befor him carry de ball give Emmanuel Emenike and de guyman finish de Zambia goalkipa as him score de goal for Naija in de 57th minute.

De goal wey Emenike score na him sekond goal for dis 2013 Afcon tornament as na him score de goal for Naija for dia fess game wey dem draw 1-1.

Gbege kon happen again for de die minute as de refiree blow a penarity for Zambia at de time wey Naija pipu and fans don dey happy say de Eagus don win.

Zambia golkipa, Kennedy Mweene run come from de back and him score de penarity wey Enyeama no get ansa for at all.

Supa Eagus of Naija go qualify for de kwatafina of dis 2013 Afcon if dem beat Ethiopia wey go be dia next enemies next Tuesday.

Moses Return Makes Keshi's Job Easier Ahead Of Nigeria's African Cup Clash With Zambia

By Tristan Holme

NIGERIA'S HEAD COACH STEPHEN KESHI REACTS DURING THEIR TRAINING SESSION IN NELSPRUIT, SOUTH AFRICA, THURSDAY JAN. 24, 2013, AHEAD OF THEIR AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS GROUP C SOCCER MATCH AGAINST ZAMBIA ON FRIDAY. (AP PHOTO/THEMBA HADEBE)

NELSPRUIT, South Africa - With the expectations of millions of fans weighing on his shoulders, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi's burden is a little lighter with the return of playmaker Victor Moses ahead of Friday's clash with Zambia at the African Cup of Nations.

Keshi spoke on Thursday of the difficulties involved in guiding Nigeria, whose fans anticipate success at big tournaments even if the Super Eagles have not lifted a trophy since their African Cup triumph in 1994.

That victory came during a golden period for Nigerian football, which saw them regularly compete for top honours on the world stage.

Keshi, the captain in 1994, hopes to lead Nigeria back to those former glories, and welcomed Moses after the Chelsea midfielder missed the 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso on Monday.

"He's been training well since after the game against Burkina Faso, so hopefully he's going to be intact for tomorrow," Keshi said.

Nigeria lacked incision in that game, dominating possession but failing to create clear-cut opportunities, for which they paid a heavy price when the Burkinabes equalized in stoppage time.

The return of Moses, who took full part in training on Thursday, should add some invention to the youthful team that Keshi is attempting to build for the future.

"In Nigeria, for years we have had a standard in African football and in world football, and Nigerians relate that to those years when we had a wonderful time in football," he said. "I don't blame them. We still have that, but to reach that level again we need to build and develop to get there.

"I've never seen a house built in one day. It takes a while. We want to start that process tomorrow, but it's difficult because everybody wants to tell you who to play, and who not to play. If you ask 10 Nigerians, they will give you 10 different lineups, so what do you do?

"You just do what you think is best for the team and the country. It's not that easy, but we're working on it."

Keshi captained Nigeria during the 1994 African Cup campaign in Tunisia, where Friday's opponent Zambia was beaten 2-1 in the final.

The skipper tasked with repeating the feat at this tournament, Joseph Yobo, recalls the jubilation that the victory sparked back home.

"I was about 14 years old and I remember the win, the celebrations on the street, which always happens when Nigeria wins," he said.

"But that was a long time ago. Now Zambia are defending champions so it's going to be a special game tomorrow."

Q & A: Fashion Model Kaya Chipungu

In my several conversations with beautifully built, Zambian-born, Orlando, Florida-based, Kaya Chipungu, there's no doubt she'd been determined to be the best in her class, whatever form it takes. Aspiring to work for the United Nations after taking on International Relations as major in college, Chipungu noted a whole lot she intends to accomplish, especially for humanity. Very hardworking and diligently focused on her career, for the moment, the sky is now the limit. On August 28, 2010, she will be on the runway to taxi for Miss Zambia Intercultural 2010. And within that framework, overwhelming calls from Hollywood never stopped coming, and sooner than later, she will be auditioning where it rocks -- Hollywood and the City of Angels.

EXCERPTS:

Tell me about yourself

I am a 27 year old philonthropist at heart and l graduated from MacMaine School of Computing in Information Technology and l intend to go to Rollins College in 2011, to pursue my studies in International Relations and Diplomacy. l was born in Zambia and l was raised in Zimbabwe where l completed my college before moving to the USA. Besides my dreams and aspirations of becoming the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and a Goodwill Ambassador, l intend to continue with my modeling career and philanthropy, because through modeling l have been able to travel around and promote human welfare and advancement as well as making humanity better through my platform PEPE, which stands for Poverty Eradication and Promoting Education.

PEPE is a project l started in February 2010, after seeing the need for change. l'm hoping that this project will be global by 2015 which is the deadline for Millenium Development Goals (MDG's). l am starting with the continent of Africa where l'm from by endowment of institutions of learning, hospitals, provision of food and basic necessities.

l am currently an Ambassador for Flame Of Ambition Organization which was founded by a very remarkable young lady, Mutinta Suuya, a young lady who has inspired me in every way. Flame Of Ambition is a true definition of Philanthropy. It is an organization that cares about the improvement of life and better living conditions in Africa. lam also an Ambassador for Monjai Foundation which was founded by a true philathropist, Yeatoe McIntosh, and she has inspired me to do better. Monjai Foundation promotes human welfare and advancement around the world. Both organizations are spreading their wings globally to cater for the needs of people world wide.

l am a member of the following organizations: Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), Flame of Ambition, Amnesty USA, l Embrace , Raisin Orphan Awareness and Junior Chambers.

l am a volunteer for the United Nations and World Vision and its through voluntary work that l have had a burning sensation to reach out to people in need and became a Philanthropist and l hope that l will impact people around the world to be the same because we are living in a materialistic world where the less priveleged people remain at the bottom of the ladder not because they want to but because the priveleged are too blinded by material things and the true definition of Philanthropy is goodwill to fellowmen and it is what this world needs today.

l am a finalist for Miss Intercultural 2010 and a finalist for Miss Zambia International 2010. l was Miss Phototogenic 2010 and l was the first runner up for Miss Zambia USA 2010. l do a lot of fashion modeling and l love the runway.

What really inspired you into fashion and modeling?

l believe clothes tell a lot about an individual.l have always loved dressing up,redesigning my own clothes,fashion shows,runway,high fashion and the list goes on that gave me an urge to get into fashion and modeling.

Since you have been in the fashion and modeling industry, what would you say has kept you going in the business?

When you love what you are doing it becomes as easy as breathing.The very first time when you are trying to find a stepping stone you might stumble here and there but once you set your mind to it,your capabilitiy to do it best is unquestionable. Determination, dedication and diligence have kept me going.

Let’s talk about Miss Zambia. You were Miss Zambia Finalist for Intercultural 2010. What was your experience like facing the panel of judges and organizers of the show in the heat of the contest?

Yes l'm Miss Zambia Finalist for Miss Intercultural 2010. It will be held August 28, 2010. My anticipation levels keep rising as we draw near, l am excited and lm looking forward to a great show.

You recently made a trip for a show in Washington D.C. Tell me about that show.

It was Miss Africa USA 2010,I had a lot of fun and it was a learninng experience for me as well. l had the opportunity to meet different designers from all over Africa and l met a lot of new people.

Did you ever think you’d see the day when you’d audition for big events like the trip to D.C?

Not at all, l never thought in a million years l would be auditioning for anything besides my dream of going for an interview to work for the United Nations as the Secretary-General of the United Nations. But my life took a different toll altogether. l love auditioning and l love what l am doing and my dream of becoming the United Nations Secretary-General is still a dream that will become a reality.

What keeps you busy in your leisure time?

l love to write poetry and l read a lot of books. l watch a lot of documentaries. l hangout a lot with my colleagues to discuss issues of the day in the fashion and modelling industry. l also love to travel.

What books and magazines have you been reading? Tell me about it.

l am reading "A Long Walk to Freedom" which is about the life of former South African President, the great Nelson Mandela. l have read this book so many times but everytime l pick it up to read it again, l get a whole different insight. l just finished reading "The Audacity to Hope," by President Barack Obama which is about thoughts on reclaiming the American dream, calling for a return to America's original ideals. I read all kinds of literatures and magazines. l got to have my Vogue, In Style, Essence and numerous others to keep me posted with new trends on designers, models and the fashion world.

In fashion, who is your favorite designer?

Coco Chanel is my favorite designer. She greatly influenced the fashion industry by her classy sophisticated designs. When fashion meets class the sense of sophistication is very distinct. It's that artistic side that brings a material to life making it chic, couture and classy; and Coco Chanel's designs tend to awaken my fashion buds everytime l see them.

I’m quite sure you love to cook. What’s your favorite dish?

Yes l love to cook a lot. My favourite dish is oxtails with my traditional dish Nshima made from corn meal. l can cook anything, though.

I’m also sure you eat out every now and then. What’s your favorite restaurant?

My favorite restaurant is Chez Vincent, a French Cuisine with the best food in Orlando.

Your wish for upcoming models and if they should be in your shoes, what would you tell them?

Believe in yourself and never take no for an answer. If you can dream it you can just do it .Do not get caught up in the snare of loosing the true sense of who you are and your self worth because the fashion world is not an easy world as it seems to be. You have to work hard to get in and harder to stay in. Always be your best at all times because you never know when your lucky day would come; as the old saying goes, "every dog has its day." Everyday is runway, everyday is a fashion show for a model; that's the life of a model. Lastly, just do it after all, you have one life to live!