MANJA PAMODZI CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN TAKES SHAPE

The dramatic increase in Lusaka’s population over the years has given rise to the indiscriminate disposal of litter that now poses a threat to health and the environment.

The attractiveness and cleanliness of the capital city has gradually deteriorated over the years, partly as a result of the ever-increasing litter. This has resulted in the creation of a public health problem where drainage systems are clogged by the refuse. This unavoidably leads to the transmission of communicable – but avoidable – diseases such as cholera and typhoid during the rainy season.

Research shows that only 26 percent  of the estimated 900 tons of waste that is generated daily in Lusaka is collected via formal services; and that 34 percent of the 900 tons produced a day is recyclable.

As the name suggests, Manja Pamodzi is bringing together the community and relevant stakeholders such as Zambian Breweries, National Breweries, Heinrich’s Syndicate and the city councils starting initially with Lusaka City Council, to clean up the environment and at the same time create enterprise opportunities.

So far the project, in Lusaka, has 74 registered collectors and one active aggregator, Harrison Musonda in Chunga compound. Some 75 tonnes of cartons have been collected since February 2015 and 1.6 tonnes of PET plastic bottles since August this year.

Members of the initiative, known as collectors, are identified through environmental education and sensitisation drives with a bias towards recycling. These collectors gather PET plastic bottles, cardboard and other recyclable materials from target areas in their communities. Aggregators buy the material in bulk and process it into bundles that are then sold to recycling companies to be processed into useable items such as tissue.

“The project is welcome as it is allowing us to turn what we would otherwise consider as garbage into an income earning activity to help with the running of our households,” said Joyce Mwale, a mother of nine in Chawama compound and who is among the first to have joined the initiative.

The project has already received strong support from the government. During the official launch of the project in August, which was graced by officials from the Lusaka City Council and central government, Her Honour, The Vice President, Hon. Inonge Wina, in a speech read on her behalf by Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister, Hon. Nicholas Banda, said: “Government is pleased and impressed by the Manja Pamodzi initiative. Manja Pamodzi is a timely response to this problem of urban waste.”

“The fact that this initiative is a community-based recycling project, and that it is linked to environmental education is a sure-fire way to drastically alter people’s attitude toward waste. Not only this, but Manja Pamodzi goes a step further – by also developing business opportunities for community entrepreneurs,” she went on to say.

The project will consistently provide enterprise prospects for collectors. It is envisaged that this will give them the platform to jump-start businesses they were previously unable to start; to give substance to their children’s academic aspirations; and improve livelihoods.

The project, which is currently in its infancy, has collection points in Chawama, Kamwala, Ngwerere, and Chunga. Others are expected to follow as the project gains momentum in more communities.

“My plea is to establishments of all sorts to work with the collectors when approached so that the project can move forward. We will be cleaning up the environment in the process and making progress towards a litter free Zambia,” said Elaine Kafwimbi, Project Manager of the initiative.

‘Reward recycling’ as it is commonly known among experts is a system practised in several countries around the world such as Brazil and South Africa. In Brazil for instance these programs include the exchange of recyclable material with vegetables or other valuables. In Zambia, it is practised in the informal sector on a very small scale and it is not uncommon to see people going around in the neighbourhoods exchanging things such as PET or glass bottles for grass brooms which they later sell to recycling houses. Other times it is these informal collectors that can be seen sorting through piles of trash at dumping sites around the city.

Zambian Breweries and National Breweries Managing Director Annabelle Degroot explained: “As Zambia has experienced exponential growth, our businesses have produced more to meet the demand of our consumers.  These products often come in convenient packaging such as plastic. 

This combined with the  lack of a reliable waste collection system and a low level awareness of the effects of waste in our communities have meant that our streets and drainage systems have become more and more polluted with litter. 

BUILD US DECENT HOUSES- GOVERNMENT TOLD

By MacPherson Mukuka

Zambia continues to face a challenge in housing units, with a growing demand for houses, the current 3Million housing deficit is likely to double by the year 2030 where the population is projected to shoot to about 23 Million people.

Realizing this status quo, government has thought of revising the 1996 National Housing policy and devise ways on how it will address the challenge.

The traditional leaders who are the custodians of some land in their respective chiefdoms have been engaged in a two day consultative workshop at which the housing deficit and improvement of settlements among others will be discussed.

Speaking during the opening of the workshop, House of chiefs – Chief Whip, Chief Chipepo of Chirundu District of Lusaka Province, called on government to look into the traditional leadership welfare vis-a-vie their accommodation and that of the people in rural areas.

Chief Chipepo noted that Villages have not developed much due to the fact that those who have left their villages for greener pastures don’t want to return to their villages to take development.

The Chief Whip has cited Nigeria as one of the countries whose Villages have benefited from natives because of the value the place back home.

He said if Zambians can develop such a culture of giving back to their villages by way of developing infrastructure such as houses.

And in responding to the call, Local Government and housing Minister John Phiri said it is unfortunate that 50 years after independence, traditional leaders are still living in huts.

He said Chiefs are custodians of many people and therefore deserve decent shelter.

Dr. Phiri in his speech indicated that government remains committed to bettering the lives of people in rural areas through the provision on decent housing and sanitation.

The Minister further indicated that Government has embarked on a robust development programme of building houses in the newly created district to cushion the housing deficit the country is facing.

And speaking earlier, Lusaka Mayor George Nyendwa said Local authorities have not been able to fulfill their functions especially on land allocations due to a shortage of funds, which restrict the city to invest in low cost housing.

Urbanization has greatly affected the distribution of wealth in Zambia; this is because the majority of people living in major cities such as Lusaka prefer building more houses in town to doing so in their respective Villages.

PEP ZAMBIA AND FOCUS FINANCIAL SERVICES SIGN FUNDING MOU

By MacPherson Mukuka



THE Private Enterprise Programme- Zambia has singed a memorandum of Understanding with Focus Financial Services, with the aim of connecting the top 20 finalists, and other deserving semi-finalists in the Nyamuka Zambia business plan competition to make available capital amounting to K2 million.

Speaking before the signing ceremony, Focus Financial Services Deputy Chief Executive GEORGE MUBIPE said Focus is keenly ...aware of the highly enterprising and diverse needs of SMEs who come from every imaginable sector in the economy.

He said the Financial Lending Institution also knows that SMEs often encounter stumbling blocks in the form of bureaucratic processes and onerous demands from traditional sources of finance.

Mr. Mubipe indicated that it is because of this background that Focus had to think ‘differently’ in order to become a real solutions provider to this high growth sector.

"Our model is a departure from the complexity of traditional finance defined by highly convoluted and lengthy decision-making processes. We are delighted to be a part of the Nyamuka initiative through this agreement,” said Mr. Mubipe.

He said the MoU is consistent with Focus’s aim to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Mr. Mubipe further stated that Focus’ working capital business is its pioneer innovation designed to create opportunity and build SME capacity to participate in economic activity and foster SME growth to allow for long-term sustainability

And PEPZ Programme Manager BAYO AKINDEINDE disclosed that under the terms of the agreement Nyamuka Zambia will introduce the finalists in its business plan competition, many of whom already have functioning small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to Focus for an injection of working capital.

Mr. Akindeinde noted that SMEs face numerous challenges in a quest to expand their businesses.
He outlined that access to markets and financial lenders are among other difficulties the enterprises have to face.

The agreement between the two organizations means that Entrepreneur finalists under the Nyamuka Zambia business plan competition and other deserving semi finalists could now have access to funding to support their operations and the realization of their business ideas.

The memorandum of understanding also seeks to provide crucial working capital required by small-scale entrepreneurs to set up or expand their enterprises and guarantee their longer-term sustainability.

ZAMPALM OUTGROWER SCHEME TARGETS LOCAL FARMERS

 By MacPherson Mukuka  

Zambeef Products is working with small-scale farmers in Mpika to set up an outgrower scheme to feed into its 20,000-hectare Zampalm plantation.

The project is aimed at helping local farmers to participate in the palm oil production business, which will contribute to the substitution of the 70,000 tonnes of cooking oil currently imported into the country.

Under the scheme, Zampalm – which is a division of Zambeef Products - will be providing farmers with the seedlings, training and inputs required to manage their farms.

“We are looking to get the community involved in the project as a way of generating employment and sustainable economic growth in the area. The palm plant is the most efficient oil producing plant and can be harvested for 25 years and as long as the tree continues to yield a harvest there can be assured of an income source and the community can be self-sustaining,” said Zambeef chairman Dr Jacob Mwanza.

Farmers now have an alternative crop apart from the traditional cassava and maize crops grown in the area as well as an alternative source of income. The company plans to buy the palm oil fruit from the farms to be processed into crude oil at its crushing plant, providing a ready market for the harvest.

“The idea is to buy the harvested seeds from the farmers, process it into crude oil at the crushing plant and then supply the market for further processing into edible oils and other products,” explained Dr Mwanza.

Palm oil is the world’s most used vegetable oil and has many different uses in addition to cooking oil. Palm oil and its derivatives are found in foods such as margarines and ice cream, used as a thickener, preservative and antioxidant; as well as in personal care products such as shampoo, and cosmetics; industrial products such as lubricants paints and inks; and as a renewable fuel.

Nearby Kapumfi School has already become a beneficiary of the scheme, having received 100 seedlings in the initial phase of the project.

The seeds require special attention; they are grown in the nursery for three months before the shoots can be transferred into beds in the main nursery for 18 to 20 months. Planting in the field is only done once the plant is two-years-old and is able to withstand the elements on its own. The right amount of depth is very important as the plant flowers at the base, and planting too deep risks will damaging the plant.

“The demand for edible oils in Zambia is huge and will continue to grow as the country develops; and Mpika should be the palm oil heart of Zambia as the sandy soil here is ideal for the plant. We would like to see the community benefit and make palm oil production a characteristic of the area just as Mwinilunga is for pineapples or Mazabuka for sugar,” said Dr Irwin.

The Zampalm project was launched in 2009 and currently has some 370,900 palms planted over an area of 2,612 hectares in the main plantation, with another 39,000 seedlings in the main and pre-nursery. Zampalm owns 20,238 hectares of titled land, and the intention is to plant a total of 4,812 hectares in 2017 and similar areas in subsequent years as the business grows.

A two-tonnes-per-hour crushing mill was built this year, with plans for a second two-tonne plant in 2017 and a further 10-tonne plant in the following year, taking crude palm oil production up to 17,000 tonnes a year.

The total investment cost is estimated US$41.5 million, of which Zambeef has spent US$20 million so far. At current prices the average production of crude oil of 3 to 3.5 tonnes per hectare could generate more than US$170 million in revenue over the next decade.

The market for edible oils in Zambia, of which palm oil is one component, is estimated at 120,000 tonnes per year, and this is expected to continuing growing as the country develops further.

More than half of Zambia’s edible oil consumption is imported from the Far East, East Africa and South Africa.

Once fully operational the plantation will contribute to substituting 70,000 tonnes of cooking oil imported into Zambia, saving the country around US$70 million (K511 million) in foreign exchange outflows every year.

While Zambia is not a traditional growing region for palm oil, lower yields are expected to be outweighed by the competitive advantage of being closer to consumers in the region given that the cost of importing edible oil from the Far East can account for around a third of its retail price.

In addition to the commercial and economic benefits of the Zampalm plantation the initiative has provided a number of social and environmental benefits, including the creation of employment and infrastructure in the remote community in the area, which has high poverty levels.

Traditionally, the Bisa people in the sparsely populated area of Senior Chief Kopa were fishermen, hunters or cassava farmers. Since Zampalm was launched there are now shops springing up and economy growing, changing livelihoods.

“People can educate their children and improve their houses, with thatched roofs replaced with iron sheets; some children are now going to high school; people can buy new clothes; and health has improved,” said Zampalm Plantation Manager Trusted Mwiinga,.

YALI SUPPORTS AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION BILL THROUGH PARLIAMENT

By MacPherson Mukuka

The Young African Leaders Initiative YALI says it fully supports the route taken by government to amend the constitution through parliament, whose gazette has already been published.

YALI president ANDREW NTEWEWE says his organization recognizes that parliament is the only body with a constitutional mandate and legislative power to enact or re-enact any law, including the adoption of the constitution.

Mr. NTEWEW says YALI will support government for doing the right thing of producing a constitution that the majority Zambians can live with.

He says no constitution is perfect, but YALI expects the document to suit the majority even if others may disagree with some of its content.

Mr NTEWEWE was however quick to mention that Government may be forgiven for not adhering to its promise to table the bills in parliament in June but charged that the people of Zambia will not forgive the PF administration it fails to enact the constitution before 2016 elections.

And Mr. NTEWEW has accused the Law Association of Zambian of lying to the people of Zambia that there will only be a good constitution if a referendum is held.   

He said it is unfortunate that organizations that people look forward to help guide and legally interpret the process have not been spared from politicking.  

He said he expected the association to help the nation understand provisions of the law that gives parliament an exclusive legislative mandate to not only pass laws but also adopt all laws during the reading of the bill in parliament.

Mr. NTEWEWE has since declared his Organisation ready to challenge the LAZ and the Grand Coalition in the legal proceedings to bar government from taking the Constitution to parliament.

He says YALI has instructed its lawyers to prepare a suitable response asking YALI to join the proceedings against those who may commencer the lawsuit intended to frustrate the enactment of a new constitution.

And efforts to get a comment from the Law Association of Zambian proved futile by press time as their phones went unanswered, meanwhile the Grand coalition says it will react to the statement on Sunday at a press briefing.