WestMac Media : August 2015

Sunday 30 August 2015

15-Year-old Nigerian girl, becomes youngest pilot to single-handedly fly cross the USA

She departed with a dream and returned home a record- breaker.Inspired by the Tuskeegee Airmen, 15-year-old Kimberly Anyadike of Nigerian descent flew a single-engine Cessna cross-country from her hometown of Compton, Calif., to Newport News, Va.

By Winston Muleba Junior

Reading, whether for pleasure or for academic purpose, is an essential habit that forms the bedrock of human greatness, regardless of age, gender or status. This fact is hardly disputed. A popular saying describes readers as leaders.

Bowman Lusambo dates Julius Malema to discuss youth participation in politics

MMD National Youth Secretary, Bowman Lusambo is on Monday set to meet the leadership of South Africa’s opposition party the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) headed by Julius Malema.

According to a letter dated August 28 2015 from the Office of the EFF Chief Whip and released to the media, the meeting will take place at EFF Headquarters in Braamfontein, Johannesburg at 12 Hours on Monday, August 31 2015.

Nominations for Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Activism

Submissions are invited from any Zambian resident to nominate any individual or any group of adolescents aged 10-19 who are working to support fellow adolescents to * reduce teenage pregnancy, * keep girls in safe schools, *fight gender based violence, * increase age appropriate sexuality knowledge and education, * access modern contraception, * increase health access in conditions of poverty, or * any other achievement in the context of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Kalumbila, Mushindano declared districts

President Edgar Lungu has declared Kalumbila and Mushindano areas in North Western province as districts.

Kalumbila and Mushindano were part of Solwezi district situated in Solwezi West and East respectively in North Western Province.

NGOCC board chairperson Sarah Longwe says General Kanene is embarrassing President Edgar Lungu by not showing remorse for his actions after being pardoned for his defilement.

Kanene, whose real names are Clifford Dimba, was recently pardoned by the President after serving only a year of his 18-year jail term for defiling a 16-year-old.

Ugandan musician Guvnor Ace’s wedding to 68-old Swedish Mona-Lisa Larsson has set social media alight.

Age certainly ain’t nothing but a number for 28 year-old Ugandan musician Guvnor Ace (born Ronald Ssemawele) and 68 year-old Swedish Mona-Lisa Larsson his newly-wed wife.

The couple tied the knot in a civil union in Kampala and their wedding has been a social media sensation not least because of the lovebirds’ four decade-long age difference.

By Staff Reporter

The University of Zambia (UNZA) has scooped first place at the just ended debate competition on Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) held at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare, Zimbabwe, the University of Zimbabwe emerged second while the Copperbelt University (CBU) emerged third.

Meet pavement bookworm who turned his life around by offering book reviews instead of begging

Philani Dladla, 24 a.k.a. the Pavement Bookworm. He lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, and his story is quite incredible.

As a child growing up in KwaZulu Natal he had always loved books. But after moving to Johannesburg to find work, he started taking drugs.

By Staff Reporter
A young Zambian computer guru, Chisenga Muyoya has been one of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) 2015 Ten Outstanding Young Persons honorees.

JCI is a worldwide community of young active citizens who are changing the world, one community at a time. Their Mission is to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.

DAMBISA hints public with a sexy picture, set to release new video

By Staff Reporter

A Lusaka based artiste, Dambisa Lunda is set to release her new video featuring Kachanana and Yellowman.

Dambisa who is also an actress and popularly known for one of her previous hit songs “ikaduka chain” featuring Mukubesa Mundia alias Petersen is back with yet another hit track titled “Do you want ma sexy body?”

Atlas Mara to invest US$65 million in Zambian youths, women

Atlas Mara, a firm that owns Banc ABC in Zambia has accessed US$65 million funding for youth, women and agriculture empowerment programmes in the country.

Atlas Mara chief executive officer John Vitalo said yesterday that the company received $65 million funding from the American government to invest in Zambia.

Support for SABOI IMBOELA to contest as MP erupts on social media

By Staff Reporter

Support for Saboi Imboela to contest as Member of Parliament (MPs) for Kafue constituency has erupted on social media.

A Lusaka songbird, former duo Shatel, Ms. Imboela has of late been receiving support from her fans on social media arousing her to contest as MP in the forth coming 2016 general elections.

YEAZ urges Govt to circulate Youth Policy and Action Plan

The Youth Entrepreneurship Association of Zambia (YEAZ) has called on government to circulate the recently launched 2015 National Youth Policy and Action Plan for Empowerment and Employment.

YEAZ president Samuel Mulenga said there is need for the National Youth Policy and Empowerment Plan to be made available to every stakeholder, especially the youths, who he said are the major stakeholders of the action plan.

Government to inject US$ 50 million in fisheries

President Edgar Lungu has revealed that government is investing 50 million dollars in developing the fish industry in the country.

President Lungu says the program is being implemented in partnership with the Africa Development Bank.

I felt banks were only for the educated - DOROTHY NYONDO

Dorothy Nyondo, a widow and breadwinner, is a landlady with a monthly earning of K600. Without access to a loan, Ms Nyondo’s dream of becoming a landlord could have been far-fetched as she would not have been able to provide for her family according to Zambia Daily-Mail.

Like many women, she was scared to approach commercial banks to acquire a loan, which would change her life forever. But with the support of her club, Tikondwele, Ms Nyondo and other women were able to access loans under the Indo Zambia Bank micro-credit programme which aims at providing affordable loans to economically disadvantaged people.

Nyamuka Zambia unveils 20 finalists

In what has been a nerve-wracking, competitive and informative five months, the Nyamuka Zambia competition has reached a tipping point with 20 contenders moving forward to the third and final phase of the competition in what is set to be a nail-biting finale.

Twenty out of the initial 60 entrepreneurs from across the country have been shortlisted as finalists for the business plan competition, bringing them a step closer to turning their business ideas into reality.

Creating 500,000 Jobs, Nkhani Zamu Kachasu - FDD Spokesperson

By Staff Reporter

Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) spokesperson Antonio Mwanza has charged that the pronouncement by President Edgar Lungu that the Patriotic Front (PF) government shall create 500,000 jobs by 2016 is simply nkhani zamu Jameson or indeed nkhani zamu kachasu because it is totally unattainable looking at the prevailing realities with regards to the economy.

Apply for the Fountain 2015 Essay Contest for Writers Worldwide

Deadline: November 30, 2015

Entries are now being accepted for the 2015 Fountain Magazine Essay Contest. The theme for this year’s contest is “ The Defining Theme of Our Age. How do you think history will record the 21st century?”

Fully Funded: Apply for a British Chevening Scholarships for International Students

Deadline: November 3, 2015

Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations.

The programme makes awards to outstanding scholars with leadership potential from around the world to study postgraduate courses at universities in the UK.

Women urged to utilize empowerment funds

First Lady Esther Lungu has urged women in the country to take advantage of women empowerment funds being offered by government.

And Community Development Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister, Josephine Limata encouraged the women to utilise the women empowerment fund.

Value addition in agriculture key to job creation

Government says value addition in agriculture is key to promoting sustainable development and job creation in rural areas.

And Government targets to bring 17,500 hectares of land under irrigation, construct multipurpose dams and upscale sustainable utilisation of wetlands.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Donates $4.7M To Fund Technology For African Journalism

Code for Africa has received a $4.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fund data journalism schools and projects, according to journalism.co.uk.

Based in Nairobi, Code for Africa is an initiative that uses data to build civic technology capacity in civil society and the watchdog media. It has citizen labs operating across the continent. It describes itself as a people-driven movement that aims to empower active citizenry and strengthen civic watchdogs to help government shape and improve its services to citizens.

Be your own boss, VINCENT MWALE urges youths

Minister of Youth and Sport, Vincent Mwale has challenged youths in the country to strive in becoming own employers after acquiring the necessary skills.

Mr. Mwale said this is the only way youths can empower themselves and reduce the dependence syndrome of being employed.

Launch of youth policy and action plan cheers ZANASU

By Staff Reporter

The Zambia National Students' Union (ZANASU) has reacted to the President Lungu's address on the launch of the “2016 Youth Policy & Action Plan For Youth Empowerment & Employment.”

ZANASU vice-president, Prince Ndoyi says ZANASU has joined the millions of youths and students across the country in celebrating the youth policy and action plan.

Why we invested $400m in Zambia cement plant – DANGOTE

The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, last week, stated that his company decided to invest well over $ 400 million in the Zambian cement plant due to the enabling environment created by the Southern African country.

According to The Sun Dangote, stated this at the commissioning of the cement plant in Zambia and said that apart from the cement plant, the company has also built a 30 megawatts coal plant to generate electricity around the facility.

Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe says poverty can only be defeated by promoting entrepreneurship among the locals.

Ms Mwanakatwe said foreign investments were only useful in supplementing local efforts.

Ms Mwanakatwe said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is focused on developing a vibrant micro, small and medium enterprise sector by providing ease and cheap cost of doing business in the country.

Educating girls is the key to ending poverty

By Joe McCarthy

1 billion people around the world are still trapped in extreme poverty. For the first time in history, we have the power to end this.

But there is one secret weapon underused, or deliberately neglected, in most communities around the world that can break this cycle: the education of girls & women.

ICT Exams compulsory for all Grade Nine pupils, Govt declares

The Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education says it is compulsory for all Grade Nine pupils to write Information Communication and Technology (ICT) examinations although the subject will not be used for selection to Grade 10.

Permanent secretary Chishimba Nkosha said this is because not all schools have been supplied with computers.

He said had the ministry supplied computers to all schools, computer studies would have also been used for the selection to Grade 10.

Apply: Forbes Under 30 $1M Change the World Competition

The Challenge

The Forbes Under 30 $1 Million Change the World Competition is the largest ever for young social entrepreneurs.

Five or six finalists, selected from the complete pool of competitors, will receive a cash award of $100,000 USD. They will then compete on-stage at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Philadelphia on October 6, 2015 in front of 2,000 world-class mentors and the best young entrepreneurs and game-changers in the world, as culled from the Forbes 30 Under 30 lists.

President Lungu to launch youth empowerment and employment strategic plan

President Edgar Lungu is next week expected to launch the long awaited youth empowerment and employment strategic plan with a view of increasing youth employment in both the formal and informal sectors.

Youth and Sports Minister Vincent Mwale said the long awaited strategic plan was critical to youth empowerment as it presented unique ideas that would help young people generate their own employment by becoming self-reliant.

ANDREW NGUVU wins $6000, named 2015 Zambian Young Entrepreneur of the Year

In a record of firsts, the first winner of the 2015 Zambian Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition was announced today.

The winner was 24 year old Andrew Nguvu, whose business “Village Chickens” impressed the judges with innovative ways to procure, process and package live birds directly from rural dwellers through to commercial outlets.

THANDIWE BANDA alive and well

Former First Lady Thandiwe Banda is alive and well contrary to rumor circulating on social media that she has died.

Former President Rupiah Banda’s assistant Dr Martin Mtonga told QFM News in a telephone interview that the former first lady is currently is South Africa where she accompanied her husband for his medical checkup.

WILL SMITH Reacts To Divorce Rumours

Will Smith has set the record straight once again. Him And Jada Pinkett are not splitting! The divorce rumour is not true!

Will and Jada have been married for years now and the rumor mill has been swirling, claiming they are close to divorcing.

Entrepreneurship means you overcome odds

By Adva Saldinger

Professor Muhammad Yunus has already transformed global financial systems and made his mark on development, but at 75 he’s not done yet.

What he’s working to do now, what he hopes will be his legacy, is changing what he calls an “artificial” and “distorted” construct of human beings that the world has created, Yunus, the co-founder and chairman of Yunus Social Business Global Initiatives, told Devex in an exclusive interview in Kampala, Uganda, last week.

Zambian media in need of training on parliamentary reporting

Speaker of the National Assembly, Patrick Matibini, has chastened the press and called for serious investment in training of reporters in Parliamentary reporting to ensure that journalists do not misrepresent the proceedings of the house.

In a ruling on a point of order raised by Kalomo Member of Parliament, Request Muntanga in which he wanted to know if Radio Phoenix were in order to broadcast information on July 23rd 2015 which alleged that Parliament had passed a resolution to increase salaries on a motion tabled by Hon. Patrick Mucheleka, Independent MP.

Dangote Cement plans to double investment in Zambia to around US$900 million by building a second cement plant, the company’s vice-president said on Tuesday.

Dangote has already built one cement plant at a cost of $450 million in Masaiti, some 300 km (200 miles) north of Lusaka that is expected to produce 1.5 million tonnes of cement annually when it reaches full capacity by the end of this year.

Free the private sector and unleash the creativity of entrepreneurs, ERIC SCHULTZ urges govt

United States of America Ambassador to Zambia, Eric Schultz has said that Zambia has great economic potential which young entrepreneurs should tap.

Mr Schultz, in a statement made available to the media in Lusaka yesterday, said one of the most important factors creating this potential is Zambia’s dynamic young entrepreneurs.

By Staff Reporter

Copperbelt University Student Union (COBUSU), Secretary General, Lukwesa Alfred has commended the Copperbelt University (CBU) students who have taken time and sacrificed their resources to champion for the opening of our institution.

Mr Lukwesa has equally appreciated the efforts of the Media Houses in trying to ensure that their calls are heard.

“These calls are not only coming from CBU students but from musicians, authors and other well meaning citizens of this country who not only sympathize with us but understand the gravity of this situation, and its impact on Mother Zambia,” he explains.

Wife of Bill Gates (the richest man in the world), Melinda Gates, recently visited Malawi where, during her stay, joined local women in the area to fetch water from the stream, and did the dishes.

By Staff Reporter

The funniest woman in Uganda Anne Kansiime’s before leaving Zambia after successful shows in Lusaka and Kitwe she formally launched a “Face of a Child Foundation”, an Orphanage Clinic for Kabushi-Kantolomba townships in Ndola.

Kansiime says she shed tears of sadness last time she visited the townships in question adding that this time around she had tears of Joy.

CBU students launch “OpenCBU” campaign

By Staff Reporter

Student of the Copperbelt University (CBU) have launched an online protest, a “OpenCBU” campaign which is fast trending on social media.

Students have since embarked on a campaign of typing #OpenCBU on any post and/or wall on social media.

The decision to close the University was passed by the Education Minister following the recent fracas between the Vice Chancellor, Naison Ngoma and the Academic Union.