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are all affected by AIDS pandemicLocal News Up-Date, August 21, 2010
AIDS activist calls for the criminalizing of willful HIV in Zambia
By Cypriano Hisali and Mweemba Nchimunya
An AIDS activist in Chisekesi has sternly warned people living with HIV
against willful transmission of the virus to people who are not infected.
Chairperson for a support group of people living with HIV in Chisekesi,
Terry Simooya says people infected with the virus that leads to Aids must
not deliberately pass on the virus to others sexually, without warning them
that they are infected.
Mr Simooya told Radio Chikuni News that HIV positive people owe it to
humanity to stop the further spread of the virus that leads to AIDS.
He says infected people who have sex with other people without warning their
sexual partners that they have the virus, must be punished for willful
transmission of HIV.
Mr Simooya says willful HIV must be a criminal offence in Zambia.
“People must be prosecuted for intentionally transmitting HIV sexually”, Mr
Simooya says.
The Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) has also proposed that a clause be
included in the constitution to make willful transmission of HIV by rapists
and child defilers a punishable offense.
ZMA argued that most defilers were aware of their HIV status and they
willfully infected their victims.
But Professor (Fr) Michael J.Kelly, S.J. a consultant on HIV and AIDS and
educational issues in Zambia, argues in an article in Challenge Magazine
that criminalizing willful transmission of HIV will be counter productive.
Professor (Fr) Kelly argues that although it is not intended to do so,
criminalisation points the finger of blame at persons living with HIV/AIDS
and scapegoats them as potential criminals. In this way, it disempowers them
and worsens the stigma that they already experience. Thereby it runs the
risk of actively demolishing the very pillars of justice and equality that
the law is meant to protect.
Monze District Aids Taskforce (DATIF) Aids coordination advisor Beatrice
Kaimbo says Zambia must criminalise intentional HIV transmission.
Miss Kaimbo told Radio Chikuni News, infecting another person willfully with
HIV is like acting to commit murder, saying it is unfair and evil.
“Even if we have life prolonging drugs for HIV positive people, it is not
fair that an innocent person is infected wilfully, it is not fair and yes I
think it must be made a criminal offence, how, when and all the legal
implications are for the legal people, but a law on wilful HIV transmission
is long over due,” Miss Kaimbo says.
But wouldn’t such a law encourage stigma and discrimination against people
living with HIV?Wouldn’t it make people to fear going for an HIV test
knowing that their status will one day be used against them in a court of law?
What impact will this law have on HIV infection rates? Will it lead to
reduced HIV infections among vulnerable groups, especially young girls who
are victims of sexual molestation? How will such a law protect the
vulnerable groups of young girls and women?
Those are the questions people propagating for a law on wilful HIV must answer.
Again, should people who intentionally pass on the virus to others or
wilfully put others at risk of contracting HIV by exposing them to the virus
be let scot free or should they be prosecuted? What are about the innocent
young girls who are sexually abused by HIV positive people and become
infected as a result of sexual abuse, shouldn’t such paedophiles face the
full wrath of the law?
Those are the questions people opposed to criminalising wilful HIV must answer.
FODEP demands an appeal against Judge Hamaundu’s ruling on the London Judgment
By Mweemba Nchimunya
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has called on government to
immediately launch an appeal against High Court judge Evans Hamaundu's
decision to throw out an application by the state to register the London
High Court judgment against Frederick Chiluba and others.
FODEP says judge Hamaundu's decision to dismiss an application to register
the London judgment that found Chiluba and others liable for theft of about
US$46 million public funds has not aside the main case and does not stop
government from the pursuing the case further.
In a statemnent ,Executive Director Charity Musamba says it is important to
understand that Judge Hamaundu merely dealt with the procedural issues of
the case related to the manner in which the government wanted to register
and enforce the London Judgment.
Dr Musamba say government must commence a court action on the Judgement.
She says the Attorney General must appeal to the Supreme Court for
restatement and reversal of this decision because it will set a bad
precedent regarding international judgements.
But Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha recently said
government will not appeal against the verdict by the Lusaka High Court.
The Zambian Government, through the office of the Attorney General had been
pursuing the registration of the verdict passed in London by Judge Peter
Smith but the court ruled last Friday that there was no reciprocal
arrangement between Zambia and the United Kingdom to facilitate the
registration of the judgment.
Judge Peter Smith in 2007 found former president Frederick Chiluba and seven
others liable of defrauding the Zambian government of US$46 million public funds.
FRA opens depot in Kanchomba
By Christopher Chizanda and Sebastian Matimba
The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has opened a satellite maize buying depot in
Kanchomba in Choma District.
The development has cheered farmers who have always complained of long
distances to the nearest maize buying depots.
Gerald Hamuchenje, the Chairperson of Mwebele cooperative-contracted by the
FRA to buy maize on its behalf - disclosed the development to Radio Chikuni
News Thursday.
Mr Hamuchenje said the opening of the depot in Kanchomba is aimed at easing
the marketing problems faced by small scale farmers in the area.
He said the maize buying exercise started in the second week of August and
disclosed that so far he has bought 4000 by 50 kg bags of white maize out of
the targeted 10,000 bags.
Mr Hamuchenje says despite starting the exercise late, he is hopeful that by
30th September, he will have bought more than 10,000 bags of maize.
And a small scale farmer in the area, Mark Hachibe said the opening of the
depot in Kanchomba is a welcome development as it will ensure a readily
available market for maize in Kanchomba.
Mr Hachibe ,who is also the vice headman for Hamaundu village, says many
farmers now can sale their maize at the government set floor price of
k65,000 per 50 kg bag instead of falling prey to unscrupulous business
people buying the commodity at exploitatively low prices.
But another farmer who sought anonymity told Radio Chikuni News that though
the opening of the depot is a welcome move, government must do more to
ensure that farmers get a fair deal for their produce.
He said government must not set the floor price of maize but allow farmers
to determine the pricing of agricultural produce if the high poverty levels
among Zambia’s rural farmers are to reduce.
And a total of 21,898 by 50 kg bags of white maize have been bought from
farmers in Chipembele.
Chipembele depot buyer,Chrispin Mweemba told Radio Chikuni News that since
the start of the crop marketing season this year, over 21 000 bags of maize
have been bought from the farmers.
Mr Mweemba also disclosed that FRA has not yet started paying farmers in
Chipembele for the maize supplied to the agency.
‘Right to vote for the disabled not a reality’ –disability organisation
By Moombe Hamoobola
Tugwasyanye Disabled Association chairperson, Corporal Bonaventure Mudaala
says government must put in place measures aimed at turning the right to
vote a reality for the disabled.
Corporal Mudaala says the limitations brought about by disability coupled
with long distances to voter registration centers remain major impediments
in ensuring that the disabled exercise their right to vote.
“Lame people have no mobility equipment to access these centers, the deaf
don’t know because no one seriously takes time to learn sign language and
explain these issues to them, its like the disabled have been left out in
the electoral process of the country,’ he says.
In order to turn the right to vote a reality, corporal Mudaala says
government must address all the factors that hinder the full and effective
participation of the disabled in the electoral process of the country.
And corporal Mudaala has appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia
(ECZ) to have ballot papers printed in Braille so that even the blind can
have the chance to vote.
Corporal Mudaala says the disabled are unable to vote because ECZ has not
provided any special facilities for them to exercise their right to vote.
He claims that the dumb, deaf and blind have never voted in their lives
because there are no provisions for the disabled to vote.
He was speaking during Radio Chikuni’s “Amubabuzye” live discussion
programme Thursday.
Veep hails traditional leaders
By Mweemba Nchimunya
Vice President George Kunda has said traditional leaders must be respected
as they are the custodians of traditional authority and remain the key
figures in the development of communities.
Mr Kunda said politicians must desist from insulting traditional leaders,
describing the practice as unAfrican.
He said the African way of life is anchored on respect for elderly people
and authority figures.
Mr Kunda said it is unfortunate that some politicians are insulting
traditional leaders with impunity.
The Vice president was speaking Sunday in Chikankata when he addressed a rally.
Mr Kunda said traditional leaders play a leading role in conflict resolution
and initiating development at the grassroots level.
Turn out in voter registration exercise cheers Mwanakalanga
By Moombe Hamoobola
Ufwenuka ward councilor Tenara Mwanakalanga has described the turn out in
the voter registration exercise in his ward as impressive.
Speaking at Charles Lwanga Basic School voter registration center, where he
had gone to register, Councilor Mwanakalanga says more and more people are
turning up to register as voters.
Mr Mwanakalanga said there is need to sensitize people in rural areas so
that they understand the importance of taking part in the electoral process
of the country.
He said people especially in rural areas are yet to understand that they can
only influence decision making in the country through the ballot.
Mr Mwanakalanga has since called on people in his ward to register as voters
so that they can exercise their right to vote in 2011.
Monze Council secretary Namukolo Kalufyanya in a recent interview with
Radio Chikuni News said the response from the public in the on-going voter
registration is overwhelming.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) commenced the voter registration
exercise on June 21,ahead of the 2011 poll.
And in another development, Mr Mwanakalanga has bemoaned the poor state of
the Chikuni-Chisekesi road.
Mr Mwanakalanga said it was sad that barely six after the road had been
worked on it was already in a bad state.
He says he is yet to convince the authorities to grade the road before the
onset of the rainy season.
Peasant farmer expresses concern over the lack of mobile banking in rural areas
By Moombe Hamoobola
A peasant farmer in Chief Ufwenuka area in Monze District has bemoaned the
lack of banking services in rural areas.
Crispin Halwiindi says many farmers find it difficult to save money due to
lack of banking services in rural areas, saying this problem is further
compounded by the long distances to the nearest banks in Monze.
Mr Halwindi says commercial banks in the country must offer mobile banking
services so that the unbanked ,impoverished rural farmers can have an
opportunity to save money.
He says the idea of mobile banking is viable because farming is seasonal and
banks can take mobile banking services immediately the crop marketing season begins.
Mr Halwiindi has since appealed to commercial banks to consider opening a
mobile bank in Chikuni to encourage farmers to save.
Mr Halwiindi said Chikuni had over 7000 peasant farmers minus other
professionals, who would also benefit from banking services.
He said long distances to banks in town discourage many farmers from opening
accounts as it is quite expensive for them to regularly travel to Monze town
to access banking services.
Land disputes worry village headman
By Visage Habeenzu
A village headman in Chief Moonze’s area in Monze District has expressed
concern over the rampant cases of land disputes in the area.
Andrew Muchindu told Radio Chikuni News that land wrangles if not well
addressed can lead to conflict in communities.
He says customary land has always been a source of disputes in villages.
The village headman says land disputes have also retarded development in
rural areas as people who want to put up structures in villages face a lot
of opposition from villagers who claim they own the land.
Fisheries Dept called upon to educate farmers
By Addrey Kaaba
A Cooperative in Mwiinga-Malimvwa in Chief Ufwenuka’s area in Monze District
has called on the Fisheries Department in Monze to educate people in rural
areas on the importance of fish farming.
Nang’andu Cooperative Chairman, Alfred Mwandu, says there are very few
farmers engaged in fish farming in rural areas hence the need for the
Fisheries department to sensitize farmers on the benefits of fish farming.
Mr Mwandu says many people do not know the benefits of fish farming.
He was speaking to Radio Chikuni News Wednesday.
And Mr Mwandu has said their fish project in Nang’andu Village is a success
though they are yet to find a market for the Fingerings.
