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are all affected by AIDS pandemicLocal News Up-Date, August 15, 2010
Paedophilia in schools worries SESTUZ
By Moono Hamasukwa
A trade union official in Monze has condemned teachers who are in a tendency
of sexually molesting children in schools.
Secondary School Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUS) Monze branch secretary,
Percival Hachizo, says teachers who sexually molest girls in schools are an
embarrassment to the teaching fraternity.
Mr Hachizo says Paedophile teachers have no morals guiding their behaviour.
He says the Ministry of Education must make ethics examinable in teacher
training colleges as this can help to identify paedophilia behaviour and
ensure that students who fail the ethical code of conduct examinations for
teachers are not allowed to teach.
He has hailed the recent pronouncements by Dora Siliya that the Ministry of
Education will ensure that teachers involved in sexual offences in schools
are fired and blacklisted.
Mr. Hachizo was speaking Thursday during a Radio Chikuni Live discussion
programme “Amubabuzye”.
Recently Education Minister Dora Siliya condemned teachers involved in child
molestation describing the act as unprofessional and inhuman.
Speaking when she officiated at a two-day workshop training for the media
personnel on Sexual Violence against Girls, organised by the Zambia Media
Women Organisation (ZAMWA) in Lusaka, Ms Siliya said it was sad to note that
teachers who are entrusted with the responsibility to take care of children
while in school are the ones abusing them sexually, making them pregnant and
vulnerable to diseases.
She disclosed that her ministry has recorded 16 cases of teachers abusing
female pupils from February this year to date and added that the trend
should be condemned by all Zambians as it is unacceptable and painful to children.
Ms Siliya said the ministry will ensure that the teachers involved in sexual
violence against girls in schools are fired and blacklisted so that they do
not get near pupils even after serving their sentences.
The minister has since directed relevant education authorities at various
levels to report teachers who abuse girls in schools so that they are
suspended pending investigations.
Monze DC calls for public private collaboration in helping the disabled
By Moombe Hamoobola
Monze district commissioner, Emmerson Machila, has called for public private
partnership in alleviating the suffering of people living with disability.
Mr Machila says government alone can not manage to alleviate the sufferings of the disabled.
He says helping the underprivileged is a collective responsibility hence the
need for public private partnership in assisting the needy in society.
Mr Machila further says the private sector should supplement government
efforts in providing material assistance to people living in critical conditions.
He was speaking Monday during the hand over of 45 wheelchairs to the
disabled in Monze by Namianga mission.
Meanwhile Namianga mission director, Sheryl Ramsey said the mission through
the help of the American people had bought 550 wheelchairs to distribute to
the disabled in Southern Province to reduce the mobility problems faced by
people living with disability.
Corporal Mudaala calls for skills development among the disabled
By Moombe Hamoobola
Tugwasyanye Disabled Association Chairperson, Corporal Bonaventure Mudaala,
has appealed to government and other charitable organisations to train the
disabled in various life skills to uplift their lives.
Corporal Mudaala told Radio Chikuni News that many disabled people face a
difficult life because they have not acquired any entrepreneurial skills.
He says due to high levels of illiteracy among the disabled, many of them
can not get jobs in the formal sector-hence the need for them to be trained
in survival skills like carpentry, tailoring and other semi-skilled jobs.
Corporal Mudaala said training the disabled in various skills such as
carpentry would not only reduce destitution among the disabled but would
make them contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
Illiteracy, poverty and unemployment feature as key challenges faced by the
disabled in Zambia.
An estimated 2 million people in Zambia are disabled.
Kalufyanya urges the grassroots to play a leading role in developing communities
By Moombe Hamoobola
Monze council secretary Namukolo Kalufyanya has urged people in the rural
parts of the district to apply for funds if their areas are to be developed.
Mrs Kalufyanya told Radio Chikuni News, the projects that the council
undertook were based on the submissions made to the council by members of the public.
She said it was not possible for the council to just embark on projects
without people in those communities applying for funds.
Mrs Kalufyanya said it is important for the community to get involved in
the development of the district by applying for funds to embark on
various developmental projects.
Government allocates k600 million every year to each constituency as
Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for various developmental projects.
And Mrs Kalufyanya has said the council has received K500 million from the
Ministry of Local Government and Housing to redesign and construct a civic centre.
Mrs Kalufyanya said the council was in the process of identifying a
contractor to re-construct the civic center.
In another Development, Mrs Kalufyanya has revealed that 5642 people have
registered as voters so far in Monze.
Giving an update to Radio Chikuni News Monday, Mrs Kalufyanya said that 5642
people had registered as new voters as of July 28, 2010.
Mrs Kalufyanya also revealed that 1710 old voters, who had either lost,
damaged or wanted to correct anomalies on their voters’ cards have been
issued with new voters’ cards.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) commenced the mobile voter
registration exercise on June 21 ahead of the 2011 elections
