Metro

Zambian govt declares ‘troublesome’ coalition illegal

Published

1 month ago

April 10, 2024

The Zambian government has officially declared the “troublesome” United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) an illegal entity as the coalition was not legally registered and did not exist in the books of the Registrar of Society.

Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister, Jack Mwiimbu, who declared the coalition an illegal entity while addressing a press conference in Lusaka on Wednesday, said the Alliance was stopped from holding a planned rally in the Kafue District because it was not recognised by government despite an application for the rally having been made by the group.

Mwiimbu stated that allowing UKA to proceed with the rally was akin to allowing lawlessness in a country which is being governed by rules and laws.

He noted further that as at the time of the press conference, no formal application had been made by the group to be registered as a political party or pressure group at the Registrar of Societies.

“You may wish to recall that on February, 13, 2024, Mr. Sakwiba Sikota visited the Registrar of Societies office to conduct a name search and reservation for a society called United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) which he intended to register as a pressure group,” Mwiimbu said.

He explained that after the said application and initial search were conducted, the name UKA was accordingly reserved from February, 13 to March, 13, and Sikota was informed that he was free to apply for registration of the pressure group.

The ministry said Sikota, however, returned on February, 14, with a verbal request to change the reservation category from a pressure group to a political party of which he was advised to apply formally.

“Following the expiration of the reservation in March, 13, 2024, Mr. Sikota came through to request for an extension of the reservation period. By then, the Department had migrated the application processes to the e-government platform,” Mwiimbu said.

He added that Sikota was advised accordingly to make an online application, but that to date, no such application had been recieved.

Mwiimbu further said a person identified as Gibson Bwalya attempted to apply for registration of a society called Unified Kwacha Alliance using another person’s National Registration Card and on the second attempt, omitted to attach an NRC document.

“These events clearly indicate that the said United Kwacha Alliance does not exist legally and is, in as far as the Ministry is concerned, an illegal society.”

In conclusion, the minister said UKA would not be allowed on the ballot paper for any election since it is an illegal entity despite its office orders indicating their availability to participate in such elections.

Related Topics:Alliance Coalition Featured Illegal UKA Zambia

Click to comment

Metro

Church in Kasama warns government against misusing Cyber Security Act

Published

19 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

In Kasama District of Northern Province, the Church has issued a caution to the government regarding the use of the Cyber Security Act to intimidate, harass, or oppress citizens and political parties.

Reverend Joseph Nkonde, Chairperson of the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) for Kasama District, restated the importance of fair implementation of the law to prevent discontent among citizens.

Speaking to Zambia Monitor in Kasama, Nkonde stressed the necessity for the government to focus on the positive aspects of the law and refine problematic clauses to achieve the desired Act.

“In this age of information, today’s Zambia is vastly different from yesterday’s. Citizens now utilise cyberspace to access and disseminate information,” he said.

Nkonde highlighted that Cyber Security also pertained to media freedoms, which are crucial for democracy and the well-being of Zambians.

He cautioned the government against intimidating journalists or their media houses using laws like the Cyber Security Act, as it could impede their performance.

“It’s important to note that many people, especially in rural areas, are unfamiliar with or unaware of the Cyber Security Act. The government can use the media to educate them about its advantages and disadvantages,” Nkonde advised.

Regarding media freedom, Nkonde acknowledged government’s efforts to implement policies aimed at protecting journalists but stressed the need for further action to ensure their security.

He urged Parliament to consider enacting laws that safeguard journalists and, ultimately, ordinary citizens who rely on the disseminated information.

“I also want to caution ordinary Zambians against misusing social media and posting content that may sow division or prompt government action that could be perceived as harmful,” Nkonde added.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

Nigeria targets 10,000MW hydropower through sustainable power project

Published

24 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, says the federal government is targeting10,000 megawatts through its Sustainable Power and Irrigation Project for Nigeria (SPIN) in collaboration with the World Bank.

Adelabu who disclosed this at during the African High-Level Roundtable on Sustainable Hydropower in the African Renewable Energy Mix of the 21st Century, held in Abuja on Wednesday, said the “primary objective of the project is to enhance the utilisation of existing storage facilities for both irrigation and hydropower generation.”

He added that the project aims to strengthen institutional frameworks related to integrated water resources management within Nigeria.

“SPIN aims to unlock additional 10GW combined capacity from existing dams with provision for hydro but not fitted, partially incomplete dams with provisions for hydropower, Greenfield projects and existing multipurpose dams that can be modified/redesigned and retrofitted,” Adelabu said.

The Minister who acknowled the immense potential for hydropower development in Africa, said it is important to also consider responsible development.

“We must address environmental concerns around dam construction and ecosystem disruption, alongside social impacts on local communities. This requires a commitment to sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and innovative solutions to financing these large-scale projects.”

The Minister also stated that for several decades, hydropower has played a significant role in Nigeria’s energy supply, contributing approximately 20 per cent to the nation’s total grid supply as of now.

Adelabu emphasised Nigeria’s wealth of water resources across its various basins while the country’s hydropower capacity is estimated at 14 GW, only around 15 per cent of this potential has been harnessed.

“The country has over 340 dams spread across different geo-political zones, under the management of the three government tiers and many are not optimally utilized or at risk of damage.

“For the small hydropower, a multitude of river systems, providing about 70 micro dams, 126 mini dams, and 86 small sites, supply a technically exploitable capacity of 3.5GW, but only 1.7per cent (0.06GW) of these resources are currently being tapped, while there are about 10GW of potential untapped capacities from the large and medium-sized hydropower,” he added.