RESIDENTS GEARED ON COVID-19 FIGHT: Zambia currently sits at 52 percent of the national herd immunity

THE setting is Mahatma Gandhi grounds in Lusaka’s Mtendere Township. And scores of people are gathered to witness the official launch of the 2nd COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Yes, the country, which currently sits at 52 percent of the national herd immunity, has set itself an ambitious target of getting to the internationally required 70 percent herd immunity.

“I am yet to be vaccinated,” says Alick Mwale, a Mtendere resident. “That is why I have come here to hear for myself the stories they say about the vaccines.”

Mr Mwale, like many others who are yet to get vaccinated against COVID-19, has been skeptical taking the jab because of the myths that he has heard about it.

“I have heard a lot of bad stories about it. That is why I am just from having a chat with that nurse there, asking about the safety of the vaccine. I think I will take it with time, we shall see how it goes,” he says.

Another Mtendere resident, Derrick Phiri, was among the people who had spared some time to be at the Mahatma Ghandi grounds to learn about the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Mr Phiri was brought to the venue by his older sister, who is already vaccinated and wants to get a booster jab.

“I will get the vaccine,” he says. “My sister has recommended that I get the AstraZeneca because it is the one that she got and it didn’t give her any problems.”

His sister, only identified as Bridget, says: “There is nothing scary about these vaccines. It is better to get the vaccine and forget about worrying about COVID-19. At least you know you are partially protected even if they say it [vaccine] is not a cure.”

Previously, vaccination campaigns were implemented by the Ministry of Health, but not anymore.

Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo announced at the venue that, as part of the decentralisation policy, Government has decided to delegate to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development activities such as sensitisation campaigns.

This, according to her, is to ensure that the information trickles down to the intended people in the communities.

“Going forward, such events will be officiated by local councils because they are the ones on the ground and they are the ones in touch with the communities – the actual people who need this information,” she said.

It is no wonder that Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Garry Nkombo was guest of honour at the event.

In his speech, Mr Nkombo called for heightened awareness in the COVID-19 pandemic in order to attain the internationally required 70 percent herd immunity.

He observed with dismay a resurgence of respiratory diseases since the relaxation of the COVID-19 guidelines such as cessation of the mandatory wearing of face masks in public places. He said much as the COVID-19 positivity rate has reduced, the pandemic has not been eradicated.

“You are all encouraged to get vaccinated. It’s not a secret that at the peak of the pandemic last year, we lost a lot of people. Government remains committed to improving health systems in the country and to attaining universal health coverage status,” Mr Nkombo said.

He added: “This campaign must be a reminder that our country has not yet achieved the desired target. Let’s play a role and encourage each other to ensure that every eligible person is fully vaccinated against the COVID-19.”

Mr Nkombo said vaccination has demonstrated to have a high impact, owing to how the number of hospitalisations and deaths have dwindled from the time the country started administering vaccines.

Currently, Zambia stands at about 56 per cent herd immunity against COVID-19.

At the same function, World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative Nathan Bakyaita commended Government for the dedication and commitment to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Bakyaita said WHO will continue to collaborate with Government through the Ministry of Health to fight COVID-19.

“This pandemic has crippled a lot of economies and ensuring that we vaccinate many people will see us return to a semblance of normalcy,” he said.

He said at the current rate, Zambia is on course to achieving the required 70 percent herd immunity target and WHO remains committed to supporting the country.

UNICEF acting country representative Benjamin Meyer said with the vaccination campaign, Zambia stands ready to meet its target by the end of the year.

“We have been working closely with many other cooperating partners to provide vaccines since April last year,” he said.

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) country director Dr Andrew Auld said the U.S government is fully committed to supporting Zambia in her vaccination drive.

Dr Auld said a significant number of eligible people still remain to be vaccinated.

“Please, continue to get vaccinated. The vaccines are readily available and the US government has donated over six million vaccines,” he said.

Lusaka Province minister Sheal Mulyata, in a speech read for her by Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, Mike Mposha, who is Munali Constituency Member of Parliament, said the province has adequate vaccines, and personnel has already been dispatched to various centres for the vaccination campaign.

Ms Mulyata urged all stakeholders to continue championing the response in a multi-sectoral manner.

The campaign, which is being held under the theme: ‘COVID-19 is not yet over. Get vaccinated today, protect yourself, family and your community’, is running from 3rd October to 12th October.

Not too long ago, USAID Discover Health deputy director Mutinta Nyumbu urged people not to drop their guard against COVID-19.

“Let us, therefore, go out there and tell the people that all those myths they have about vaccines are not true. We are glad to have partnered with the chiefs and Ministry of Health to win the fight,” she said.

At provincial level, North-Western, Copperbelt and Central provinces have all reached the internationally required 70 percent COVID-19 herd immunity.

Note that this story was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper of Wednesday 12, 2022.

GENERAL SIMBEYE’S LEGACY: Full military honours, tributes follow ex-Army Commander

WHAT could have happened if the Army mutineers led by Captain Steven Lungu, alias Captain Solo, had gotten their way with Army Commander General Nobby Simbeye on October 28, 1997?

No one knows precisely. 

But what is clear is that democracy survived that day. Having raided his home, the mutineers wanted to take Gen Simbeye to the Mass Media Complex to announce on radio the military take-over of state powers. Fortunately, Gen Simbeye was able to escape over a wall fence and the coup was eventually foiled.

For that simple act, he deserves to be called a hero. Little wonder that then President Frederick Chiluba promoted him to full General even though he never commanded the army in that capacity as he was retired upon promotion and sent into Foreign Service.

But to restrict Gen Simbeye’s contribution to the failed 1997 coup would be a great disservice – he did far more than that.

After enlisting in the Zambia Army as an officer cadet, he was sent to Mons Military Academy in Aldershot, United Kingdom for military training. This culminated in his commissioning as a second lieutenant on August 4, 1967.

It was the start of an adventurous military career. He underwent a number of trainings. After that, his greatest desire for Zambia Army was to have more Army officers get on-job training, depending on various training needs. And this he was able to achieve during his time as Zambia Army Commander from 1991 to 1997.

“With limited resources, he mooted the idea of Zambia having its own Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC),” the Zambia Army said in a statement following his death last Saturday.

“And in 1995, the Kamwala DSCSC was established with the help of expatriates from India and other cooperating partners.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Today, the Kamwala DSCSC, with 100 percent local directing staff, is a centre of excellence in the region.

Gen Simbeye also spearheaded the participation of Zambia Army officers in United Nations peace-keeping missions.

“He sent Lieutenant General Solomon Mumbi who was his Brigadier General Staff (BGGS) to New York to meet Kofi Annan who was Chief of Operations at United Nations Headquarters to negotiate the possibility of Zambia taking part in United Nations’ peacekeeping operations,” the Zambia Army said. “The request was accepted and a team of inspectors from New York came into Zambia to inspect equipment and capabilities.

“Today, world leaders and the United Nations in particular have hailed Zambia Army’s professionalism and bravery in executing the United Nations’ mandate of protecting the civilians in areas where the Army is deployed.”

Lt Gen Mumbi, who took over from Gen Simbeye as Army Commander, has fond memories of him.

“You know for soldiers, we always love each other – through and through and we work as a team – officers and men,” he said. “That’s how it’s supposed to be because we bear arms, we fight as a team. So losing him, we have lost a colleague and we will miss him.

“And he was brilliant. For him to have attained the rank of that high level and command the Army, it’s something different. It’s not everybody that gets there.”

During his 31 years of illustrious service to the country, Gen Simbeye held various command and staff appointments, including platoon commander, company commander, second-in-command and eventually commanding officer at 1 Infantry Battalion in Ndola.

He also served as instructor and company commander at the School of Military Training, now Zambia Military Academy.

According to the Zambia Army, it was at this time when Gen Simbeye – a Captain by then – together with other instructors, wrote the training manual for officer cadets at Zambia Military Academy.

He trained the first intake of indigenous officers who include General Isaac Chisuzi, Major General Raphael Chisheta and Major General Anthony Yeta, among others.

“He re-shaped the defence force very well from being a one party defence force to a multi-party defence force, which was not easy that time,” Colonel Bizwayo Nkunika, a former Zambian envoy to the United Kingdom, South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt who was arrested in 1988 in connection with a military coup, says.

“Under the one-party state, everybody in the Army followed UNIP. But when the multi-party system came about and Gen Simbeye was commander, he managed to blend the different political shades and developed the mind of the officers and men not to be partisan in politics – and that was a very big achievement, it was a psychological change for the defence force. I had just left the Army and became deputy high commissioner to Nigeria.”

Former Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Commander and minister in the MMD Government Ronnie Shikapwasha also shared a close relationship with Gen Simbeye.

“I can tell you hundreds of significant moments about him,” Lt Gen Shikapwasha says. “When we were at school, we played tennis together and we could chase that ball like nobody’s business. When we became soldiers together, I was flying aeroplanes, he was in the infantry and he worked very hard in North-Western Province to bring peace there, which has not been mentioned.

“He worked very hard to establish a staff training college, me and him, we worked hard on that one. He worked very hard to get the soldiers go into the United Nations programmes. He worked very hard to keep the peace in the country and above all, the region.”

His wife, Kinah Ngoie Kalisilira Simbeye, describes the late General as a true hero.

“My hero, you dedicated your life to service with honour, integrity and patriotism. The nation has lost a hero,” Kinah, who was married to Gen Simbeye for 44 years, said on Wednesday during the Church Service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka.

“Today I promise you in front of all our loved ones that I will make sure your legacy lives on and your story will forever be told for as long I am still here.”

General Simbeye’s children also paid tribute to him.

“My father is a definition of a country’s true patriot,” his son Eric said. “His principles were guided by honour at the very highest. His loyalty and commitment to this country was unquestionable. Whatever his country asked of him, he was there unconditionally.

“He was a special man, one of only four-star Generals in the history of our country.”

His daughter, Debra, said she admired his truthfulness and boldness.

“A hero to his children, a hero for his family and a hero to the nation but more especially a hero to me,” Izu said.

Nyza called Gen Simbeye a friendly giant.

“Among all the heroes this world has ever had, there is not one the world admired more than the guy I called dad,” Nyza said.

Musanchi said her dad had instilled in her the values of loyalty, integrity, honesty, kindness and love.

“I have chosen to emulate your power of saying a few words and say farewell to my beloved hero,” she said. “Great men do not leave us, they travel and we remain with practical examples of life and a legacy to carry on.”

Gen Simbeye was born on September 30, 1946 in Isoka, but had his formative years in Kitwe where he attended at Wusakile Primary School where he found the likes of Mbikusita Akashambatwa. He later transferred to Chalimbana Primary School where he did standard five and six respectively, then Kitwe Boys High School and finally Chiwala Boys Secondary in Ndola where he found the likes former Chief Justice Ernest Sakala and former Army Commander and Vice President Lieutenant General Christone Tembo.

It was after Chiwala that he started his long career in the Zambia Army.

“General Simbeye will be remembered as refined and hard-working career soldier who meticulously rendered selfless service to his country,” the Zambia Army said in their eulogy.

Please note that this article was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper of Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

TACKLING FOOD WASTAGE AND LOSS: WFP and partners take holistic approach to eradicate malnutrition in Zambia

ACCORDING to a recent publication on the World Food Programme (WFP) website, one-third of food produced for human consumption is either lost or wasted globally, amounting to a financial loss of US$1 trillion annually.

Food waste generally refers to produce thrown away by the consumer, whereas food loss usually happens at production, post-harvest and processing stages of the food chain. 

It is for this reason that it has, therefore, become critical that arable land is used as efficiently as possible, through reduced loss and waste.

Liato Kashweka is Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) project monitoring and evaluation officer in Katete. He explains that DAPP, with support from WFP and Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), is implementing the integrated nutrition and smallholder support project in parts of Eastern and Southern provinces.

Mr Kashweka notes that the approach is, however, holistic.

“So, for us, we know that what we want to achieve at the end of the day is for everyone to produce and consume nutritious foods through an integrated and multi-sectoral approach,” he says.

Instead of just promoting the production and consumption of nutritious foods or discourage people from wasting or losing food, the project, in its holistic approach, is taking a bottom-up approach.

Take for instance Damiano Tembo. He is not only a lead farmer, he is also Yooyani Zone 8 agriculture camp rain gauge minder, trained through the project.

His job is to check readings from the rain gauge whenever it rains. The idea is for farmers in the agriculture camp to avoid food loss that may be caused by a shortage of rainfall amid these prevailing climatic threats.

He says: “…20mm [millimetres] of rainfall is sufficient for someone to start planting.”

Every reading he takes from the rain gauge, which was installed in the centre of the agriculture camp in June last year, is recorded and sent to DAPP and Zambia Meteorological Department, and also communicated to other lead farmers. 

In turn, the lead farmers share the rainfall readings with all the farmers in the community. The information is vital to farmers as it enables them to determine whether the rains are adequate to plant the crop or not.

“What we don’t want is to have crops die because someone planted early or late. That is why every lead farmer who receives the readings has to communicate the message to farmers under them,” he says.

That is not all.

In a quest to maximise on production, the farmers have also been taught about conservation farming.

Agriculture extension officer Ndogime Zulu says the soil in the area is not very good and that is why she encourages farmers to venture into conservation farming, whose benefits, she says, are many.

“That’s why we have come in with the agroforestry technologies such as planting of tree species such as Gliricidia and Musangu which increase soil fertility and supplement and control water levels in the soil,” she says.

In dry spells, the tree species are able to supply water to any plant that is planted in between them.

“When you trim off the branches and leaves, that mulch will keep the moisture for the plants. This is what we recommend mostly for ripping, a type of conservation agriculture,” says Ms Zulu.

Her catchment in the zone is over a thousand farmers, with 28 cooperatives and 16 clubs.

“We have also introduced crop rotation and also inter-cropping. Rotating maize with legumes has been proven to retain 30 percent of nutrients in the soil,” she says.

She is confident that once everyone has grasped and accepted conservation farming, amid threatening climate change effects, the people in her zone will stand to reap even more benefits.

“We want to see how we can incorporate the use of composite as a locally made fertiliser,” she says.

Mr Kashweka adds: “We started by identifying smallholder farmers in the camps who depended on their small pieces of land for farming. We wanted to ensure that on that small piece of land, they can practise conservation farming and earn even more.”

And the improvement has been massive.

“You can ask any of these farmers here, they will tell you that before we came in, they would harvest between 40 and 50 bags of maize on one hectare. But now that number has almost tripled – that’s massive progress, if you ask me,” he says.  

Not forgetting that most food is wasted and lost between production and post-production, the project is also equipping the farmers with knowledge on how to store their home-grown foods.

“We have also been taught about post-harvest loss and how to manage it. Now we even know the period to store whatever we produce and how much will be needed for consumption and the excess that we can sell,” another farmer says.

Mr Kashweka says previously, farmers in the area used unconventional and, sometimes, unsafe methods to store their produce.

“That’s how we came in with the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags. The other thing is about knowing when and how to harvest the maize and all other produce – the idea is to minimise on loss and wastage,” he says.

PICS bags are effective in preserving grain quality for at least 14 different crops. The technology has been directly demonstrated to more than five million farmers in 56,000 villages in Africa.

The bags were designed by the University of Perdue to provide a low-cost method of reducing post-harvest losses. They are a cost-effective, triple-layer hermetic storage bags which permit farmers to store their grains without the use of insecticides, thus providing them healthy, clean food that can be stored for longer.

“The food consumption ratio has also been an issue. We then brought them (farmers) to a realisation of planning how to feed their families, how to store their food during these most critical times. We also bring them to what food to grow. In the past they never used to grow these nutritious foods and crops.

“Now they either intercrop or diversify. We are talking about cash crops such as cassava, soya beans, and orange sweet potatoes. These foods are not just nutritious, they are also marketable, and some farmers can sell some of it to afford to buy things like salt and sugar,” says Mr Kashweka.

Mr Stephen Omula is WFP programme policy officer – smallholder support. He notes that in Zambia, post-harvest losses remain a challenge, with crop losses reaching as high as 30 percent of the total harvests.

“With that in mind, WFP partnered with the Government and cooperating partners to strengthen the capacities of smallholder farmers to reduce losses resulting from poor post-harvest handling and storage practices. This is done through trainings in post-harvest management practices and promoting the utilisation of improved, low-cost crop storage solutions like hermetic bags and silos,” he says.

Mr Omula explains that in 2021 alone, WFP, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and cooperating partners, reached about 201,438 smallholder farmers with the trainings, while over 100,000 farmers received hermetic bags to safely store their crops after harvests. Farmers can reuse the bags for more than three harvest seasons. 

He says: “Managing post-harvest losses and food waste is critical to ensuring smallholders, who, in most cases, produce a small surplus, can have sufficient and safe nutritious food for household consumption and quality surplus stocks for selling at better prices.”

As part of sustainability, WFP, working with the private sector, has supported the setting up of the last mile distribution network to facilitate smallholder farmers’ easy access of the hermetic bags.

Note that this article was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper of Thursday, August 11, 2022.