Cheaper Heart Surgery For Children
Cheaper Heart Surgery For Children: A group of Zambian professionals concerned about the treatment and care of heart diseases in Zambian children have formed the Cardiac Trust of Zambia to promote awareness about congenital heart disorders and to raise funds to pay for life-saving surgery for underprivileged children. The Trust has signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate life-saving surgery in South Africa at the Walter Sisulu Pediatric Cardiac Centre for Africa, WSPCCA. Already three young patients, two from Lusaka and the other a double orphan from Kalomo, have benefited from this collaboration which saw them undergo vital heart operations in South Africa at discounted rates. A key component of the work the Cardiac Trust of Zambia will be doing in conjunction with the WSPCCA, is skills development for Zambian medical personnel and capacity building.
Zambia Owes IMF $333M: Parliament has been told that Zambia’s debt with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stood at US$333 million as of March 2010. In response to a question from Chilubi Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Obius Chisala, Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning. David Phiri said that of this amount, US$1.9 million has been paid towards the debt from 2006 to date. Mr Phiri added that Government is cautious in contracting debt to ensure that the country does not fall into another debt trap. He said measures have been put in place to ensure prudent management of debt by ensuring that repayment is made within the stipulated time.
Banda Apologises For Racist Remarks: President Rupiah Banda has apologised unreservedly to the Indian community and to opposition United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema for remarks he made in Ndola about Mr Hichilema's wife. He commented that Hichilema's wife and children had never been seen in public, wondering whether he was married to a mwenye - a derogatory term meaning an Indian. President Banda said he believed in the equality of all races and therefore regretted that his statement had given the impression that he was a racist or against the Indian community in Zambia.
Current Expenditure To Be Cut: President Rupiah Banda’s foreign trips and those of government officials may be reduced following a commitment by finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane towards cutting expenditure as a condition of accessing finance from the IMF. In a Letter of Intent to the IMF, Dr Musokotwane stated that the government was taking remedial measures to reduce current spending to provide room for capital expenditure, particularly on infrastructure and social development. He also stated that Zambia has cut its economic growth forecast for 2010 to 5.8 percent from 7 percent due to the possibility of a sluggish global economic recovery.
Kwacha Gains: Zambia's kwacha has posted its biggest weekly gain this year, hitting a nearly two-month high due to local selling of dollars, in part by companies needing kwacha to pay salaries, traders said. Having opened the week at 5,100 to the dollar, the currency of Africa's largest copper producer strengthened to as much as 4,920 on Friday, a gain of 3.5 percent. It closed at 4,960. In a daily bulletin, Standard Chartered Bank Zambia said market sentiment pointed to further strengthening, although it said importers might be tempted to buy dollars at these levels, arresting any further gains.
High Commissioner Speaks At ZST Golf Day: Zambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Royson Mukwena has said sport is one of the most effective ways through which social problems such as those affecting orphans and the vulnerable can be solved. Addressing more than 50 golfers who participated in the 14th Zambia Society Trust annual golf competition at Mid-Sussex Golf & Country Club on 7 July, Prof. Mukwena hailed the Charity for giving priority to assisting orphans living in poor Zambian communities to attend school. He commended British citizens who once lived in Zambia and other friends of Zambia for their commitment to raising funds for orphans and other vulnerable children through social activities such as a golf tournament. Prof. Mukwena then went on to present prizes to the winning golfers, including the silver ZST Charity Challenge Cup to the winning team.
Tailings Dams Tested For Copper
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