IRIN – A raft of fuel price hikes that will affect agricultural production costs as well as consumer pockets is expected to drive food price inflation in Zambia, where about two-thirds of the population live on US$1 or less a day.

The government has announced an immediate petrol price rise of 15 percent, soon after a 10 percent excise duty on diesel came into effect on 1 January 2010.

According to a World Bank study citing average prices when the oil crisis peaked in 2008, the landlocked country had the highest fuel prices in southern Africa.

With the new hike, petrol in the capital, Lusaka, will cost about US$1.53, an increase of US$0.50, while diesel – primarily used in the mining and agricultural sectors – will now cost about US$1.20 a litre.

Read more – http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=87865

IPS – Cellular phones have quickly become a popular and effective means of communication in Zambia, but their use has been concentrated in urban areas. Government and NGOs are now trying to extend these services to rural people.

The Communication Authority of Zambia (CAZ) says only about four of the country’s 12 million people are able to use cellular phones, with much of the rural population unserved by the three commercial mobile phone service providers.

Read more – http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=49892

IPS – When he ordered his colleagues at the Water and Sanitation Association of Zambia to save all their urine in a plastic bottle in the office toilet, they thought he was mad. But German sanitation specialist Christopher Kellner wanted to demonstrate why he calls urine “liquid gold”.

“(Urine) contains the three most important plant nutrients which farmers buy as artificial fertiliser. These are nitrogen, phosphorus) and potassium – but it also contains all eight micronutrients plants need for growth,” Kellner explains.

Read more – http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=49822

UNICEF – Zambian President, His Excellency, Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda, today launched the National Communication Strategy against Gender-based Violence. The President called on all stakeholders to ensure that there is enough information through all media channels to empower the Zambian people to fully realize their rights and campaign against gender-based violence. He said gender-based violence is now the number two scourge in the country, next only to HIV and AIDS, in ravaging local society.

The theme of the campaign is “Abuse, Just Stop It.”

“HIV/AIDS has become the nation’s number one enemy. Second is the sexual- and gender-based violence, and almost silent is the problem of human trafficking,” said President Banda.

The President has declared zero tolerance against perpetrators of these gross human rights violations.

Read more – http://www.unicef.org/media/media_51566.html