Sun, 17 Dec 2017 11:53:54 +0000 By CHIKUMBI KATEBE GOVERNMENT must bear costs of conducting the next national referendum proposed for 2019 coupled with the spirit of volunteerism among stakeholders as a cost saving measure, says Young African Leaders Initiative president, Andrew Ntewewe. Mr Ntewewe said hosting of the national referendum should rest on Government’s commitment to providing minimal funding in the 2019 National Budget with support from stakeholders to reduce the finance burden. He explained that international donors only accounted for a small fraction of the required funds to carry out a referendum, which makes it possible for Zambia to host without too much dependence on donors. “While Zambia’s cooperating partners, including the Commonwealth, must be engaged on the possibility of funding the Referendum, YALI is alive to fact that about 90 percent of funding for these democratic processes – including the 2016 general election – have been borne by Zambia’s taxpayers through Government. […]
