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_*TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH 2025.*_
_*SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.*_
_*FIRST READING*_
_“I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground.”_
_*A reading from the Book of Genesis (GENESIS 6: 5 - 8; 7: 1 - 5, 10)*_
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord. Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate; and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive upon the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
_*The Word of the Lord.*_
_*RESPONSORIAL PSALM*_
_Taken from Psalm 29: 1a and 2, 3ac - 4, 3b and 9c - 10 (R.) 11b_
And the response is;
_*R/. The Lord will bless his people with peace.*_
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly powers,
ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
bow down before the Lord, majestic in holiness. *R/.*
The voice of the Lord upon the waters,
the Lord on the immensity of waters;
the voice of the Lord full of power;
the voice of the Lord full of splendour. *R/.*
The God of glory thunders;
in his temple they a
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN COPYRIGHTS TO THE MUSIC
_*MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH 2025.*_
_*SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.*_
_*FIRST READING*_
_“Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.”_
_*A reading from the Book of Genesis (GENESIS 4: 1 - 15, 25)*_
Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought some of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me this day away from the ground; and from your face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will slay me.” Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If any one slays Cain, vengeance shal
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN COPYRIGHTS TO THE MUSIC
_*FEBRUARY 16TH 2025.*_
_*SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.*_
_*FIRST READING*_
_“Cursed is the man who trusts in man, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.”_
_*A reading from the Book of Jeremiah (JEREMIAH 17: 5 - 8)*_
Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
_*The Word of the Lord.*_
_*RESPONSORIAL PSALM*_
_Taken from Psalm 1: 1 - 2, 3, 4 and 6 (R.) Psalm 40: 4ab_
And the response is;
_*R/. Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.*_
Blessed indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the path with sinners,
nor abides in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord,
and who ponders his law day and night. *R/.*
He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper. *R/.*
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they, like winnowed chaff,
shall be driven away by the wind.
For the Lord knows the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked will perish. *R/.*
_*SECOND READING*_
_“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.”_
_*A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (1ST CORINTHIANS 15: 12, 16 - 20)*_
Brethren: If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? For if the dead are not raised, then Chri
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_*SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH 2025.*_
_*FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.*_
_*FIRST READING*_
_The Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground._
_*A reading from the Book of Genesis (GENESIS 3: 9 - 24)*_
The Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of ski
DODIA CALLS FOR STRONGER INTERBANK SUPPORT AMID GROWING MONETARY POLICY RATE
Following the increase in the monetary policy rate by 50 basis points, raising it from 14% to 14.5% on February 12, 2025 by the Bank of Zambia (BOZ), renowned Zambian economist, Mr. Yusuf Dodia, has shared his understanding on the development.
In a statement to Spice FM, Mr. Dodia explained that the monetary policy rate plays a crucial role in promoting, supporting, and facilitating interbank lending and borrowing. Banks use this rate to determine the interest rates they charge each other when lending money to cover short-term cash needs. For instance, a smaller bank that needs to provide cash to a large customer may borrow from a neighboring larger bank.
In return, the smaller bank pays interest to the larger bank for the borrowed funds, a process known as interbank borrowing.
"The rate at which banks borrow and lend to each other is what we call the monetary policy rate. When this rate goes up, it increases the cost of banking services, which can fuel inflation," Mr. Dodia said. He emphasized that although the monetary policy rate's impact on inflation is not as direct as increases in fuel prices or electricity tariffs, it is still significant.
Mr. Dodia underscored the importance of cooperation among banks. Without interbank support, the public may lose confidence in the banking system, leading to a preference for keeping money at home rather than in banks. He noted that the Bank of Zambia is sensitive to concerns from larger banks, which provide liquidity to smaller banks but may feel that the current earnings from such support are insufficient.
"The impetus to increase the monetary policy rate stems from the larger banks' demands for better returns on the liquidity they provide to smaller banks," Mr. Dodia explained.
Mr. Dodia further pointed out that while the increase in the monetary policy rate aims to ensure stability in the banking sector, it also has broader implications f
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_*FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH 2025.*_
_*FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.*_
_*MEMORIAL OF SAINTS CYRIL, Monk & METHODIUS, Bishop.*_
_*FIRST READING*_
_“You will be like God, knowing good and evil.”_
_*A reading from the Book of Genesis (GENESIS 3: 1 - 8)*_
The serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruits and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
_*The Word of the Lord.*_
_*RESPONSORIAL PSALM*_
_Taken from Psalm 32: 1 - 2, 5, 6, 7 (R.) 1a_
_*R/. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.*_
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is remitted.
Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt,
In whose spirit is no guile. *R/.*
To you I have acknowledge my sin;
My guilt I did not hide.
I said, “I will confess my transgression to the Lord.”
And you have forgiven the guilt of my sin. *R/.*
So let each faithful one pray to you
In the time of need.
The fl
ECONONOMIST WEIGHS IN ON BANK OF ZAMBIA’S NEW CURRENCY NOTES
The Bank of Zambia’s recent announcement to introduce a new range of currency notes has sparked significant discussion among financial experts and the general public.
Economist, Yusuf Dodia, shared his insights on the implications of this move.
In a statement to Spice Fm, Mr. Dodia highlighted that the public has been increasingly concerned about the rapid wear and tear of smaller denomination notes such as the 20 Kwacha, 10 Kwacha, and 5 Kwacha, which are used frequently for daily transactions. He noted that the Bank of Zambia was under pressure to reprint these smaller notes, but instead, they decided to introduce an entirely new range of notes and coins.
The new currency lineup includes a 500 Kwacha note, 200 Kwacha note, 100 Kwacha note, 50 Kwacha note, 20 Kwacha note, and 10 Kwacha note, as well as a 5 Kwacha coin, 1 Kwacha coin, 50 Ngwee, 10 Ngwee, 5 Ngwee, and potentially a 2 Kwacha coin.
Mr. Dodia expressed concerns about the smaller coins, such as the 5 Ngwee and 10 Ngwee, having zero practical value in transactions. He warned that these coins could be collected and melted down for their metal value, as was seen prior to 2013 before the currency rebasing.
Regarding the new notes, Mr. Dodia pointed out that the introduction of larger denominations, such as the 500 Kwacha and 200 Kwacha, could lead to inflationary pressures. This is because the perception of the value of smaller coins might diminish, causing prices of products to rise. He emphasized that this inflationary pressure is more about perception than actual economic activity.
Dodia also raised concerns about the potential shift from digital to cash transactions due to the availability of higher denomination notes. He explained that this could undermine the government's efforts to promote a digital economy and could result in a decline in tax collection, as more transactions may occur informally
and outside the banking system.
DEC CONFIRMS ANDREW KAMANGA’S CASE STILL ACTIVE
The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has confirmed that the case involving Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) President Andrew Kamanga and three others remains active, despite claims by Mr. Kamanga that the matter was resolved.
In a statement issued by DEC Public Relations Officer Allan Tamba, the Commission clarified that the case, The People vs. Andrew Kamanga and Three Others, is still under consideration following guidance from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Speaking on the case status and DPP guidance, the DEC revealed that it had submitted a docket of the case to the DPP’s office for review and received the necessary guidance for further processing.
“During the course of these interactions, consultations on the possibility of an out-of-court settlement commenced. This route is still underway,” said Mr. Tamba.
The Commission assured the public that once investigations are concluded, the outcomes will be communicated.
The DEC’s statement comes in response to remarks by Andrew Kamanga, who recently claimed that his criminal cases had been dropped and that consents of judgment were entered and obtained. Kamanga further asserted that he had passed integrity tests for FIFA and FAZ, clearing his name.
However, evidence shows a sharp contrast to Kamanga’s assertions. According to the DEC, the matter remains active, and it has been established that the Attorney General has not approved any consent judgment to date.
Reaffirming transparency,
DEC emphasized that it remains committed to transparency and will update the public on the progress and resolution of the case.
This development raises further questions regarding Kamanga’s eligibility under FIFA and FAZ integrity standards, which require that officials be free of unresolved criminal matters.
The matter continues to draw public attention, with many keenly awaiting its conclusion and potential impact on leadership at FAZ.
SPICE F
SPICE FM 91.1 Kabwe CELEBRATES
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GCE EXAMINATIONS TO CONTINUE DESPITE 2023 NEW CURRICULUM–ECZ
The introduction of the 2023 New School Curriculum will not affect the administration of General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations, Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) Executive Director, Dr. Michael Chilala, has clarified.
Speaking on the Ministry of Education’s information talk show, Edu Talkzone, Dr. Chilala assured the public that the GCE will continue under the new curriculum because individuals will still seek to improve their academic results despite the recent educational reforms.
However, he noted that due to the abolition of Grade 9 examinations under the new curriculum, the rules for qualifying to sit for GCE examinations will be reviewed and updated to prevent misuse of the qualification system.
“The ECZ will, in due course, provide guidance on the new rules for GCE examination eligibility. The nation will be informed to ensure transparency and to avoid abuse of the qualifications,” said Dr. Chilala.
ECZ Earns Global Recognition, Dr. Chilala highlighted the international credibility of the ECZ, emphasizing that the institution is highly trusted by global examining bodies.
“We are a very credible institution trusted beyond our borders. ECZ is the only examining body in Africa conducting examinations in another country South Africa which is a significant endorsement of our credibility,” he stated.
He further noted that the ECZ holds prestigious memberships, including Southern Africa Association for Educational Assessments (SAAEA) where ECZ has previously chaired the body. The Association for Education Assessments in Africa (AEAA) and International Association for Educational Assessments (IAEA).
Zambia to Host Global Education Conference in recognition of its esteemed standing in global education assessments, Zambia will host the 50th Conference of the International Association for Educational Assessments (IAEA) in September 2025, a milestone event that will bring to
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN COPYRIGHTS TO THE MUSIC
_*THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH 2025.*_
_*FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.*_
_*FIRST READING*_
_The Lord God brought her to Adam, and they became one flesh._
_*A reading from the Book of Genesis (GENESIS 2: 18 - 25)*_
The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.
_*The Word of the Lord.*_
_*RESPONSORIAL PSALM*_
_Taken from Psalm 128: 1 - 2, 3, 4 - 5 (R.) 1a_
And the response is;
_*R/. Blessed are all who fear the Lord.*_
Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be blessed and prosper. *R/.*
Your wife like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive
around your table. *R/.*
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Sion.
May you see Jerusalem prosper
all the days of your life! *R/.*
_*GOSPEL ACCLAMATION*_
James 1: 21bc
*Alleluia.*
_Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to
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_*WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH 2025.*_
_*FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.*_
_*FIRST READING*_
_The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden._
_*A reading from the Book of Genesis (GENESIS 2: 4b - 9, 15 - 17)*_
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up — for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground — then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
_*The Word of the Lord.*_
_*RESPONSORIAL PSALM*_
_Taken from Psalm 104: 1 - 2a, 27 - 28, 29bc - 30 (R.) 1a_
And the response is;
_*R/. Bless the Lord, O my soul!*_
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, how great you are,
clothed in majesty and honour,
wrapped in light as with a robe! *R/.*
All of these look to you
to give them their food in due season.
You give it, they gather it up;
you open Wide your hand, they are well filled. *R/.*
You take away their breath, they die,
returning to the dust from which they came.
You send forth your spirit, and they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth. *R/.*
_*GOSPEL
