MUFULIRA DISTRICT LATAZ WORKSHOP

29TH – 30TH FEBRUARY, 2024

PRESENTATION: ARTICLE WRITING

MALAYA LAWRENCE

1. DEFINITION
An article is a piece of writing intended for publication in a newspaper, magazine or
journal. In an article, the author expresses their opinions, ideas, views or beliefs about a
prevailing issue in the community, the nation or the entire world. These ideas, opinions
or views should, of course, be supported by facts in the form of quotations or
quantitative data (Mashekwa Jason, LATAZ Presentation, 2018). It is intended for a
wider audience; to make some difference in the world. It may be a topic of interest of
the writer or it may be related to some current issues.
2. TYPES OF ARTICLES
2.1. Original Article
2.2. Response Article
2.3. Rejoinder Article (Chibale Enock, Mufulira District LATAZ Presentation, 2017)
3. SUB-TYPES OF ARTICLES
3.1. News Article
3.2. Feature Article
3.3. Editorial or Comment or Opinion
3.4. Letter to the Editor
(English Composition and Summary, Lazalo Sinkala, Pp. 68 -76)
4. WHAT CAN AN ARTICLE DO?/FUNCTIONS OR AIMS OF AN ARTICLE
An article is written with the following motive:

 To bring out the topics or the matters of interest in the limelight

 To provide information on the topics
 To offer suggestions and pieces of advice and recommendations
 To influence the readers and urge them to think
 To discuss various stories, persons locations, rising issues and technical
developments
 An article can therefore narrate, describe, compare, contrast, analyse, advise,
suggest and recommend (Mashekwa Jason, LATAZ Presentation, 2018).

5. FEATURES OF AN ARTICLE/FORMAT/LAY OUT

 The format of an article depends on whether it is a feature article or letter to the editor.
If it is a letter to the editor, then it takes the form of a business letter. However, if it is a
feature article, then it will have the title, the name of the author, introduction, main
body and conclusion. It is always said that the introduction should be “eye catchy” or
interesting.
6. LANGUAGE/STYLE
We get an idea of the style or language to use in an article from one key word in the
definition – PREVAILING – predominant, common, widespread, trending, prevalent.
(i) Tense
From the word prevailing, obviously the Present Tense should dominate
whereby depending on what the author wants to express, they can use the
Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect
Continuous. Authors can use the past simple in minimal quantities if they want
to give a background.
(i) Rhetorical Questions
The use of rhetorical question gives the learner the impetus to continue writing.
(ii) Quantitative Data
Use of quantitative data helps the author to provide facts in order to validate
their opinion.
(iii) Acknowledgement of Sources
This also helps the writer to validate their opinion – to show that they are not
just speaking from without.
(iv) The dummy “it”
Helps the writer to express their feelings and emotional attitudes about the
prevailing issue, e.g., It is unfortunate that…. It is inconceivable that…. It is
indisputable….
(v) Quotations
These also help the author to authenticate their views.
(vi) Use of a Variety of Sentence Patterns
Structures of contrast take centre stage in discursive types of writing. Conditional
sentences, comparatives and superlatives, subject inversion, etc, also help.
7. THE PROCESS OF TEACHING
In the process of teaching; helping learners to practice writing the article, teachers can
ride on Jason Mashekwa’s BATHDPOT Flow Chart. (Mashekwa Jason, LATAZ
Presentation, 2018)
BA = Basic Situation
TH = Thought provoking questions/situation
D = Discussion
 P = Points
O = Ordering
T = Task

8. EXAMINATION PURPOSES
An article is a situational composition which comes as a guided composition in Section B
of Paper one. A guided composition is a composition in which the examiner guides the
candidates by giving them a situation or points to use in their composition. During the
examination, a candidate can be guided in three ways:
(i) A candidate can be given a situation in the form of a discussion from which he
identifies the points as in the 2018 Final Examination Paper 1.
(ii) A candidate can be given points in a jumbled manner which include even
irrelevant ones as in 2016 and 2021 School Certificate Examinations.
(iii) A candidate can be given a table of figures as in the 2017 School Certificate and
2018 GCE.

If a candidate is given a situation in the form of a discussion, he/she is duty bound to

identify the important points and organize the points into groups in terms of their
relatedness. These become paragraphs.

If a candidate is given jumbled points which include irrelevant points, the candidate is
duty bound to:

(a) First eliminate the irrelevant points

(b) Secondly, organize the relevant points into a logical order if necessary or into groups
in terms of their relatedness. These become paragraphs
(c) Thirdly, the candidate expands the points or adds meat to the flesh.

If a candidate is presented with a table of figures/quantitative data (numerical), he or

she is not obliged to analyse the figures. The function of the figures is to give the
candidate an impression; to give the candidate facts on which to base his/her views,
opinions or ideas. The figures also give the candidate the scope, the parameters and the
direction. In other words, the candidate should simply make interpretations – to answer
the question – what are the figures telling us/suggesting?
INSTANCES OF ZESCO SERVICE CABLE THEFT IN SELECTED PARTS OF MUFULIRA

AREA NUMBER IN MONTHS FROM OCTOBER 2023 TO FEBRUARY 2024

OCTOBER NOVEMBR DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY
2023 2023 2023 2024 2024
RESIDENTIAL 20 cables 17 cables 15 cables 10 cables 5cable
AREAS NEAR
TOWN, TOP
SHOPS AND
EASTLEA
KAMUCHANGA 25 cables 20 cables 18 cables 16 cables 13 cables
AND OLD
KALUKANYA
W, BC AND 03 cables 07 cables 10 cables 15 cables 25 cables
KALUKANYA
EXTENSION
BUTONDO, 30 cables 35 cables 40 cables 50 cables 65 cables
AND KANKOYO

(b) Thought Provoking Questions

 How do you feel when you hear that thieves have stolen Zesco service cables?
 How has this scourge affected and impacted people’s lives?/what are the effects
of this scourge on residents?
 Can you describe your observation of the figures in the first and second roll and
give a reason for their behavior.
 Can you describe your observation of the figures in the third and fourth roll and
give a reason for their behavior.
 What advice/recommendation can you give to the authorities?
(d) These Thought Provoking Questions lead into a Discussion

 How do you feel when you hear that thieves have stolen Zesco service cables?
- It is so saddening/unfortunate/heartbreaking/heartrending

 How has this scourge affected and impacted people’s lives?/what are the effects
of this scourge on residents?
 - It has financial/psychological/emotional/social effects.
- Affected victims have to start the process of installation all over again.
- They have to wait for not less than three months for Zesco to reinstall.
- In order to expedite the process they have to dip into their pockets and buy their
own cable and pay Zesco employees to come and install.
- People have lost the comfort of a peaceful sleep at night. They are compelled to
stay awake almost all night so that they can hear the thieves when they temper
with their cables and drive them away.
- People are living in fear because people who are so audacious as to cut Zesco
cables when they are live cannot hesitate to kill someone who stand in their
way.
- It is even rumoured that these thugs move in gangs and carry pangas, knives and
all kinds of weapons.

 Can you describe your observation of the figures in the first and second roll and
give a reason for their behavior.
- Figures demonstrate that case have steadily been reducing probably due to
police intervention. Police officers have been deployed to conduct night patrols
and catch the criminals involved.

 Can you describe your observation of the figures in the third and fourth roll and
give a reason for their behavior.
- Figures show that cases have been rising in leaps and bounds in some areas
especially new residencies where roads are less defined.
- Police efforts have not been enough

 What advice/recommendation can you give to the authorities?

- Zambia Police to intensify/scale up efforts
- Community participation indispensible
- Communities to form form/revamp neighbourhold watch groups to supplement
Zambia Police Efforts
(e) The Discussion has enabled us to come up with points
(f) The teacher can help learners to ORDER points if they are jumbled
(g) TASK
The teacher can also help learners to in the process of writing by giving them the
vocabulary and showing them how to apply a variety of sentence patterns
SAMPLE OF FEATURE ARTICLE

ZESCO SERVICE CABLE THIEVES TERRORISE MUFULIRA DISTRICT

Many residents in Mufulira district have woken up on a rude shock to find that they
are in the dark because their Zesco service cable has been cut and stolen. It is not
unusual to hear that three houses in the same neighbourhood have had their
electricity service cables stolen. The rate at which the thefts are being done is so
alarming. According to statistics released by Zesco Mufulira Branch, on average, 15
service cables are being stolen from people’s houses every night. The situation is so
heartrending to victims especially in new residences when they consider the
enormous financial investment they put in to ensure that power is installed in their
home.

The scourge has affected the victims psychologically, emotionally, financially and
socially. The people who have suffered the loss have to wait for months on end to
have the service cables reinstalled. The process of living without power for not less
than three months is an immeasurable mental and emotional torture. Those who
are not patient enough to wait for this long have to dip into their pockets to buy
another service cable and pay Zesco workers to come and install for them.
Moreover, residents have lost their peaceful sleep at night as they are compelled to
remain awake and watch on their cables. Not only have residents lost sleep at night
but also living in fear of their lives. “If these thugs can be so audacious as to cut
Zesco cables while they are live, what can prevent them from killing anyone who
stands in their way. Besides, it is rumoured that the thugs move in gangs and carry
pangas, knives and all kinds of weapons,” lamented one of the concerned residents.

The questions everyone is asking are, where are the law enforcement agents when
all this is happening? What are they doing anything about it? Certainly Zambia Police
Service is not sitting idle but has risen to the challenge and is doing everything
possible to protect its citizens. “We have deployed a considerable number of our
police officers to conduct night patrols and catch the criminals who are causing the
terror,” reported Mufulira District Police Spokesperson. Indeed, these interventions
have yielded great result. Statistics in the first and second row show that cases have
drastically reduced in areas where police officers have intensified night patrols.

Despite the Zambia Police interventions, the rate of Zesco service cable theft keeps
escalating especially in the new residences where roads are less definable and
probably because of distance from police stations. It is clear from the figures in the
third and forth row that police efforts are not enough and that community
involvement is indispensible. Communities should form neighbourhood watch
groups to supplement Zambia Police efforts. Apart from forming neighbourhood
watch groups, people should be sensitized on the importance of safeguarding and
protecting government property.

FORMAT OF LETTER TO THE EDITER

KL 3861 Kalukanya,
Mufulira.
th
29 February, 2024.

The Editor,
Times of Zambia,
P.O. Box 30054,
Lusaka.
Dear Editor,
Re: Zesco Service Cable Theft – A Socio-economic Draw Back
Accord me space in your popular newspaper to express my views on the
escalating cases of Zesco service cable thefts. Although so many views have been
advanced by many concerned citizens, my ‘Socio-economic Draw Back’ perspective
will create a positive change to the nation

MAIN BODY
CAUSES
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ECONOMIC EFFECTS ON GOVERNMENT
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
ECONOMIC EFFECTS ON THE GENERAL PUBLIC/VICTIMS
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
SOCIAL EFFECTS ON THE GENERAL PUBLIC/VICTIMS
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
RECOMMENDATIONS/SUGGESTIONS/ADVICE
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Yours faithfully,
Signature
Name/concerned citizen