JERE QUESTIONS INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT FOLLOWING ZED MOBILE LICENCE CANCELLATION
…..all operators must comply with the law, meet quality standards, pay statutory fees and fulfil the conditions attached to their licences
Lusaka… Thursday September 17, 2026 (SMART EAGLES)
National Freedom Front (NFF) President Ronnie Jere has questioned the investment environment for Zambian-owned businesses following the cancellation of Zed Mobile’s licences by the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA).
Mr. Jere said the development should concern Zambians because Zed Mobile represented more than just a telecommunications company, arguing that it raised broader questions about the ability of locally owned businesses to compete and survive in sectors dominated by multinational and foreign-owned companies.
He acknowledged the need for regulation in the telecommunications sector, saying all operators must comply with the law, meet quality standards, pay statutory fees and fulfil the conditions attached to their licences.
“Let me be clear: regulation is necessary. Every telecommunications operator must comply with the law, meet quality standards, pay the required statutory fees and fulfil the conditions attached to its licence,” Mr. Jere stated.
ZICTA has said Zed Mobile failed to meet a number of regulatory requirements and was given an opportunity to make representations before the licences were cancelled.
However, Mr. Jere said the regulatory action should prompt a wider discussion about whether Zambia’s regulatory framework provides a level playing field for locally owned businesses.
He noted that Zed Mobile was Zambia’s only locally owned private mobile network operator and had entered a market dominated by MTN, Airtel and state-owned Zamtel.
According to Mr. Jere, Zambia’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship and economic empowerment must extend beyond encouraging citizens to establish businesses.
“If we genuinely want Zambians to own and control meaningful businesses, particularly in strategic sectors such as telecommunications, technology, mining, finance and energy, then we cannot merely celebrate Zambian entrepreneurship when companies are starting up,” he said.
“We must also create an environment in which they have a realistic opportunity to grow, compete and overcome challenges.”
Mr. Jere questioned whether regulatory standards were being applied consistently across operators and whether struggling Zambian companies were being given sufficient opportunities to restructure and comply before their licences were terminated.
He also called for greater clarity on the circumstances surrounding Zed Mobile’s licence cancellation.
“If Zed Mobile genuinely failed to meet its obligations, then those obligations must be addressed. But Zambians deserve to know the details: what obligations were not met, over what period, what opportunities were given to remedy them, what standards are applied to other operators, and why cancellation was considered proportionate,” Mr. Jere said.
He said the issue should not be viewed solely as a dispute between Zed Mobile and ZICTA, but as part of a broader national conversation about investment, competition and indigenous participation in the economy.
“Therefore, this should not simply be about Zed Mobile versus ZICTA. It should be about what kind of investment and economic environment we want to build in Zambia,” he said.
Mr. Jere called for a regulatory environment that is transparent, predictable and consistent, while stressing that the country should continue attracting foreign investment alongside efforts to develop Zambian-owned capital and enterprises.
“We need foreign investment—but we must equally build and protect Zambian capital, Zambian entrepreneurs and Zambian-owned enterprises,” he said.
He further questioned whether removing the country’s only locally owned private mobile operator would ultimately strengthen or weaken competition in the telecommunications market.
Mr. Jere indicated that Zambia could not achieve meaningful economic empowerment if indigenous businesses were encouraged to enter strategic sectors but were not given a realistic opportunity to survive, compete and grow.
“This is the conversation we should be having,” he concluded.
Wasnt ZiCTA clear in the reason for sguting down the company? ZICTA went as far as protecting the consumer.
We have rules laws and policies for a reason. Stop acting like the opposition and Donald Trump in that regard…..laws were not up held by this company.