Professor Clive Chirwa writes…

Hi Fellows. This is not a surprise to me. When I raised these issues, you wanted to issue me with a red card.
Now, politicians are calling us out to perform.

1) I have been talking about the useless Kariba dam rehabilitation. Wasting money that Zambia hasn’t got is nearing $1 billion, according to the EU office in Brussels. I am still waiting for a response.

2) Not trusting your own is also a problem. I have solutions, and we can do it. But you have to be serious. Over the past 25 years, I have given close to 100 solutions to many engineering problems that would have moved Zambia to another level. None has been implemented. But when foreigners present an idea like that, everybody jumps and implements the suggested by foreigners. This sickness in our heads must be eradicated.

The system the Chinese are talking about is the closed loop power generation. Where you utilise an external power source to prop up the head to be used in the power generation. What you have to make sure is that the energy differential is positive minimum 1.5 times for the system to be efficient.

3) This year, while in Zambia, I wanted to see the minister of energy. I wanted to see the managing Director ZESCO. None wanted to see me. I even went to see the lady permanent secretary who in the end sent her secretary to tell me that she was very busy. I even had a meeting with ERB DG, who even gave me the names of the key people at the ministry. But I had no luck. What I wanted was to give them one of my solutions for Kariba costing $ 65 million by using the same closed loop system that the Chinese were telling the President about by Introducing a mechanically generated head over the penstokes entry locations.

4) The solar farms are the simplest to implement. I approached REA many times in 2015 while I was on sabbatical at CBU. We had numerous meetings but all in vein.

5) Let us be serious. Zambia is not supposed to be experiencing loadshedding. The usage space is just too small vis-a-vis production. We must seriously sit down and look at the entire power generation components through transmission to end users. This is very simple for a Zambian transmission system that uni-directional.

Let us do it. I can help. Let us have a team to solve this. No bla bla bla…but action people are needed. I can chair the team. We cannot be embarrassed like this in public.
Best regards
Prof Clive Chirwa
12 July 2024.

By Chilufya Tayali

FORGIVE ME BISHOPS, I HAVE SINNED…: I SEE A DICOTOMY BETWEEN THE BISHOPS AND THE PRIESTS IN OUR LOCAL CHURCHES AND I WONDERING

As a Catholic, I would never dare to engage, or comment, on issues of Faith on my Bishops and Priests, or the clergy as it were, in public, but I am sure on general human welfare, social justice, human rights and good governance I can be allowed to put out my layman’s thoughts.

Firstly, I would like to appreciate the Zambia Episcopal Conference for their Pastoral letters that they publish reflecting various issues in our Country. Usually it is a true reflection of what many of us observe. Of course the Pastoral letter highlights both the positive and negative, so it is balanced and objective.

Unfortunately, actions of SOME of our Bishops give a different impression SOME KIND OF DUALISM. It is like they admonish the civil leadership during the day, but they wear black at night to go and fraternize with the perpetrators of the vices they condemn.

It give an impression that, their messages in the Pastoral letters is just a SMOKESCREEN yet behind closed doors, they are massaging these Government leaders with approbations. Which somehow seem to explain why these leaders are relentless in abusing their powers and ignoring the plight of the citizens.

The confidentiality of the content of the discussions makes it even worse, these are public leaders and we expect transparency, unless they if they tell us that their meetings are group Spiritual direction.

On the other hand we have seen a number of Priests pointing out some of the issues people complain about. The message is usually appreciated by the general public (all the people of God of GOODWILL).

However, the following day, some of these Priests, are censored, abused and the Church demonized by cadres, Govt officials INCLUDING THE ENTIRE PRESIDENT.

We have even seen some of them being summoned to appear before the Police to explain their sermons. Actually we would have seen some of them being arrested had not been for the indignation of the general public.

Nationally, when such things happen, many people expect that the leadership of the Church (Bishops) will come out in defense of their Priests and the Church, alas, we see the Bishops subtly inviting the Govt leaders to their Cathedrals and celebrate Mass in their honor as they invite them to address the congregants, albeit them issuing circulars warning Priests treat all the faithful the same.

I would cite a number of issues, or incidences where some of us would have loved to hear our Bishops pronounce themselves as Good Shepherds tending the sheep, it is not a court affidavit to convict anyone.

Please don’t get me wrong, anyone if free to attend Mass, and our Bishops (or the clergy as a whole) should be free to meet anyone at any time, but certain instances the impressions created is worrisome to the general public.

I am not a theologian but from my basic knowledge, I draw examples from Jesus who never showed any dualism in what he preached and his conduct.

Jesus also never left the public wondering about his position. And most importantly, he never gave an impression that he was more closer to the authorities than the poor suffering masses.

The Book of Matthew has many examples on how Jesus dealt with the authorities and I he unequivocally made is position known to both the authorities and the general public.

When there was a doubt, Jesus clearly settled the matter PUBLICLY, not going to the Kings palaces and have closed door meetings then come out smiling to take pictures as if everything was well.

Even under intense pressure, before Pilate, Jesus stood resolute and firm, no compromise.

Of course Jesus called some of the people working in the administrations, of the time, such as Matthew and Zacchaeus, among others, but he made sure they left their old ways and served the people.

But our Bishops, fraternize with the administration without any noticeable positive change for us to appreciate their interactions.

Anyway, I can go on and on, but I hope my message can be taken, otherwise, outside our Faith, we are seeing SOME of these Bishops to be highly compromised and it is difficult to defend our Church when we see screaming headlines in the daily tabloids.

Somehow, some of these Bishops are making some of us who are fighting the ills of this Govt rendered hopeless after suffering so much and being exiled.

Where will I draw my strength if my Bishops seem very comfortable and posing for pictures like they are ordaining our Priest to be their Arch-Archbishop for our nation.

I certainly don’t judge these leaders, but I speak out on the wrong things I see and urge them to change, but what do “I”, and many other advocates and oppositions get for speaking out.

These, and those other sins I may have forgotten, I ask for your forgiveness.

TAYALI THE PUBLIC LAWYER OF THE PUBLIC COURT OF OPINIONS!!!

SCANDAL EXPOSED; ACC Board Member and Commissioner, academic, researcher, University of Zambia Lecturer and Constitutional Lawyer, Dr. O’Brien Kaaba exposes the deep-seated looting of the Treasury going on with the participation of State Chambers nestled and facilitated by the Anti-Corruption Commission!

THREE THINGS THAT HAVE GONE WRONG WITH THE UPND GOVERNMENT’S FIGHT
AGAINST CORRUPTION AND WHAT THE PRESIDENT MUST DO

O’Brien Kaaba

..State Chambers are in the forefront of looting the Treasury, are a strong ally of corruption…

●ACC is captured and us unable to fight corruption in its current state.

● Judges are identified outside Lusaka to sign off the corrupt settlements.

● ACC DG threatened to sort me out and finish me for exposing corruption

The strong anti-corruption fight President Hichilema launched when he ascended to office has ebbed off and lost traction.

The institutions charged with fighting corruption are simply massaging, bandaging and covering up corruption.

Isn’t it strange that ACC can make headline news for arresting and prosecuting a poor clinical officer for signing off two employment contracts while the ACC has done nothing about the more cases involving
millions of dollars exposed in FIC reports?

Why should the poor be prosecuted aggressively while the rich and powerful are let off the hook and given immunity (read “rewarded”). Just what has gone wrong?

Here are my three (3) areas of vulnerability, which the President needs to urgently attend to if the fight has to be resuscitated, look credible and gain traction.

1.State Chambers are in the Forefront of Looting: State Chambers are in the forefront of cutting corrupt deals and facilitating corruption. This has put all law enforcement agencies in an awkward situation as state chambers ought to be an ally in fighting corruption. No serious crusade against corruption can yield fruits when the heart of the legal machinery for government is contaminated.

The level of corruption is sickening, to the extent that state chambers are the ones looking for litigants to sue the government and pre-agree to settle or enter consent orders involving huge sums of money.

The scheme has been perfected to the
extent that some orders are now signed using judges outside Lusaka to avoid public scrutiny and media attention in Lusaka.

The president needs to do two things:

a) dismiss his senior legal advisors and

b) either set up a commission of inquiry or authorize a special audit into all the high value payments authorized by state chambers in the last three years.

2.ACC is captured: It is a mistake to expect ACC to be an effective tool for fighting corruption in its current form. It is a captured institution. The forces that are ripping off the state resources through state chambers also have their stranglehold on ACC.

It is no wonder the media has been reporting that the ACC management has simply cut off the board from decision making at the ACC.

If the media reports are true, the ACC is not accountable to its board but to the same corrupt elements looting public resources.

This suggests the capture is so complete and corruption reigns with impunity.

To demonstrate how bad the situation is, a few days ago, I wrote a one pager opinion in my individual academic capacity indicating why I thought the fight against corruption was crumbling.

I never made any personal attack on anyone and focused my attention on institutional weaknesses. The morning after the article was published, the ACC Director General Tom Shamakamba called me through the phone of his deputy threatening to sort me out for commenting on the underperformance of the ACC in the fight against corruption.

This shows the impunity and arrogance that has come to characterize the ACC management. It is not different in any way from the daily threats many of us faced under the Patriotic Front (PF).

During the Bill 10 debate, I wrote a few articles criticizing the Bill and appeared as an expert witness in the Constitutional Court during the Bill 10 case.

PF officials reacted by threatening to burn me in my house at night. Why should Tom be allowed to behave like the lawless PF carders and threaten me for making independent and scholarly criticism of the underperformance of the ACC? What kind of impunity is that? Is it not our duty as citizens to hold those who hold public office accountable? Must we let elections degenerate into a game of trading one set of thieves for another while we remain silent?

What should the president do to revive ACC?

He must get rid of the current management of the ACC and bring on board people with a track record of fighting corruption and standing on the side of good governance.

The president must appoint someone beyond reproach, and has a history of dedication to the cause and not someone who simply wants to get a salary and accumulate travel allowances while neglecting her/his core duties.

3.Corruption Tainted settlements: The UPND government went to town denouncing the
former DPP under President Lungu’s tenure when it discovered that she had entered into
settlements immunizing some of the individuals accused of serious acts of corruption.

This partly explains why the government instituted her removal. Yet in less that three years, the ACC has entered in more scandalous settlements with some of the people accused of the most heinous acts of corruption.

The media has been reporting a shocking trend where the ACC simply asks suspects to return just a fraction of the loot and keep the rest while the suspect is given immunity from prosecution.

Using this mechanism, ACC is basically allowing both PF and UPND aligned officials facing serious accusations of corruption to buy off their freedom, using the same resources looted from the public.

As long as one is willing to give a cut, they
are let off. Are the people who think that ACC is now preoccupied with finding people with
big loot, immunize them and share the loot not justified? It is clear that the provision allowing the grant of immunity is being abused.

The president should facilitate the amendment of the immunity clause to narrow its use and infuse inbuilt safeguards against its abuse in order to protect public interest.

Beyond these short-term measures, there is need for serious institutional reform of ACC, to redesign its structures and professionalize its operations. In its current state it cannot be relied on to effectively fight sophisticated high-level corruption.

Doesn’t that explain why the ACC has done very little in relation to sophisticated transnational acts of corruption recently?

There is need to also focus on preventing corruption and fostering a culture of accountability by enacting a robust asset disclosure law to replace the current scattered and outdated pieces
of legislation.

To also get a national picture of the depth of the problem, the President should consider setting up a commission of inquiry to find out the depth of the problem.

The mandate of the commission should be broad and extend to both current and past corruption.

This will give the country an opportunity for stock taking and understanding of the depth of the challenge.

[The author is a law lecturer at the University of Zambia

UNZA LECTURER SAYS HE HAS BEEN THREATENED BY ACC BOSS

Dr O’Brien Kaaba writes 👇

‘To demonstrate how bad the situation is, a few days ago, I wrote a one pager opinion in my individual academic capacity indicating why I thought the fight against corruption was crumbling. I never made any personal attack on anyone and focused my attention on institutional weaknesses. The morning after the article was published, the ACC Director General Tom Shamakamba called me through the phone of his deputy threatening to sort me out for commenting on the underperformance of the ACC in the fight against corruption.’

The strong anti-corruption fight President Hichilema launched when he ascended to office has ebbed off and lost traction. The institutions charged with fighting corruption are simply massaging, bandaging and covering up corruption. Isn’t it strange that ACC can make headline news for arresting and prosecuting a poor clinical officer for signing off two employment contracts while the ACC has done nothing about the more cases involving millions of dollars exposed in FIC reports? Why should the poor be prosecuted aggressively while the rich and powerful are let off the hook and given immunity (read “rewarded”). Just what has gone wrong? Here are my three (3) areas of vulnerability, which the President needs to urgently attend to if the fight has to be resuscitated, look credible and gain traction.

1.State Chambers are in the Forefront of Looting: State Chambers are in the forefront of cutting corrupt deals and facilitating corruption. This has put all law enforcement agencies in an awkward situation as state chambers ought to be an ally in fighting corruption. No serious crusade against corruption can yield fruits when the heart of the legal machinery for government is contaminated. The level of corruption is sickening, to the extent that state chambers are the ones looking for litigants to sue the government and pre-agree to settle or enter consent orders involving huge sums of money. The scheme has been perfected to the extent that some orders are now signed using judges outside Lusaka to avoid public scrutiny and media attention in Lusaka. The president needs to do two things: a) dismiss his senior legal advisors and b) either set up a commission of inquiry or authorize a special audit into all the high value payments authorized by state chambers in the last three years.

2.ACC is captured: It is a mistake to expect ACC to be an effective tool for fighting corruption in its current form. It is a captured institution. The forces that are ripping off the state resources through state chambers also have their stranglehold on ACC. It is no wonder the media has been reporting that the ACC management has simply cut off the board from decision making at the ACC. If the media reports are true, the ACC is not accountable to its board but to the same corrupt elements looting public resources. This suggests the capture is so complete and corruption reigns with impunity.

To demonstrate how bad the situation is, a few days ago, I wrote a one pager opinion in my individual academic capacity indicating why I thought the fight against corruption was crumbling. I never made any personal attack on anyone and focused my attention on institutional weaknesses. The morning after the article was published, the ACC Director General Tom Shamakamba called me through the phone of his deputy threatening to sort me out for commenting on the underperformance of the ACC in the fight against corruption. This shows the impunity and arrogance that has come to characterize the ACC management. It is not different in any way from the daily threats many of us faced under PF. During the Bill 10 debate, I wrote a few articles criticizing the Bill and appeared as an expert witness in the Constitutional Court during the Bill 10 case. PF officials reacted by threatening to burn me in my house at night. Why should Tom be allowed to behave like the lawless PF carders and threaten me for making independent and scholarly criticism of the underperformance of the ACC? What kind of impunity is that? Is it not our duty as citizens to hold those who hold public office accountable? Must we let elections degenerate into a game of trading one set of thieves for another while we remain silent?

What should the president do to revive ACC? He must get rid of the current management of the ACC and bring on board people with a track record of fighting corruption and standing on the side of good governance. The president must appoint someone beyond reproach, and has a history of dedication to the cause and not someone who simply wants to get a salary and accumulate travel allowances while neglecting her/his core duties.

3.Corruption Tainted Settlements: The UPND government went to town denouncing the former DPP under President Lungu’s tenure when it discovered that she had entered into settlements immunizing some of the individuals accused of serious acts of corruption. This partly explains why the government instituted her removal. Yet in less that three years, the ACC has entered in more scandalous settlements with some of the people accused of the most heinous acts of corruption. The media has been reporting a shocking trend where the ACC simply asks suspects to return just a fraction of the loot and keep the rest while the suspect is given immunity from prosecution. Using this mechanism, ACC is basically allowing both PF and UPND aligned officials facing serious accusations of corruption to buy off their freedom, using the same resources looted from the public. As long as one is willing to give a cut, they are let off. Are the people who think that ACC is now preoccupied with finding people with big loot, immunize them and share the loot not justified? It is clear that the provision allowing the grant of immunity is being abused. The president should facilitate the amendment of the immunity clause to narrow its use and infuse inbuilt safeguards against its abuse in order to protect public interest.

Beyond these short-term measures, there is need for serious institutional reform of ACC, to redesign its structures and professionalize its operations. In its current state it cannot be relied on to effectively fight sophisticated high-level corruption. Doesn’t that explain why the ACC has done very little in relation to sophisticated transnational acts of corruption recently? There is need to also focus on preventing corruption and fostering a culture of accountability by enacting a robust asset disclosure law to replace the current scattered and outdated pieces of legislation. To also get a national picture of the depth of the problem, the President should consider setting up a commission of inquiry to find out the depth of the problem. The mandate of the commission should be broad and extend to both current and past corruption. This will give the country an opportunity for stock taking and understanding of the depth of the challenge.

Dr. O’Brien Kaaba teaches constitutional law at the University of Zambia and is a senior research fellow at Saipar.

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Is the Pastoral letter for the President or the people?

In the Calendar of the Church and its social teaching, a Pastoral Statement or Letter is significant.

Pastoral letters may deal with any subject affecting the faith, practice, welfare, or worship of the people. They are often published during certain seasons, as in Lent or Advent. Over the centuries they have become expressions of the ordinary teaching authority of the Church.

This past week, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), a college of Catholic Archbishops and Bishops in Zambia met. As usual this would have culminated in a Pastoral Statement issued and read publicly.

Apparently, State House is said to have learnt of the stinging details of the letter especially on; the failure of government to resolve the economic crisis three years in a roll, the cost of living crisis, volatile exchange rate market, emerging dictatorial tendencies and shrinking democratic space, load-shedding, misconduct of the Police, Electoral Commission of Zambia, the expulsion of nine MPs and impending constituency by-elections, the matters surrounding the abduction of Petauke Central Independent Member of Parliament Emmanuel Banda and other pertinent matters affecting the people.

Another matter of concern was the confidential letters of apology to the Church over the misconduct of the Police in Kabwe and Ndola against the Church. The Bishops strongly felt that the President must make such apologies public as the matters were in public domain and also beyond the apology, dealt with his erring officers.

So before the Conference could issue the Pastoral Statement, State House is said to have stepped in and chose to honour a previous request for a meeting and insisted that the President Hakainde Hichilema would meet the Bishops and hear, listen and help resolve the concerns.

A hurried meeting was therefore arranged hours and prior to the release of the Statement.

President Hichilema invited Catholic members from his government led by Secretary to Cabinet, Patrick Kangwa and Defence Minister, Ambrose Lufuma, and others to join the meeting.

Efyo na Pastoral Letter yashima!

The Bishops have since headed to a sub-regional consultative meeting of the Catholic Bishops of Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe taking place in Salima, Malawi, from 15 July to 19 July 2024.

This significant gathering aims to address various pressing challenges affecting the Church and the people within the three countries, including inequality, poverty, unemployment, cost of living crisis and environmental concerns.

HH and ECL, for both their own good, must meet, talk, smoke the peace pipe, unite; to make way for a new economic and political order in Zambia



By Azwell Banda,



Clearly, at the end of the road for his disastrous sponsorship of the Miles Sampa efforts to implode and destroy the Patriotic Front (PF) and Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL) himself, it appears Hakainde Hichilema (HH) now wants to change his strategies and tactics: he has signalled that he is willing to meet his opposition and even sit down and talk to Edgar Chagwa Lungu, apparently to make peace.

Many Zambians, some quite very well-meaning but still wrong, especially among those from our Christian community, have pleaded with Hichilema to forgive and move on, make peace with Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and urgently show “leadership” in attending to the many desperate needs of the majority of Zambians. Hichilema has stubbornly refused to do so, on both fronts.

Hakainde Hichilema has been singularly focused, in the past three years of his only reign, on delivering on his agreements with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the US and its Western allies and all those who sustained his politics when he was in the opposition and funded his election victory in August 2021. Hakainde has not missed an opportunity to remind Zambians, now that he is in government, that they should expect relief in their suffering when he would have grown the Zambian economy. He has in fact boasted that his aim is to “double” Zambia’s economy (whatever the hell this means).

Rarely has a man and his group of friends dogmatically steeped in the now thoroughly discredited and discarded neo-liberal doctrines of the so called “Washington Consensus” ever walked the face of the earth, or ruled any country, such as are Hichilema and his zombies in his Cabinet. In the very short space of just three years, and thankfully the only term of office Zambians will ever allow him, Hichilema and his zombie Cabinet have, with reckless arrogance, pretended that they are “unleashing Zambians” upon a revolutionary road to make Zambia a right-wing free market economy, complete with the domination of “private investors” as the “drivers of economic growth and development” and “main creators” of employment.

Having recklessly subsidised the export of our strategic maize reserves, over-privatised electricity including through a reckless purchase programme from private electricity producers, electricity export drive and introduction of “cost reflective pricing” of electricity, “liberalised” and removed subsidies from fuels, chaotically begun to dismantle FISP – the government support programme to impoverished rural farmers, artificially pushed up the local price of maize by cruelly and without any thought to national incomes and employment levels, rewarded their international friends and themselves in the mining and other key economic sectors with government subsidies in the form of lowered or removed taxes, and many such anti-Zambia, unpatriotic and thoroughly anti-economic development measures, is Hichilema now slowly waking up to the horrors he has unleashed upon the majority of Zambians?

More than 700 Zambians have died from cholera, hundreds have been buried alive in unsafe, unlicenced and government unsupervised mines, more than nine million Zambians now struggle with hunger all the time while 6.6 million are actually starving, and facing famine. Mass unemployment continues to chock the lives of the majority of our population who are young people eager for work and who should be bustling with life. In this grim situation, the drought has simple compounded all the problems the majority of Zambians face.

It is true, as Fred M’membe of the Socialist Party says, Zambia’s economy has collapsed: ours is the perfect, most accurate definition of a “collapsed economy”. To be fair, this “collapse” has been long in the making – some whooping 33 years this year. The majority of Zambians have been pushed into our extremely impoverishing informal sector where they struggle to prevent death, every day. Today load shedding is wiping out thousands of such economic hustlers and survivors’ “businesses”. Water shortages make matters worse. For the majority of Zambians, their lives now are the next closest experience one can have, about hell.

Hichilema, his zombie Cabinet and his praise singers meanwhile have all the time over the past three years relentlessly touted, mocked, insulted, bullied, and used all kinds of racist filth to apparently “motivate” Zambians to become “capitalists”, “investors”, “hard workers”, “opportunity grabbers” and so on and so forth. Hichilema himself shamelessly praises himself and quite rudely says he “works hard”, he is not “lazy”, implying that the majority of Zambians are lazy, and this is why they are hungry, unemployed and poor, while he is rich. Is there some “softening” to this extremely offensive and thoroughly insulting attitude from a politician and his zombies who promised to solve the problems of the majority of Zambians by simply “fixing” their problems, lowering the cost of living and doing business, promoting democracy, human rights, rule of law and respect for our Constitution, none of which has happened?

Is sanity slowly dawning on Hichilema and he is beginning to smell, sense, feel, read and see the burning mass anger among the majority of Zambians his aborted election promises and his unleashing of pure hell on Zambians have caused? I hope so. Millions of Zambians are looking for signs of some sanity, humanity, some recognition, genuine sympathy, empathy and urgent political leadership from Hakainde and his zombie Cabinet, over their untold suffering which the UPND government’s fawning, ingratiating and quite moronic application of failed IMF and World Bank neoliberal policies have caused them.

It is pure insensitivity for the current plight of the majority of Zambians, extreme political arrogance and the daring of a politician and his zombie supporters too drunk on their feeling of power and impunity, extreme hubris, what Hichilema and the UPND government are doing, by unconstitutionally and criminally creating nine constituency by-elections which they know they can illegitimately “win”. Of course, Hichilema needs to assure his foreign business supporters and funders that he will stay in government long enough to mature his and their investments in Zambia. To achieve this, our Constitution, rule of law, democracy, parliament, the executive and many state institutions must be soiled and weakened. Hichilema has in fact quietly on several occasions said that it is “difficult” to “support democracy” on a poor economy. And yet all normal people know and understand that “Democracy” is in fact how power in society is managed all the time, but especially in bad, tough economic times, if society is not to explode in violence. Only proto-fascists treat their people as imbeciles, invalids, and therefore “recipients” of “government tolerated and allowed democracy” and government “permitted” human rights from their dictatorial governments. “Democracy” are the many sided assemblage of processes, institutions, regulations, rules, laws, constitutions and human behaviours to enable the management of human economic, social and political relationships in society, to avoid society eating itself up: “Democracy” is certainly not a “gift” especially from a cold, selfish and right wing unpatriotic capitalist such as Hichilema and his zombie Cabinet.

Hichilema and his zombie Cabinet must free MP Emanuel Jay Jay Banda and drop the fake charges they have saddled him with. They must allow the police to arrest his named abductors, try them and let “the law” take its course. Hakainde Hichilema must know they are playing with fire over the nine constituencies they have declared fake, unconstitutional and criminal vacancies. They must swallow their pride; leak their wounds now that their hope less, reckless and quite lunatic stooge, Miles Sampa, has gutted them by returning to his “natural home”, the real authoritarian and dictatorial PF. More importantly, Hichilema and his friends must not just speak carelessly about “no Zambian will die from hunger”: Hichilema’s UPND government must publish weekly updates of their countrywide work to get food to desperate Zambians. No sensible Zambian, not even honest members of the UPND, trust Hakainde Hichilema to tell the truth about our hunger situation: Hichilema has a problematic and tenuous relationship with the truth, all truth.

Hichilema must hurry, arrange to meet with all the opposition leaders, with the real Patriotic Front, and Edgar Chagwa Lungu himself: they must lower the political temperature in the country to prevent civil strife in which it will be the lives of young Zambians all of them have made their contributions to impoverish, lives which will be lost should civil war break out in Zambia. Hichilema and his opposition and Edgar Chagwa Lungu must in fact unite; they are the same apart from their tribal and regional support bases. This way they may clear the political scene in Zambia for long overdue new and superior political energies to energise.

Zambia has had enough of the rotten, costly, thoroughly backward and retarded politics from politicians such as Hichilema and his zombie Cabinet, Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his dictatorial PF with its one-party dictatorial state UNIP plagiarised constitution. The only way Zambia can avoid the looming bloody political disaster, is if HH and ECL meet, talk, smoke their peace pipe and unite, so that it becomes easier for Zambia to move past this crop of disastrously hopeless, destructive, lying, corrupt and undemocratic politicians.



Send comments to: banda.azwell@gmail.com

UNDERSTANDING THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF ZAMBIAN CITIZENS IN MICHELO CHIZOMBE’S CRITICISM ON EDGAR LUNGU’S ELIGIBILITY CASE

BY : Tobbius Hamunkoyo   13/07/2024

In Zambia, every citizen or resident has the constitutional right to initiate legal proceedings before any reasonable tribunal or competent court of law. No one can stop or blame you for this. This right is protected by the Zambian Constitution, ensuring that individuals can seek justice without being questioned or suspected regarding their associations or opinions.

Article 18(1) of the Zambian Constitution states as I quote: (If any person is charged with a criminal offence, then, unless the charge is withdrawn, the case shall be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court established by law).

Michelo Chizombe has taken the matter of of the former President Edgar Lungu’s eligibility case to the Constitutional Court of Zambia. Edgar Lungu applied to have the matter dismissed, arguing it had already been determined. However, on July 9, 2024, the Constitutional Court dismissed Edgar Lungu’s application and allowed the case to proceed. It is Michelo Chizombe’s right to have his case heard and determined.

Further, Article 20(1)further provides, as I quote:  (Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, that is to say, freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to impart and communicate ideas and information without interference, whether the communication be to the public generally or to any person or class of persons)

These provisions guarantee that everyone in Zambia can access the legal system freely and without fear of retribution for their associations or opinions.

Given these constitutional protections, Michelo Chizombe , like any other citizen, should not be criticized for exercising his right to engage in legal processes. Criticizing Chizombe for asserting his constitutional rights undermines the principles of justice and fairness that the Zambian Constitution upholds.

In a Zambian democratic society, the legal system is a pillar of justice, and accessing it freely is a fundamental right. When individuals are discouraged or criticized for using this right, it threatens the integrity of the judicial process and the rule of law.

All citizens and residents of Zambia should recognize and respect the constitutional rights that allow each person to seek justice and express their opinions freely. Michelo Chizombe’s actions are protected by the Constitution, and he should not face criticism for exercising his legitimate rights. Upholding these principles ensures that Zambia remains a just and fair society for all.

The Legal and Historical Context Behind Former President Edgar Lungu’s Security Withdrawal

By : Hamunkoyo Tobbius

The ongoing debate surrounding former President Edgar Lungu’s security situation has been clouded by misinformation and political maneuvering. It is essential to understand the legal and historical context to grasp why Lungu’s security has been withdrawn and why this decision is in accordance with Zambian law very important.

Under section 5(1) of the Benefits of Former Presidents Act, Cap 15 of the Laws of Zambia, former presidents are entitled to various benefits, including security. However, these benefits are contingent upon the former president refraining from active politics. This clause is critical in maintaining the neutrality and non-partisanship expected from former heads of state, ensuring they do not exploit their previous positions for political gain.

This is not the first time a former Zambian president has faced the withdrawal of benefits due to political re-engagement. In 2001, after his failed bid for a third term, President Fredrick Chiluba handpicked Levy Mwanawasa to run for president. Mwanawasa’s victory in the disputed election led to a unique political scenario where Chiluba, despite being a former president, continued to engage in active politics as the president of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD).

This led to a significant legal challenge. UPND vice presidents Sakwiba Sikota then, Bob Sichinga, and Dipak Patel petitioned the High Court in 2002 to withdraw Chiluba’s retirement benefits. High Court Judge Anthony Nyangulu issued an interim order to suspend Chiluba’s benefits, highlighting the contravention of section 5(1) of Cap 15 due to his active political role. Chiluba eventually resigned from his position in the MMD to have his benefits reinstated, prioritizing his retirement perks over his political ambitions.

A similar situation occurred with Rupiah Banda, who, after being defeated by Michael Sata, contemplated a return to active politics. The Patriotic Front (PF) ministers warned Banda that such a move would jeopardize his retirement benefits, as it would violate the same legal provision. Banda wisely chose to remain in retirement, thus retaining his benefits.

In 2023, Edgar Lungu announced his return to active politics as the president of the Patriotic Front (PF), after initially retiring. This move, influenced by internal party dynamics and leadership challenges, directly contravened the legal stipulations of the Benefits of Former Presidents Act. Consequently, the current government, adhering to the law, withdrew Lungu’s benefits, including his security detail.

The assertion by some UKA/PF members that President Hakainde Hichilema and his government are personally withholding Edgar Lungu’s security is a not only a misrepresentation but misguiding the general public and Zambia at large. The withdrawal of benefits is a legal matter, not a political vendetta. The law clearly states that former presidents engaging in active politics forfeit their entitled benefits, a principle applied consistently in Zambia’s political history.

The situation with Edgar Lungu is not unique but rather a continuation of Zambia’s legal tradition to ensure that former presidents remain non-partisan. The cases of Fredrick Chiluba and Rupiah Banda set clear precedents. Lungu’s loss of security benefits is a consequence of his choice to re-enter politics, not an arbitrary decision by the current administration. Understanding and respecting the law is crucial in this matter, as it upholds the integrity and neutrality expected from former heads of state in Zambia.
These are benefits that a former President forfeits when back in active politics :

1. An office.
2. One personal secretary.
3. Three security persons.
4. Three cars, with free maintenance, and petrol entitlement to the extent determined by the
Cabinet, but only one car for the surviving spouse.

5. Three drivers, but only one for the surviving spouse.
6. One Administrative Assistant, who shall be at the level of Deputy Permanent Secretary.

7. Three house employees, which number may be increased by Cabinet.
8. A diplomatic passport for the former President and his spouse.

9. A furnished house built or bought in Zambia by the State at a place of the former President’s
choice and ownership of the house shall be transferred to him.
10. Medical insurance for the former President and his spouse.

11. In each year, one return air ticket for the former President and one for his spouse.
12. Funeral Expenses on his death.

Concerned Citizen,
Advocating top-notch Governance
, Legal learner, Lab Scientist , Public Speaker, Author, Rights & Positivity advocate

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Power Exports, ZESCO and the proposed energy reforms by President Hichilema

…using the current energy crisis to implement neo-liberal and pro multinational corporation policies in the sector…

ZESCO is the predominant supplier of power to Botswana, contributing 48.8% electricity of the country’s current 410 megawatts imports.

Despite the country suffering the worst load-shedding crisis, ZESCO is unrelenting in its export of power to Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.

This is on top of the traditional export of power to Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Zambia.

President Hakainde Hichilema is pushing radical reforms of the sub-sector( without bothering recourse to Parliament).

He has forced changes that will significantly alter the status and standing of to the power utility-ZESCO.

He has hosted companies at State House from UAE, China, Qatar and others and literally forced ZESCO to sign power purchase agreements for the development of alternative energy source.

Following a Cabinet resolution , government announced the removal of transmission and distribution network infrastructure from ZESCO to be run by a separate entity. The details are unavailable about the structure and ownership of the new vehicle.

A similar decision in the 90s deprived ZCCM-IH of a valuable asset when Power Division , a company that managed transmission and distribution of power purchased from ZESCO through a bulk supplier agreement, was taken away and auctioned to the private sector. This company has since made billions of dollars over the last thirty years for it’s private owners.

Hichilema has introduced a policy called “Open Access” where the new transmission and distribution network infrastructure will carry power from independent power producers at a fee.

He is forcing public pension houses to invest in Maamba Collieries expansion. Maamba Collieries is investing in a $400million, 300 megwatts coal fired plant.

Due to green policies and climate concerns, Maamba Collieries, like other fossil fuel investments are facing significant challenges to secure financing and loans.

The cost to finance new fossil-fuel infrastructure, especially coal, is rising, while the cost for new renewables, the preferred and sustainable energy source, is falling fast.

Maamba Collieries is owned by a subsidiary of Nava Bharat (Singapore) Pte. Limited which holds a majority equity stake (65%). The balance equity is held by ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc (35%).

These measures are supposedly expected to spur investment in the electricity subsector.

He has forced the regulator, Energy Regulation Board (ERB) to approve the new changes.

We need to be concerned that President Hichilema is using the current energy crisis and the current desperation, to implement a long-term, neo-liberal and pro multinational corporation policy that will deprive ZESCO opportunities to serve and deliver power to Zambians at a reasonable price.

By Chilufya Tayali

I DEFINITELY LOOK TERRIBLE AND I CERTAINLY FEEL TERRIBLE, BUT I AM BETTER OFF HERE THAN IN JAIL

When bad people rule a Country, many people suffer, President Hichilema is not a good man which is why many of us are suffering within and outside Zambia.

I can’t give details of my challenges but I know one day, I will live to share with you, how I struggle with resources, physically and emotionally.

These pictures I take are just a reminder of the different feelings and challenges of a particular day.

However, I know many of you are also suffering, including the praise singers.

How many people can be happy with those long hours of load-shedding which is even affecting telephone networks, Radio and TV transmissions among other things.

Production has gone down, substantially, income has plummeted, making people struggle to buy the basics, which have increased in prices.

The Captains of industries have lost businesses while many others have been stamped with a seal of criminality denting their reputation, locally and internationally.

A gaslighting tendency of President Hichilema to cover up his failures, only him (HH) is a clean man who has made clean money, yet he struggles to explain how he amassed his wealth. He can’t even delay his wealth as required by the public office he holds.

Those who challenge him, by talking, are regarded as enemies of our Country and they are charged with heinous and capital crimes, to silence them.

It appears like we have no hope, even as we run away, leaving everything home, to come and live like we are nothing, without our families, but we will do our best to survive, otherwise, life naikosa.

I live one day at a time, yesterday is gone, we face today, tomorrow belongs to God.

TAYALI THE PUBLIC LAWYER OF THE PUBLIC COURT OF OPINIONS!!!

TAYALI THE MARRIED MAN – FAMILIES MUST COME FIRST!!!

By Ernest Chanda

CONSTITUTIONAL lawyer O’Brien Kaaba says the fight against corruption has collapsed because institutions tasked to fight the vice seem to have perpetuated it.
According to the 2023 FIC Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Report, the institution detected K13.5 billion illicit transactions.

And President Hakainde Hichilema on Wednesday said he expected investigative wings to act on the report’s revelations.
But Dr Kaaba, who is ACC board member, wonders why corruption has continued even under the UPND which, while in opposition, promised to fight the vice.
“What the FIC report demonstrates is that serious acts of corruption of similar proportion to those committed under the PF regime are also happening under the leadership of the UPND government. That nothing has been done by ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission) and other law enforcement agencies suggests that the management of these institutions is either incompetent or is captured and sitting on serious cases of corruption,” he said in a statement.

“Either way, simply urging them to investigate cases thoroughly will likely yield nothing substantial. There is need for drastic action by the President at many levels. Urging action by law enforcement agencies is not enough. Some senior officers in government are operating with impunity and their acts of corruption are now public knowledge. Who has not heard of the serious allegations that the state chambers are a clearing house for corruption and money laundering deals? While under PF State House was the clearing house for corrupt deals, state chambers under the UPND government seem to have perfected that art.”
He expressed displeasure that state institutions are in the forefront making deals that undermine the fight against corruption.

“State House on 10 July 2024 issued a press statement in response to the FIC 2023 Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Report in which the President is urging the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate all the suspicious transactions raised in the report,” Dr Kaaba noted. “It is also clear that not only are institutions such as ACC not just sitting on cases (as the FIC Report clearly manifests) but that these institutions have been in the forefront of making some dirty deals that undermine the fight against corruption. Going by press reports, ACC, for example, has made legally senseless settlements immunising some of the most corrupt individuals, thereby shielding them from justice and accountability. The same corruption tainted immunity deals under PF are now being used under the current government in a manner that shows no commitment to fighting corruption.”

He urged President Hichilema to remove heads of institutions that are not fighting corruption.

“The fight against corruption, which started with great promise when President Hichilema took office, is slowly crumbling and needs urgent rescue. Under these circumstances, it is not enough to urge law enforcement agencies to investigate cases. Law enforcement agencies are part of the problem and part of the rot,” said Dr Kaaba.

“The President as the appointing authority must act to remove incompetent and corrupt heads of such institutions. He must also deeply look at his state chambers. There can be no serious fight against corruption if the state chambers are compromised. In the long term, the President needs to facilitate reform of the ACC and enact legislation supportive of a credible and professional fight against corruption, detached from vicissitudes of politics.”

Cadres teargas electoral officers, disrupt result announcement

By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone

SUSPECTED political cadres on Saturday teargased election officials and stole election materials in Chirundu and Sikongo districts.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has condemned the attacks on electoral officers during by-elections in Liumena and Njame wards of Sikongo and Chirundu districts respectively out of the nine ward by-elections conducted on Friday.

“Serious incidences occurred at the Machavika Primary School Polling Station, and later at Chiindi Primary School Polling Station which was also the Totaling Centre in Njame Ward. At Machavika Polling Station, suspected political cadres used pepper spray at the election officials at the Polling Station thereby disrupting the result
announcement process,” ECZ chief electoral officer Brown Kasaro said in a statement. “The cadres went away with two envelopes containing marked ballot papers. Fortunately, the Presiding Officer had the completed results compilation forms which were later used to complete the process.”

He said at Chilindi Primary School poling station which was also the totalling centre, cadres disrupted the compilation of poll results by going away with a record of proceedings.

Kasaro said fortunatey, the Commission had a
copy of the form.

“As a result of this violent disruption, the Commission was forced to suspend the proceedings at the Totaling Centre and all election materials were taken to Chirundu Police Station for safe custody. The results for Njame Ward have since been declared by the returning officer, at Chilindi Primary School at about 09:20 hours, today, Saturday, 13th July 2024. The police have since arrested some suspects and the Commission is keenly following the development of this matter,’’ said Kasaro. ‘’Further, in Sikongo District, another unfortunate incident occurred at Liumena Polling Station in Liumena Ward where some party officials and cadres stormed the Polling Station without accreditation. The officials and cadres insulted, intimidated and harassed not only election officials but also police officers on duty. The Commission strongly condemns these acts of violence, meant to disrupt the process, by cadres and officials. These incidences are unacceptable as they strike at the core of the management of the electoral process and undermine the integrity of elections, and they are also in breach of Sections 87, 89 and 94 of the Electoral Process Act 35 of 2016. Those who will be found to have committed serious offences wil be dealt with in accordance with the Electoral Code of Conduct and Electoral Process Act.”

Credit @The Mast

CHABINGA WINS AFRICAN ACHIEVERS AWARD, APPLAUDS HICHILEMA’S ECONOMIC ACTIONS

LEADER of Opposition and Mafinga Member of Parliament, Robbert Chabibga has urged fellow African leaders to prioritize unity, progress, and the well-being of all citizens if their Leadership is to bring about sustainable development, peace, and prosperity for generations to come.

He called for collaboration among African leaders, in order to create opportunities that birth economic impacts.

Chabinga was speaking during the award ceremony which took place yesterday at the House of Parliament, United Kingdom, which was held to honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the development and progress of Africa.

He however, dedicated the honor as a demonstration to the policies that have been implemented by President Hakainde Hichilema, during his three years of government.

“To save the economy, he has taken corrective action,” said Chabinga adding that prospective investors from the UK and throughout the world will have more punch as a result of the President’s strong push for an agricultural revolution and changes to the Mining and Energy initiatives.

Chabinga also pointed out implemented policies such as the expansion of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), provision of free Education, and availability of the Social Cash Transfer facility, which has reached out to the most vulnerable in our communities.

“As a Leader of the Opposition Political Parties in Parliament, I wish to applaud President Hichilema for his progressive leadership which seeks to uplift the livelihoods of citizens especially the majority poor,” Chabinga said.

The law maker also took time to call for the need for investment in the areas of Mining, Tourism, Agriculture and Energy sectors which are aimed at improving the economy and benefit every citizen in Zambia.

“Further, I take this occasion to express my gratitude to Ms. Nelly Mutti, the Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly, for her help in advancing our cause,” he said.

He also thanked his family members, friends, colleagues and people of Mafinga for the wavering support, adding that such opportunities stand as inspiration for him to continue striving for excellence, and positive impact.

“This award is not just a recognition of my achievements, but also a testament to the collective efforts of our community, our country and our people. I am proud to be part of this community of achievers, and I look forward to continuing to make Zambia and Africa proud,” said Chabinga.

By Buumba Mwitumwa
Kalemba

ZCCH-IH SHAREHOLDER MR. THIERY CHARLES IS A RACIST BIGOT, I ‘VE NO SHADOWY DEALINGS WITH THE COMPANY

CAPE TOWN, (Sunday,14 July 2024) — Whilst I have been abroad, it has been brought to my attention that Mr. Thierry Charles, a French national introducing himself as a spokesperson of the ZCCM-IH Limited minority shareholders has written a letter to His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, and simultaneously circulated it to the media alleging corruption against the president’s unnamed aides, but strangely he maliciously links me to the emergency of the alleged “bad eggs” at State House.

I resigned from State House on 19 June 2019, and I have had no links with it whatsoever ever since.
Notwithstanding whatever merits or a lack thereof, of any such sleaze being alleged by Mr. Charles against State House, I find it preposterous in the extreme, and brazenly malicious, for this infantile, seemingly self-righteous Frenchman to be making such unsubstantiated allegations expressly calculated to besmirch my reputation, and ostensibly fuel false narratives that I am, or was ever involved in graft and embezzlement against ZCCM-IH.

Just when one thinks the bizarre profiling and malicious lies can’t t get any worse, the bar of depravity just gets lower.

To imagine that Mr. Charles, an investor who is supposed to stay outside the local political spectre, can dedicate so much time and resources from the distant Paris, to deploy such abhorrent, nihilistic malice to slander an innocent person, explains in the main, the blinding chaos in Zambia’s political and corporate corridors.
How can it be normal that someone from the very far, comfy and cozy Paris, should summon such false entitlement to spew totally false allegations against me, and seek to prescribe how a Zambian president (whether present, past or future), should pick or unpick their aides?

I cannot rationalise this diabolical and pervasive attack from Mr. Charles, but given my two previous racist encounters with him, I can only assume he has returned to the pit of hell from where he lobbied me to help him in a bid to try and remove the ZCCM-IH chief executive officer (CEO), Dr. Pius Kasolo and replace him with a carefully head-hunted “white” CEO. I resisted then, and still would, any attempts to draw me into such disgustingly low places.

Throughout my public service, I have dedicated considerable effort towards building a fair and humane society and therefore my outright rejection of Mr. Charles’s lobby was in line with my almost reflexive outrage at any ethnic and racial profiling which I consider as repulsive base instincts pointedly at variance with common decency.

For him to have suggested in 2018 and 2019 that the replacement of Dr. Kasolo with a “white” CEO was the panacea to the challenges the company faced, was simply wrong and improper.

Dr Kasolo, like Mr. Francis Kaunda, and Mr. Edward Shamutete before him, represented some of Zambia’s best and brightest leading lights in the fields of mining and mineral economics. I was therefore horrified at Mr. Charles’s racist approach suggesting that ZCCM-IH woes, (as he put it) would end with the replacement of Dr Kasolo with an expatriate CEO.

I do not have any position on the substance of his assertions of the emergency of the alleged “bad eggs” at State House, but I still find it oddly off, the condescending nature of Mr. Charles’s letter to the President. Apart from the caustic content of his malicious cable, even its delivery was strange.

For Mr. Charles to allude to the emergence of “bad eggs” in President Hichilema’s State House, operating, as he alleges, in the shadows where I supposedly operated to make personal gains, is to suggest that he knows of those shadowy dealings then, and now, and perhaps that I was in fact coaching the current aides, none of whom he names, but paradoxically, he proceeds to name in the most reckless of ways, without any basis whatsoever.

During my tenure in State House, in addition to my core duties as special assistant for press and public relations, President Lungu also appointed me to a special committee tasked to develop a stable, fair and sustainable mining tax regime. Under this assignment I encountered many mining executives and investors. This is when I came across Mr. Charles, who, during some of those consultations, lobbied me to join what he described as progressive forces working on a plan to oust Dr. Kasolo from his post. On several occasions, other than this one, I informed Dr Kasolo of such plans because my conscious was not clear about such motives, especially this particular manoeuvre from Mr. Charles.

In 2018 at the French National Day cocktail in Lusaka, and at another occasion ahead of the 2019 Mining Indaba in Cape Town, Mr. Charles directly asked me to join the forces that were plotting to remove Dr. Kasolo and support the appointment of a new “white” CEO. This was particularly troubling for me because a similar representation, though mildly, had been made to me three months earlier by another cabal of investors with a relationship with ZCCM-IH.

Implicit in this absurd mention of me by Mr. Charles, is the suggestion that I could be nurturing the alleged “bad eggs” at State House; that I was, and, or is still involved in some unsavoury actions to defraud ZCCM-IH; and, or that I am inspiring these State House bad eggs (his euphemism for corrupt officials).

Strangely, Mr. Charles does not tell the President whether he has eaten any of these bad eggs or he just ended at smelling them. Nor does he name any of them, which makes his allegations more scurrilous and most extraordinary, particularly when it comers his scandalous mention of me.
Government, as I understand it, is supposed to be a place of high concentration of skill and talent. And my approach to public service therefore, has been that it is a privilege to serve and not a fountain of food and drink at the expenses of the majority poor. I did not take anything from ZCCM-IH at all, nor indeed from any government coffers, any single cent I did not work for.

It has been five years now since I left government, and I therefore invite the likes of the racist Charles to tender before any lawfully constituted tribunal any evidence of such misdeeds. To hide behind hate-filled letters to the President, fully packed with unjustified slander, represents the lowest form of human expression, especially when the same is coming from a stranger and about a stranger. I do not know Mr. Charles at all, save for those two encounters which occurred during my course of duty. Mr Charles’s flurry of embellished letters to the President must always contain facts, uncontrived truths, and not speculative conjectures which only feeds into Lusaka’s despicable rumour mills.

It should be possible for a person to be able to offer their public service, pass on the button to others, and when there is nothing shady about them, to simply let them disappear into the sun-set and thank them for their service to the nation.
That is not say anybody is above the law when legitimate questions need to be asked. But no one is beneath the law either.

To whistle-blow against unnamed serving presidential aides, but proceed to name former aides of the former president is simply diabolical, and very extraordinary indeed.

In this vein, Mr. Charles’s letter serves very minimal or no purpose at all, but simply advances the now entrenched vile culture of criminalising public service, consequently discouraging some of the cream of our society from joining government.

The seven years I put into government, are some of the best years of my public service. To the best of my abilities, I made some sacrifices that oftentimes went beyond the normal call of duty, as is my personal work ethic. I therefore reject Mr. Charles’s mischaracterisation of my public service as shadowy and self-serving. Without any iota of evidence on his part, this kind of mischief will have consequences in due course.

Where does this obnoxious lynch-mob incitement stop? It is such actions by cheap anti-graft masquerades like Mr. Charles which feeds the malicious individuals who plant false narratives before the law enforcement agencies who end up opening false lines of inquiries against innocent people. This is why I feel duty bound to reluctantly, but decisively respond in great detail, to this irresponsible and utterly disgusting attack from Mr. Charles, some self-styled moralist passing off as a Zambian patriot.

I, for one, can’t succumb to any form of oppression, particularly laced with racist undertones such as this one from Mr Charles. Given another chance, I would still resist any racist approaches against myself or any other person. If that means Mr. Charles, half decade later, returning to take revenge by thrusting me into the unnamed basket of the rotten eggs he has smelt at State House, I still will stand my ground that removing a Zambian chief executive expressly to give way to a white one, would be wrong and improper.

As I do not know the current communications protocols of State House, I can only hazard an educated guess that it should still be rude and extremely inappropriate, that anybody should purport to send an important letter to the President and simultaneously publish it in the world-wide media. It is such condescending behaviour that betrays the insidious motives of Mr. Charles and consequently undermines its content.

It is at this point that I seek an honest answer from the board and management of ZCCM-IH to confirm or dismiss Mr. Thierry Charles’s letter to President Hichilema as their collective position of the company, or that of some of its shareholders as stated by this rather prolific writer and self appointed moral guardian of the soul of ZCCM-IH.

In his arrogant posturing, Mr. Charles seems to forget that ZCCM-IH is our, (Zambia’s) ‘family silver’ and we care deeply about it, perhaps more than he does. In his role as spokesperson for ZCCM-IH minority shareholders, Mr. Charles must not masquerade as a charity worker. He is simply a full, cold-blooded agent of the profit-seeking international capital.
In the meantime, my lawyers have assumed conduct of this matter.
— Ends —
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————
ORIGINAL SIGNED AND AUTHORISED FOR PUBLICATION BY:

Amos Chanda
Issued this 13 July 2024 at Cape Town, South Africa.

UPND SCOOPS 8 OUT OF THE 9 BY ELECTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Highlights from the media engagement held by Information and Media Minister and Chief Government Spokesperson Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa MP in Southern Province today.

✅ Thanked the electorate who participated in all the nine by-elections that took place yesterday 12th July, 2024 across the country In districts that include Kawambwa, Mufumbwe and Chirundu among others.

✅ The United Party for National Development(UPND) scooped 8 out of the 9 by-elections across the country.

✅ The by-elections are an endorsement of a vote of confidence in the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema.

✅ The elections were peaceful and provided a conducive atmosphere for everyone who was voting.

✅ It can be concluded that the people of Zambia are happy with the many development programmes brought about by government such as the free education policy and the expansion of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) among others.

CONCERNS RAISED BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ON THE ARREST OF ZESCO PROTESTERS

✅ Human rights and the law must be respected, however, the law must be interpreted reasonably and judiciously.

✅ The law provides that one has to demonstrate when one’s complaint or concern is not heard, but in the case of Zesco, government has already engaged Zesco over the concerns of citizens on the load-shedding schedule.

✅ While Government recognizes, respects, upholds and defends the rights of citizens to peacefully assemble and demonstrate, they must be able to demonstrate on things that are reasonable and judicious.

✅ The question of load-shedding and the technicalities of the load-shedding schedule is an issue that through Government, Zesco has already heard and it is doing everything possible to ensure that the right things are done.

✅ Zesco has indicated that when it comes to switching on and off of their machines, there has to be a technical understanding that it may not be as we wish it should be .

✅ Contrary to the desire of some citizens who want power in intervals during the day, the machines have been designed to be running 24/7 and not to be switched on and off.

STATEMENT BY POLITICAL COMMENTATORS CLAIMING THAT PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA WANTS TO TURN THE COUNTRY INTO A ONE-PARTY STATE

✅ Government does not understand where these allegations are emanating from because the recent by-elections, almost four political parties contested.

✅ In a one-party state, the recent by-elections would not have taken place.

CONSOLIDATED FINAL RESULTS – 8/9 WARDS

1. Constituency – Ward
Nakonde – Mulao ward
UPND – 588
SP – 237
IND – 398
LM – 32
UPPZ – 19
Rej – 37
Total cast – 1,311

2. Nakonde – Luchinde
UPND – 674
IND – 195
SP – 122
UNIP – 130
LM – 86
UPPZ – 41
Rej – 08
Total Cast – 1,256

3. Sikongo – Liumena ward
UPND – 1,209
SP – 113
CF – 25
LM – 14

Rej : 17
Total Cast : 1,378

4. Choma – Mubula ward
UPND – 833
LM – 227
SP – 205
PF – 10

Total Cast : 1,275

5. Mufumbwe – Kaminzeke
UPND – 802
SP – 116
UPPZ – 15
PF – 5

Total Cast : 938

6. Sikongo – Mwenyi ward
UPND – 929
SP – 200

Total Cast : 1,129

7. Kawambwa – Lushiba
UPND – 648
IND – 308

Total Cast : 956

8. Kanchibiya – Chinama
UPND – 858
UPPZ – 370
SP – 292
CF – 271
PF – 46
LM – 16
IND – 14

Total Cast : 1,867

OVERALL TOTALS – 8/9 WARDS

1. UPND – 6,541
2. SP – 1,285
3. IND – 915
4. UPPZ – 445
5. LM – 375
6. CF – 296
7. PF – 61
8. UNIP – 130

(C) UPND MEDIA TEAM

US PROF URGES ZAMBIA TO TAKE LOW-SCALE ELECTION VIOLENCE SERIOUSLY

Lusaka, Saturday (July 13, 2024)

Michigan State University’s Associate Professor Michael Wahman, has emphasized the significance of addressing low-scale election violence in Zambia.

The Political Scientist said this during the launch of his book ‘Controlling Territory, Controlling Voters; The Electoral Geography of African Campaign Violence’ at the Southern Africa Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR) in Lusaka.

“We asked, does election violence make you fearful of wearing party regalia? Does it make you fearful of discussing politics in public? Does it make you fearful of working in campaigns? To attend rallies or to vote? The results are really interesting,” he said.

He highlighted that while election violence in Zambia does not significantly suppress voter turnout, it does impact political participation by instilling fear and inhibiting open political discussions.

Prof. Wahman underscored the need to take low-scale election violence seriously, as it can still deter individuals from freely participating in elections, potentially compromising the depth of democracy in the nation.

“I think there are good reasons to take low-scale election violence seriously because if we look at the incentives for those who might want to perpetrate violence, I would argue that actually in many ways if you can get an outcome where people get afraid of participating in elections through low-scale election violence, that is much better than having to engage high scale violence. There are different kinds of costs that we often talk about in election violence literature. There are potential electoral costs where people might punish those who are known for election violence, there could be potential legal costs as elections could be nullified by the courts and in extreme cases like Kenya where some perpetrators were even sent to the Hague,” he said.

He also discussed the various costs associated with election violence, including electoral, legal, and international repercussions.

Prof. Wahman argued that keeping election violence at a relatively low level of severity minimizes such costs, making it an attractive strategy for those seeking to influence election outcomes through intimidation.

“With all these costs, I would argue that if you keep election violence at a fairly low level in terms of severity, the costs are minimal. In terms of legal costs, basically none. There are very few elections that have been nullified due to violence. If you look at Intercontinental costs, basically none. If you look at the Election Monitoring Reports as I did in this book, you see that monitors will talk about isolated events of violence, sporadic violence, and continuous violence, even though I would argue that it has been systematic violence though at a lower level of intensity,” he said.

Musokotwane borrowed $6.4 billion in 2023 but Lying About UPND’s Excessive Borrowing

By Kasonde Mwenda C -EFF President

13th July 2024.

Contrary to their campaign promises, the UPND Government has turned out to be callous peddlers of falsehoods. They are lying about almost everything from the true state of the economy to the excessive debt they are incurring every day. According to the IMF, as captured by Statista, Zambia’s national debt increased by $6.4 billion USD (+33.42 percent) in 2023 compared to the previous year.

Consequently, the national debt reached a peak in 2023 at $25.5 billion USD. Notably, this debt has continuously increased over the past years. In 2021, when Hakainde Hichilema and his UPND Government took office, the Zambian debt stood at $19.4 billion USD. Yet, in just two years, it has ballooned to $25.5 billion USD.

Zambia’s Finance Minister, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, has falsely claimed that Zambia’s external debt has only increased from $13.04 billion to $14.7 billion, while domestic debt has risen from K194 billion to K225 billion since the UPND took over in 2021. Consequently, the IMF’s projection of Zambia’s economic growth rate has been reduced from 4.7% to 2.3%, prompting the IMF to increase Zambia’s borrowing window from $1.3 billion USD to $1.7 billion USD.

Unfortunately, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema and Dr. Musokotwane have not presented any plan on how they intend to pay off this excessive debt. Instead, they are pushing this burden onto future generations, much like the previous PF regime did.

As the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), we have a plan to redirect our country from being debt and aid dependent to becoming productive through maximizing our mineral and agricultural resource potential. We will achieve this by shifting ownership of resources to benefit local Zambians and ensuring that every geographic region has a viable industry maximizing its resource potential. Every district will have a factory and a mine.

We demand transparency and accountability. The UPND Government must uphold integrity and stop telling lies. The people of Zambia deserve better than deception and reckless borrowing. We call on all Zambians to hold the UPND Government accountable and to demand a sustainable and truthful approach to our nation’s finances.

Kasonde Mwenda C
President, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)

MADE IN ZAMBIA: AN INNOVATIVE FLOATING POWER GENERATION UNIT IMPRESSES THE ENGINEERING INSTITUTION OF ZAMBIA

The Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ) recently explored a power generation portable unit called the Hydro Master, innovated by Heavy Duty Solutions Zambia in Makeni.

The Hydro Master power generation unit has technology that converts the velocity of moving surface water into electricity.

This cleverly designed unit, delivered by a floating hydro-kinetic turbine, holds promise for various sectors in commercial, residential, agricultural, tourism, hospitality, and mining.

In the wake of loadshedding, this innovation comes timely to cushion the power deficit the country is experiencing and enable continuation of business for small, medium and large enterprises.

Elaborating on the capabilities of the Hydro Master, Heavy Duty Solutions Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Brian Ngoma, said the unit harnesses energy from perennial flowing water bodies such as rivers, streams, canals, and backwater channels.

Mr. Ngoma said this is a first of its kind in Zambia and is locally manufactured and distributed by Heavy Duty Solutions Zambia Limited, ensuring short manufacturing lead times and consistent hydro-electricity supply, operating 24/7.

“The Hydro Master is designed to self-adjust to changes in water levels, offering a predictable and constant energy output. It can be customized to specifications ranging from 5kVA to 1000kVA, available in single-phase or three-phase power at 400W/240V,” he said.

He emphasized the benefits of the Hydro Master, which requires no dam or civil infrastructure works, easy installation and setup, and incurs no maintenance, servicing, or operating costs. Additionally, the unit is environmentally friendly.

EIZ President, Eng. Wesley Kaluba, along with Eng. Bernard Tembo, Chairperson of the Engineering Energy Committee and Eng. David Kamungu, Registrar and CEO of EIZ was part of the delegation that visited the Heavy Duty Solutions Zambia Limited.

Eng. Kaluba expressed his admiration for the innovation, highlighting its potential to address the country’s ongoing energy challenges.

He said the visit marks a step forward in exploring sustainable and innovative energy solutions in Zambia, showcasing the potential of local manufacturing and engineering expertise to contribute to the nation’s development.

Zambian Footprints

Musokotwane borrows!- Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

…he is the worst Finance Minister Zambia has ever had….

Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba wrote;

When Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane took over from Ngandu Magande in 2008. He found a foreign debt of $500,000 as Zambia has just had a debt write-off of its $ 7 billion foreign debt.

Musokotwane also found earnings of $600 million from the mining sector due to the windfall tax policy on copper.

Without convincing justification, he also sold ZAMTEL, a giant telecommunications and communication service provider. Zamtel is now a shell of itself when competing private sector entities have grown and made billions of dollars in the last ten years.

By 2011, the foreign debt shot to $ 2.8 billion, and earnings from the mining sector dropped to negligible levels as he had abolished the windfall tax policy.

Musokotwane was borrowing for everything for roads, stadiums, and the infamous mobile hospitals.

Ten years later in August 2021 when he returned as Minister of Finance, he found a foreign debt of $11.9billion borrowed over a period of ten years( infact $9.1 billion since he left it at $2.8billion in 2011).

He has racked up the foreign debt to $14.7billion and rising.

He also found a local debt of K136 billion, which has shot up to K236 billion.

This year alone, Musokotwane informed Parliament that he is borrowing $ 600 million to support the 2024 national budget.

He has also put out an international notice that he is seeking $900 million in grants and loans for disaster and emergency support towards Zambia’s food insecurity.

He has already extended the IMF Bail-out loan from $ 1.3 billion to $ 1.7 billion. He has sought IMF approval already, and the fund has disbursed $ 570 million towards his request in July 2024.

Checking the records from Ministry of Finance, from his speeches and the National Borrowings Plans tabled and approved in Parliament, Musokotwane has borrowed in excess of $6 billion and rising barely three years since his return to the Ministry.

He found earnings from the mining sector of $1.1 billion per year since 2019 due to the non-deductible mineral royalty tax policy.

The revenue from the mining sector has dropped significantly to barely $300 million a year due to partly the abolition of the policy.

Pinning their hopes on Musokotwane is the fastest pathway to UPND’s their exit.

But similarly, President Hakainde Hichilema believes in granting tax concessions and unjustified incentives to the mines.

His hopes are also anchored in the IMF and its liberal policies.

Look at the Mopani Deal.
Look at the KCM deal.
Look at the First Quantum Minerals deal.

It is documented and audited that FQM stole $2.5 billion from Kansanshi Copper and Gold Mines.

ZCCM-IH started both criminal and civil court processes to recover the money and punish the Directors.

Together, Hichilema and Musokotwane have abandoned the court processes and have not provided a pathway to recover the $2.5 billion.

ZCCM-IH shares in Kansanshi have been sold and converted to an annual royalty payment.

These careless and dangerous decsions have been made at the time that Copper has been predicted to rise and rise and rise.

Copper is currently trading at $10,000 per tonne.

The economy is in free fall, has a volatile exchange rate market, rising inflation rate and debt, is experiencing the worst electricity load-shedding, has the the worst cost of living crisis on a bed of legacy issues such as poverty, high unemployment rate, diseases and under development with no discernible solution in sight.

Pray for Zambia, Pray for its recovery, Pray for a loyal and patriotic leadership.

Press Statement

12th June, 2024

The continued use of humiliating language by the Patriotic Front leadership towards the Presidency is unfortunate and must cease immediately.

It is particularly disheartening to see President Hakainde Hichilema being portrayed as if he is begging for a meeting with former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. We remind those who demean the President’s genuine effort to extend an olive branch that belittling such a positive gesture, especially one made in response to a request from the Church, is unfair.

The President expressed his willingness to meet Mr. Lungu in response to a request from Reverend Patson Banda of the Reformed Church of Zambia.

Reverend Banda mentioned that many people would be pleased to see the two leaders working together for the country’s betterment. The President had the liberty to decline this request, as he has no personal issues to resolve with Mr. Lungu. It is Mr. Lungu who has issues to address with the people of Zambia, who claim he betrayed their trust during his tenure. Mr. Lungu and some of his family members are accused of amassing unrealistic wealth and are under pressure to prove their innocence through established judicial processes.

Despite these issues, the President accepted the Church’s request out of goodwill and respect, hoping to foster national unity and peace. However, actions by the PF leadership, such as the display of the book titled “How to Deal With Idiots,” an innuendo understood to refer to the President, and remarks by Raphael Nakachinda suggesting that the Presidency can call for a meeting “just to sit umungulu (purposelessly),” are totally unacceptable. Such meetings, like the Church-led ones at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross during the reintroduction of multiparty democracy, had clear agendas. It is unfair to reduce the Presidency to such levels of impoliteness.

We call upon the Reformed Church of Zambia and Reverend Banda, in particular, to state their position on the humiliating language used by Mr. Lungu and his supporters, such as Mr. Nakachinda, towards the President, as they were the ones who called upon the President to meet the former President.

Failure by Reverend Banda to admonish this behaviour will be understood by some citizens as a setup against the Head of State. How else should we interpret it if Reverend Banda and the Reformed Church of Zambia do not see anything wrong with the disrespectful remarks made about the Head of State following their request for a meeting with Mr. Lungu?

Furthermore, it is the considered view of most citizens that the tensions claimed by the opposition are a figment of their imagination. The opposition should note that the tensions they perceive are not national but personal. Many politicians claiming national tension are those with cases before law enforcement agencies and courts of law. How do such personal issues become national?

We call upon law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to ensure the speedy disposal of cases before their institutions to bring these matters to their logical conclusions. Zambians are now enjoying political and fundamental freedoms that had shrunk under the PF regime.

Therefore, the Republican President’s willingness to meet his predecessor does not stem from an assumption of national tension at all but willingness to listen not only to Mr. Lungu but other opposition leaders as stated at the Reformed Church of Zambia event.

(Original copy signed)
BISHOP JOHN MAMBO
PRESIDENT

By Thomas Ngala

WITHOUT drought this year, we were going to have the largest yield of crop, claims President Hakainde Hichilema.

Addressing the Italian International Cooperation delegation at State House yesterday, he said farmers responded to the government’s appeal to plant more.

“Drought has taught us a lesson. Without drought this year we were going to have the largest yield of crop. Our farmers responded to our appeal to plant more. But the drought came which has caused food insecurity, which has caused number two energy insecurity. So we are looking at diversifying our energy mix as well as a strategic issue now because this climate change now is a national threat to many countries, including ourselves. So… we would like to deepen what we do together,” he said.

President Hichilema applauded Italy for pledging to inject US $320 million in the Lobito Corridor project.

“The Lobito corridor, your pledge of US $320 million is really appreciated. Because you, the three countries, we have Angola, Congo DR, Zambia are very deeply engraved in the Lobito corridor. That corridor will now create a connectivity in Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean because we will be able to connect our own rail line in this country, Copperbelt to Southern Province, but also connecting TAZARA rail line on to Dar es Salam,” he said. “Along it, it’s agriculture. Clearly, we want to make this corridor or these corridors economically reliable and strong. We can’t just apply the economic model around minerals. We have to apply the model around agriculture for input supply, for moving of outputs, for processing, for trade. In the economy here, in the region, in the continent and beyond. So we really would like to do a bit more with yourselves around this issue.”

He said Italy and Zambia have a long standing relationship.

“We got independence in 1964. Italy and Zambia started working together at that early stage. Many projects, the younger people may not know, that a lot of engineering projects in this country were done under the cooperation of Italy and Zambia. A number of bridges, a number of industries. If I am not mistaken, Indeni should be one of those. And to be honest again, in agriculture, in water, Italy and Zambia have been working together for many years. So that is the reason you should feel warm to be here. The other reason is that leaders of Zambia, the leaders of Italy, all the years, they have continued deepening our relationship and we as the leaders today are extremely happy to even do more together with yourselves,” said President Hichilema. “This is for many reasons timely, Italy’s own decision to work with Africa so that Africa is not left behind is really encouraging to us. And for us as a country, we wouldn’t have been happy if we were left out of that package of your initiatives…”