Lungu shares notes with top Catholic Bishops Banda, Mpundu

Former President Edgar Lungu spent part of today’s afternoon in the company of Catholic Archbishop of Lusaka Dr Alick Banda and Emeritus Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu.

In a brief interview after the meeting which took place at his residence in Lusaka, Archbishop Dr Banda said he enjoyed the cordial and brotherly meeting which enabled the three leaders to exchange notes on various matters of national and spiritual interest.

Archbishop Dr Banda said he was particularly happy to meet with the Emeritus Archbishop Mpundu to dispel the rumours and innuendos that the church was divided.

“Those who thrive on innuendos and rumours can see that we are one church and one leadership,” he said. “We enjoyed an interchange of views on various issues affecting our nation as you know, church leaders are also national leaders.”

And Archbishop Mpundu described the meeting as being brotherly. He said the church would always stand with, and speak for the voiceless in its mandate to serve the Christian community.

And former President Lungu said he was humbled to be in the midst of “the two holy men.”

“As you know I am in retirement so I came to seek counsel and guidance in my retirement. Lungu said. “I’m just humbled that I am franked by two faithfuls, the two holy men. Last week I enjoyed the company of the Emeritus Archbishop Mpundu and today I’m in the presence of the two holy men.”

-Kalemba

Lungu launches 2026 campaigns

FORMER president Edgar Lungu has today launched his 2026 presidential campaigns, with a mini political rally at his rented residence in Lusaka’s Ibex Hill area.

The former president has been pictured with a small crowd which, according to PF aligned-Facebook pages, are Ibex Hill residents who went to complain about the high cost of living to him.

Although he is yet to make a public announcement, Lungu has agreed to return to politics and contest the August 2026 general elections, after his associates convinced him that he would easily win a presidential election.

Back in 2021, after projecting himself as a likely winner of the election, saying he would win by half a million votes, Lungu was handed the mother of all 21st century electoral humiliations – he was rejected by close to three millions voters.

By September 2021, Lungu announced his resignation ad PF president and retirement from active politics.

However, after being convinced by his handlers, Lungu has crawled back to politics and is using every trick in the book to return to the helm of the former ruling party.

For instance, he recently launched a reality show, which insiders are calling ‘Keeping up with Lungu, where during the week, he fetes guests for Facebook likes and over the weekend he takes to the streets to wave at people and pose for pictures, claiming he is keeping fit.

Historian Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa, retired Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu and governance activist Brebner Changala have already featured on the keeping up with Lungu reality show.

To keep trending, Lungu even wasted Facebookers’ bundles with an awkward dance that he shared online last week.

It is yet to be known who will be the next guest on the keeping up with Lungu’s reality show

Kalemba

Former Patriotic Front (PF) Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri says she has broken the record in the Zambian history to
become the first longest female politician to stay long in prison under her son-in-law’s regime ( President Hakainde
Hichilema).

And Mumbi who was recently freed from prison under the Nolle Prosequi says at no time did she breakdown during her over one
year of being in jail facing a murder charge.

She says while in prison, she watched President Hichilema’s press conference saying “even if you are my sister if you go
against the law, you are on your own.”

” I felt like this was directly said to me.

“But the law was broken the time they took me to Mongu under Article 59 of Mandela Rule approved by United States, I was
supposed to be kept near my family, ” she said.

Mumbi despite being related to President Hichilema in marriage, her family never attempted to reach out to him to intervene.
She says her family are Christians who believed in what she told them that God allowed her situation and that it would come
to pass.

President Hichilema is the son-in-law to Mumbi because of his cousin who is married to Mumbi’s biological daughter.

Speaking on Diamond TV COSTA programme recorded from her home which was broadcast Sunday night, 23rd April 2023 monitored by Zambian Eye, Mumbi said her incarceration was politically engineered.

” My incarceration was a revenge from President Hichilema over the treason charge he faced,” she said.

However, Mumbi says, there is no even a single day she broke down in prison even when people who went to visit her broke.

” When Nkandu Luo, Jean Kapata and Sylvia Chalikosa visited me, they broke down into tears but I encouraged them because I knew that my God had allowed this for a purpose and I will eventually come out,” Mumbi said.

The outspoken politician says, she had committed everything to God.

“While in prison, I even prayed for President Hichilema, and people could ask me why I prayed for this government which has
put me through this, I said I hold no grudge against anyone, my God will fight them,” she said.

Mumbi explained that the State had approached a woman called (Ms Bruno) who had a handbag when the shooting was happening to turn her into a state witness to implicate her in exchange for money and a job in foreign service but she turned down the offer.

” I don’t think if the children to Lawrence Banda would be happy when they grow up to hear that their father died with
someone’s handbag in his hands,” Mumbi answered when asked to comment on how she felt on the children left by deceased.

However, Mumbi also said says she never knew her co-accused. She says the only time she met with Shebby Chilekwa was in
court.

” I have never met Chilekwa in person, I didn’t know him,” she said.

Mumbi who calls herself a living Daniel says, she wanted to retire in active politics but her stay in prison made her realize that she has a lot to do for the country especially the women folk.

“I reasised that after what has happened to me women will be scared to participate in politics so I am not retiring yet but I would also like to form a foundation to look into issues of Children and Women in prison, ” Mumbi said.

She says the state when entering a Nolle Prosequi thought that she would not sue them, but the precedence is already there of
suing the state by those who had been freed the same way.

” Our mother, the wife to Chief Mukuni was arrested for 2 weeks, she sued the state and was given money together with her
lawyers, Even HH sued the state but was told he cannot since he is president but his co-accused have been paid. I am going to
sue the state for compensation,” Mumbi said. “My time has been wasted. I’m suing the State Bafwile bampelako ka samufingie.” – Zambian Eye

AMOS CHANDA DIDN’T COMMIT ANY CRIME AT SAROVAR HOTEL SAYS STATE WITNESS

(Lusaka, 24 APRIL 2023)— A State witness has told the Lusaka Magistrates Court that Amos Chanda did not commit any crime at Sarovar Hotel on 30 September 2022 as alleged by the DEC.

This is a matter in which DEC prosecutors today moved the Lusaka Magistrates Court to Lusaka’s Sarovar Hotel just for site-seeing of the network of the 120 cameras in the hotel’s control room, poolside and basement carpark.

During cross-examination by defence lawyer Timmy Munalula, during the inspection of the basement carpark where the witness said Amos Chanda parked the car on September 30 last year, Sarovar hotel chief security officer Antony Mtonga (44) told the court that Mr Chanda did not commit any offence at the hotel that day or any other times he has visited the hotel.

Defence lawyers also asked Principal Resident Magistrate Irene Wishimanga to take judicial notice of the arrangement of the tables at poolside where no two tables were connected to each other as stated by DEC senior investigations officer Jones Siansamba.

Lawyers also asked Mtonga to show the court which of the three cameras that were focused on Mr Chanda would show where he sat, but the witness said all the three cameras did not show his full body but only showed a poor image of an unidentifiable person chest downwards.

“No I can’t tell where he sat. I don’t even know which table is number 22 and which one is 24. That is for the waiters to say,” he said.
” You can see him in the camera in the passage but as he got to the poolside terrace, it was dark and the cameras had been adjusted so that they don’t overshoot into Mandal Hill (shopping complex.) As a result all the people on the deck were cut chest downwards and the images were poor,” he said.

When the court court descended to the basement, the chief security officer identified two cameras that the hotel used to zoom on Amos Chanda as he parked.

Asked to state whether in that footage he saw the accused destroying any court document, the witness said Mr Chanda never committed any offence there or indeed anywhere else in the hotel.

In CCTV room, Mtonga said the footage that existed on server was secure and incorruptible before it was deleted 60 days after it was created. But he admitted that the footage he gave DEC was raw and not secured with any password.

The court did not view any footage there because the material DEC wanted the court to see was auto-deleted on 30 December, 2022, the hotel’s chief of security explained.

The court had ruled on Friday, April 21, 2023 that its visit to the hotel was only to view the physical infrastructure and not the footage or any software.

This followed the prosecution’s insistence last that it is important for the court to look at the CCTV hardware although the software, configured into a 60-day auto delete mode, erased the footage DEC claims contained vital evidence.

After looking at the hotel CCTV infrastructure, the Magistrate has ruled that the witness on the stand be cross examined on June 12, the date to which she has adjourned the matter.

Last Friday Mtonga revealed that the hotel has installed 120 CCTV cameras which they use to record videos of guests and surrender footage to third parties if requested.

He said the cameras cover the entire premises of the five-star boutique hotel starting from the basement carparks into the lifts, spa, bar, reception, hallways, restaurants and upto the upper rooms.

Mtonga said three DEC officers led by arresting officer Boyd Munalula ordered him to extract footage and give it to them and that the hotel general manager instructed him to handover any footage from any of the hotel’s rooms of interest to the DEC.

At the opening of the trial on 22 February 2023, DEC senior investigations officer, Jones Siansamba, told the court that he did not investigate anything about the purported missing court record because he was only concerned with the alleged recording he purportedly made on Amos Chanda in a noisy bar at Sarova Hotel .

But Siasamba admitted that he did not have any technical voice analysis report to affirm with certainty that the alleged audio was indeed of Mr Chanda. He claimed he made the recording between 20 and 22 hours in the night.

But on 19 April 2023, an expert state witness from ZICTA told the same court that his analysis of the recoding device the DEC submitted to him for processing showed that the purported recording was done at 02:55 am in the early hours of September 30,2022, long before Mr Chanda arrived at the hotel around 21 hours in the night.

Jeff Sitali, 38, the manager for cyber security and specialist consumer education at ZICTA told the court that he carried out digital forensics and established that the device given to him by the DEC contained recordings done on 30 September 2022 at 02:55:17 am, in the morning and not at 22:00 hrs as stated by Siansamba. He also said he infact did not listen to the audio and so he can’t say the person in the recording was Amos Chanda.

He said he focused on digital forensics to ascertain the integrity of the recording device and not the audios contained therein because he did not have any voice analysis expertise.

Sitali said the court must believe him because his report was an expert analysis pooled and drawn using “incorruptible” operating systems which cannot permit any external insertions into the devices he uses to decode and encode data. He also said he cannot tell the actual source of the recording.

On the same day, another state witness, James Habasimbi, 33, told the court he was just waiter whose job was to serve clients but was instructed by “two outsiders” to implicate Amos Chanda.

He said two people who don’t work for Sarova hotel summoned him to the CCTV room and asked him to identify and mention Amos Chanda as one of the people who sat on a dinner table (24) of interest to them. But Habasimbi presented to court a bill for table 22 where Amos Chanda did not sit that night.

“Me, l am just a waiter and I know nothing about this case before court. All I know is that Mr Amos Chanda is a public figure and he comes to the hotel.”

The Zambian Kwacha Exchange Rate
24th April 2023

After a seeming free fall, the Kwacha has rallied strongly against against major currencies and moved from about K22:$1 down to K17.4:$1 and all this within a week.

This is to be greatly appreciated considering the high cost of imported goods to an ordinary Zambian.

Having said that, as the public, we have not received an explanation of what is happening to our exchange rate.

In the last few months, we have seen the Kwacha go into free fall, and then rallying against major currencies rather rapidly. The cause of the loss and the rapid exchange rate gain, has not been explained to the public by those that should and as a result, the cause of the losses and gains are left to conjecture.

Why is it important to understand the underlying cause for the foreign currency fluctuations?

For the business community, it helps with planning. If the reason for the movement of the rate is known, either way, it will then be possible to know whether that movement will be sustained over a long period or not. For a business dealing with large volumes of foreign exchange, a difference of say, K6 in the rate, can result in large foreign exchange losses. This is why, for a business, a stable exchange rate is preferable.

We have seen celebrations, in some quarters, to the effect that the exchange rate has come down. Before we join in those celebrations however, we again ask – Why has the exchange rate come down?

• Is this as a result of Central Bank intervention (releasing some dollars in the economy)?
• Have we embarked on some venture that has started to generate foreign exchange?
• Have we received an injection of funds in the economy?

One-off interventions will not sustain the exchange rate at an adequately low level and the rate will trend upwards again as soon as the effects of that intervention wears off.

What will sustain the rate, and what we as a nation should be pushing for, is our embarking on economic activities, that can generate adequate foreign exchange for the nation. This is an imperative.

Sharing information regarding the cause of foreign exchange rate movements will enable the business community to make informed decisions.

CHISHALA KATEKA
President – New Heritage Party

MUMBI PHIRI SHOULD BLAME HER LOUD MOUTH AND NOT PRESIDENT HICHILEMA FOR HER 429 DAYS IN PRISON

April 24th, 2023

LUSAKA – Watching former PF deputy Secretary General Josephine Mumbi Phiri on the COSTA program on Diamond TV gave me the impression that what our mother needs more is Professional Mental Counselling and Management than media appearances.

Ms Phiri who spent 429 and a quarter days in a Mongu correctional facility on a charge of murder until the state entered a Nolle Prosequi seemed more bitter than she wanted the whole world to believe.

In the first place, it is common knowledge that Madam Phiri said more than she was supposed to during an interview with Kalani Muchima immediately after the shooting and killing of Lawrence Banda in Kaoma in 2019 leading to her incriminating herself in the matter and subsequent arrest.

We wonder how and where she decided to get the audacity to blame Republican President Hakainde Hichilema for her incarceration when ( in the words of Costa Mwansa) she opened her mouth louder than she should have. How then does she say the Head of State was playing a vengeance card on her.

If President Hakainde Hichilema wanted to play a vengeance card, We wonder how many PF leaders and members would have been in prison as we write this statement down today looking at the amount of atrocities committed under Madam Phiri’s watch when she served as the 4th most senior PF official in the country.

It was during her reign as PF Deputy Secretary General that several people were arrested, persecuted ad others killed without any recourse. Why wasn’t the Lawrence Banda murder case resolved between 2019 and 2023. What were the limiting factors. Where was Mumbi Phiri who claimed so loudly that she is the voice of the voiceless when a young Mrs Glazer Matapa and children had their bread winner slain by PF members? Where was she when a cold hand of the police under their watch led to the deaths of Chibulo Mapenzi and Vespers Shimuzhila, Joseph Kaunda and Nsama Nsama. Did the country ever see or hear Mama Phiri call on the living God when Zambians were being gassed while more than 50 people died under mob justices on allegations of being behind the gassing. Did she rise to speak up for the voiceless that suffered during that period. Young Frank Mugala was killed right at the gate of his school by a police bullet. Did Amai Phiri say any prayers for the family or there was no need to do so because it benefitted her and the regime?

The whole wide world watched Mutinta Hichilema cry while looking for her husband whose whereabouts she was not sure of. Did Madam Phiri hold her hand in sympathy or she stood on the mountain top to rebuke her while clapping triumphantly.

Today she wants to cry lion,lion accusing President Hakainde Hichilema of engineering her 429 days in prison when we all know that it was her loud mouth that got her in trouble in the first place. President Hichilema has showed statesmanship by restraining his agitated members from revenging against PF leaders and members for the atrocities committed against any member of society seen wearing anything red ( including a Manchester United football jersey) Let me ask Madam Phiri to imagine, difficult as it might be for her, but we shall ask her to do so. Just imagine if President Hakainde Hichilema had turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the feelings of his members and allowed for a ‘ friendly match’ even just for two days, how much damage would have been caused to this nation including herself as the 4th senior most official of the PF? Our advise to Madam Phiri is to keep quiet and not talk about vengeance because Zambians and President Hichilema could have forgiven but not forgotten. Let the sleeping dogs lie Amai.

She also claimed during the same programme that the killers of Lawrence Banda are out in the streets free and enjoying life. Maybe we ask the police to revisit the case and find out who are those killers that are moving freely on the streets. She seems to know more than the police do and maybe the courts have convicted a wrong person in Shebby Chilekwa. Maybe we should remind her that she is out on a Nolle Prosequi and not outright discharge or acquittal. We don’t need to explain what that means. Maybe we should request the police to check on her loud self incriminating mouth again. She says President Hakainde Hichilema is not being truthful about his 127 days in prison. Why should the nation believe her and not Mr Hichilema when all she did in the 10 years of PF rule was to lie?

We wish to advise the women movement such as NGOCC and ZWLG, the Church and family to offer her professional counselling services before she finds herself at crossroads with the law again. There is a family that is still grieving because it lost a son, brother, husband, father and bread winner to the cold arm of death orchestrated by her party.

The advise to her is to leave President Hakainde Hichilema out of her misfortune but instead concentrate on her healing process and avoid any media or public appearances as it is not doing her any good. Healing is a process and we advice her to concentrate on her marriage and family as she had promised the nation immediately after the humbling and humiliating August 12th, 2021 election loss. A loss can be difficult to handle at time.

Zambians have forgiven but not forgotten the many atrocities of the PF regime and the fact that they are enjoying their freedoms of expressions and speech as provided for under the new dawn administration should not make them think that they are the only ones that worship a living God.

Tondolo musuma bamayo Amai Josephine Mumbi Phiri.

CHEELO KATAMBO
Deputy Media Director – UPND

“It could happen to you”.

…a Zambian filling station will kill your car

Amb. Anthony Mukwita wrote on 23rd April 2023

This year, a video went viral filmed from a gas station called Karan in Zambia where a substance that was neither petrol nor diesel had been pumped out, believed to have been filled in cars of various unsuspecting motorists.

I looked at the video and said, “that looks familiar to what happened to my car” but is it really true? Do gas stations in Zambia pump contaminated stuff in our cars?

I hit the internet and found various complaints from motorist in Lusaka who had been taken for suckers by filling stations whose cars they messed up and got away with it.

Today the gas station is still doing booming business while the motorists have coped up huge costs on car repairs due to contaminated fuel supplies.

Fuel Contamination, a personal experience

It was a bright Saturday afternoon September when my family and I, our two boys and wife decided to leave home in Roma and go for a ride, wherever the road would take us.

I switched on our family Range Rover we have owned since 2016 while we worked for lovely country Zambia in Stockholm, Sweden until we returned home.

The dashboard on gas said, you have a quarter tank before the next refill so I made a mental note to refuel before we could go to wherever the road would take us.

The mood was high in the car, a normal weekend family get together out of the house, or so we thought.

Just about 5kms on our road, Zambezi Rd from home in Roma, we turned left by a gas station, I told the gas attendant, ´Diesel´ K500 please´, which that time September was about 23 litres not the 16 litres it is today.

We gassed up and drove off innocently but just about another 5kms from the gas station on Zambezi Rd onto Nangwenya road, before we could get into Addis Abba Drive, the Range Rover putt putted, smoked and came to a complete stop.

I got out to check what could have been the problem, did I hit and break something? No, I didn’t but right behind our car, a pleasant Youngman drives behind, his name is Kalenga.

Kalenga runs a car business on Nangwenya Rd just adjust the International School of Lusaka.

He dashes out of his car and comes me straight and says, “I saw the smoke as I drove right behind you, what fuel does your Range Rover use?
I said, “Its diesel propelled why?” as Kalenga opened the fuel cap and said, “are you coming from a filling station now?” I said yes.

Kalenga swiped his finger next to the fuel cap where it is clearly written “diesel” put his finger and said, “they “they put petrol in your diesel tank, smell this.”

I smelt it and true to Kalenga´s word, a mechanic by profession it was petrol.

It is about 4pm on a Saturday so what to do? The first thing I do is call the ever reliable ever dependable Alliance Motors that can fix any problem Range Rover.

They say, “Ambassador we will send you a number right now don’t drive the car, a tow truck will come and pick your car and we will look at it on Monday.”
I abide because even though I can play diplomacy and author, I can’t change a light bulb let alone know the trouble with a diesel or petrol car.

My wife and boys check on exasperated me from the passenger seat as curious onlookers start to gather.

A lovely motherly woman reverses her car, jumps out and comes to me and say, “Ambassador I recognised by the roadside from your many pictures in the media, is there anything I can do to help, maybe take your wife and children home?”
I said after getting her name, “Madam I am most humbled, but I have already called for a taxi I am most grateful.”

Kalenga comes to me and says, “sir you have to take the filling station to task, here is my number I will vouch for you.”

On Monday, it takes Alliance Motors, the Range Rover Zeitgeists, the whole day to bring down the complicated diesel tank, drain it and examine the drained more than 23 litres of fuel, including reserve.

I get the most feared call, “Sir the fuel in your Range Rover is contaminated but we are not responsible for saying what the contamination is its above our pay grade what you need to do is immediately engage ERB the Energy Regulations Board for final determination we are sorry.”

Enter Energy Regulations Board

The next day I hit the phone and call the ERB whose efficiency pleasantry shock me, they give me an email address to put the complaint on record which I do.

The next day, an ERB team visits the gas station on Zambezi Rd, get samples for testing but then, minutes, hours and nights have passed.

Our Range Rover tank was contaminated on Saturday afternoon, ERB is getting diesel samples on a Monday afternoon.

The gas station, and this is where I dropped the ball as a normally astute intelligent individual takes a fuel sample to ZABS for testing, I go to ZABS to have an independent test and they say “don’t worry sir we are testing the same sample after all.”
The next day, the ZABS jury is out, “the fuel satisfies what we think is normal fuel, meaning diesel.”

I protest and take the matter to the ERB, a hearing is set I go with an entire arsenal, a lawyer provided by brother and friend Paulman Chungu, my wife Elaine and a team of experts from Alliance Motors.
ERB says to find closure, let’s get another sample of the contaminated fuel and do a second test independently as ERB, I say yes sir. The truth shall set us free.

ERB gets a sample from Alliance Motors, two weeks pass, three and after a long whole month in a move unprecedented, like ZABS, the test is okey. The gas was satisfactory.

No reference was given to the comprehensive engineering report from Alliance Motors that the fuel pumped into my car was contaminated zilch.

I love ERB like any other guy but on this one I had to raise a red flag so on 16th December 2022, I wrote Mr Yohane Mutale, the Director General and asked a few questions:

1. Kindly give me a full list of certified laboratories in Zambia (in case I seek a second opinion)
2. Please give me a full list of fuel stations in Zambia, Lusaka priority
3. Kindly name the fuel stations on the top list of complaints

I thought I could make an informed decision on how to proceed on my injury with gas station from this but alas, I hit a brick wall.

From December 16 last year, Mr Yohane Mutale has not responded to my letter, not even acknowledged it, it’s like it was never sent to him.

No one has asked Alliance Motors why they stated that the fuel in my Range Rover was contaminated from their expert scientific engineering view.

I have spent more than K150,000 trying to bring my Range Rover back on the road, it’s not happening because anyone who knows cars will tell you that salvaging a diesel engine messed up by petrol is almost a mission impossible.

Meanwhile I see fuel challenges and bumper stickers (adverts) and see people excited, I just say to myself, do you know what is being pumped into your gas tank as you win K100?

You are paying the gas station to eff up your car.
As I close the first series, because I will do loads of this until I find justice, why can’t the ERB interrogate evidence of car repair companies and ask them how they reach their decisions before closing cases in favour of gas stations.

Needless to say, the ERB record at the moment stands at the highest pedestal of trust to the best of my knowledge.

I hate every time I drive by the filling station that killed our favourite Range Rover on Zambezi Rd.
We drove this car from Stockholm to C Copenhagen, Amsterdam to the Hague, Berlin to Prague until we reached the graveyard on Zambezi Rd in September. No problem.

One question still on my mind is why did ERB not question Alliance Motors on its findings of contamination? Just spit balling.

Why has the ERB not responded to my humble query from last year December 2022? I am just a useless complainant.

I pray what happened to us, won’t happen to you. Please mind the gas at your next gas stop. I am told the best gas stops are Total, Engen and Puma, the rest are at your own risk. Should we sue?

Feel free to share your experience.

PRESS RELEASE

Sunday, 23rd April, 2023.

LUMEZI MP COMMENDS GOVERNMENT FOR THE INCREASED CDF AS HE COMMISSIONS GRADER

Lumezi Independent area member of parliament, Honourable Munir Zulu has commended government on the increased Constituency Development Fund CDF allocation from K25.7 million in 2022 to K28.3 million this year.

And Hon. Zulu has commissioned the recently procured K2,030,000 brand new grader for the district by Lumezi Town Council as part of community projects under the 2022 Constituency Development Fund CDF allocation.

Speaking in Lumezi yesterday when he flagged off works of the newly procured grader, Hon. Zulu said through the increased CDF allocation, desks are being procured in schools and some mothers’ shelters are under construction in the district.

“CDF was increased from K25.7 million last year to K28.3 million this year. We thank government. Desks are being procured and mothers’ shelters are being built. Our priority is development in Lumezi” Hon. Zulu said.

The parliamentarian added that soon, schools and mothers’shelters currently under construct will be commissioned in Lumezi while boreholes will be drilled using part of CDF to address water challenges in Lumezi.

Meanwhile, Hon. Zulu said the people of Lumezi have for a long time been crying for roads and therefore, the grader will service all areas of Lumezi adding that a TLB will soon be procured as part of earth moving equipments required.

Speaking at the same event, Lumezi Town Council Chairperson, Mr Oliver Mwale said with most roads being impassable, the grader will open up the road network for the benefit of the people.

Meanwhile, Lumezi District Commissioner, Jimmy Phiri said the procurement of such heavy machinery as a grader using CDF is the first of its kind in Lumezi which is expected to expand development.

And UPND Chamtowa Ward Councillor Davies Mwanza said all the eleven ward councillors in Lumezi district appreciate the political leaders and Local Authority’s decision to ensure that the grader is procured describing it as a milestone achievement that makes the district notable.

For And On behalf of;
LUMEZI TOWN COUNCIL

Irvin Muyumbwa (Mr)
Public Relations Officer
Email: imuyumbwa842@gmail.com

WHAT DID THEY DO WITH $750MILLION LOAN RECEIVED FROM WORLD BANK?

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Both local and foreign public debt has increased dramatically in two years.

In 2022, the World Bank Group (WBG) through the International Development Association (IDA) disbursed US$750 million concessional loan to Zambia in what was termed as the highest-ever financing support to the country in a single calendar year.

Even more significant, it came after Government secured a US$1.3 billion Extended Credit Facility (ECF) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The first instalment of US$185.7 million from the IMF bail-out package was also disbursed in 2022. Zambia is waiting for the next disbursement of $188million recently announced after a Staff-level Agreement Review was done and is svhefuled for IMF Exdcutive Board approval.

The World Bank stated that the US$750million concessional loan went to support concessional development policy financing (DPF).

Concessional loans , or soft loans, have more generous terms than market loans. These generally include below-market interest rates, grace periods in which the loan recipient is not required to make debt payments.

So what did Government spend these two concessional loans totalling US$935.5million.

When PF received $750million loan from the Eurobond market in 2012, there was public pressure for Government to show what the money was used for.

It’s therefore imperative that Government shows and demonstrates how the $935million was spent in 2022, especially that these funds were not directed to any tangible projects.

ZAMBIA’S DEBT POSITION

On 23rd March 2023, the Minister of Finance Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane gave a Ministerial Statement in Parliament and released the following details.

■ Central Government Foreign Debt-US$14Billion.

■ Guaranteed State-owned Enterprise loans-$1.5billion.

■ Non-Guaranteed State-Owned Enterprise-$91million.

■ $4.06billion- The debt service standstill also led to a 46.86 percent increase in Central Government arrears to External Creditors to USD 4.06 billion (being principal and interest) as at end December 2022, from USD2.16 bilion recorded at end December 2021.

He stated thst the Ministry has also continued to engage Zambia’s External Creditors in an effort to restructure.

■ Domestic Debt- the stock of Government Securities increased by 9% to K210.0 billion as at end-December 2022 from K193.0 billion at end 2021. Performance of the Government Securities market during the year was relatively unstable, with better participation observed in periods surrounding the announcements related to the IMF programme.

■ Total Public debt was equivalent to US$31.6bn excluding interest arrears, and equivalent of USD32.8bn including interest arrears.

ECL come-back can hurt HH in 2026

By theCitizen

If Edgar Lungu decided to come back into active politics, President Hakainde Hichilema would be rattled, and probably, he would have serious difficulties to win the 2026 elections. This is because Hakainde lied his way through to power and now, citizens of Zambia can see that there was nothing really an issue with Edgar being President. Hakainde has failed to live up to his promises and he seems to have no shame about his failure.

When you list all what Hakainde promised to do, immediately, after winning power, you will find that he has done almost nothing where his promises are concerned.

We now believe that whatever this man was telling Zambians he would do once elected into office, he knew that he was lying, he was cheating and fooling Zambians. The man knew that he would not do anything. He knew that he would deliver nothing, that he would do the opposite of what he said he would, once elected into power.

Here is a man who said he would reduce the cost of fertilizer of a 50 kilograms to K250 each. Has Hakainde done that? The answer is categorical no. The prices of mealie meal are now very high than during the period of Edgar Lungu.

Hakainde said he would reduce the cost of fuel, to a single digit. Has he done so? Of course not.

Hakainde said that there would be free education from grade one to university. Has that been done? It hasn’t. Hakainde went to an extent of saying once he becomes President, people who sell mealie meal to Congo won’t be stopped and arrested, but instead, they would be encouraged to export the commodity in order for them to earn money and bring dollars into the country. What is happening now, with regards to those selling mealie meal to Congo, is opposite of what Hakainde promised Zambians.

When Hakainde was in opposition, he spoke passionately against the harassment of business houses by government, on the premise that they were judged as having links with the opposition. Today, this government of Hakainde has impounded trucks belonging to Aliboo , which are transporting mealie meal to Eastern, for no good reason but on the pretext that this company is trying to smuggle mealie meal, yet, the truth is, Hakainde is punishing Aliboo because he believes it is close to the former ruling party. These are things which Hakainde spoke against while in opposition.

Look at how Hakainde has strangled the Auditor General’s office. This office was scheduled by now, to release its report, on the plunder, corruption of government. This report is nowhere to be seen. Why? Because Hakainde and his minions do not want Zambians to know about their corruption, their plunder of tax payers money which has been detailed in the Auditor General’s report.
Look at how Hakainde – who was very vocal on the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) reports – but now, very mute about it, now that it has listed K6 billion worth of illicit transactions under the UPND administration.

When you sum all lies of Hakainde, and also look at the state of affairs in Zambia where the economy is concerned, you cannot help but understand why the man is damn scare of Edgar Lungu. If Edgar was to come back into active politics, Hakainde would be finished. This he knows deep down his heart, that is why, whenever they see Edgar outside doing his personal things, they get jittery and start barking around. Many people have realized that in fact, there was nothing wrong with Edgar being president. Many people today have realized that Edgar was better than Hakainde. If Edgar decided to come back into active politics, he would hurt Hakainde badly. S

Is a Zambian farmer not worth protection?

theCitizen Comment

Yesterday, President Hakainde Hichilema hosted a horde of exploitative industrialists, the Grain Producers and Traders of Zambia comprising the Zambia National farmers Union, Grain farmers, Grain Traders, and Water Harvester Associations. These are members of Oil Seed stakeholders in Zambia, and this is a group that is at the centre of exploiting farmers in this country. Farmers spend a lot of money, time and labour to grow crops and when they harvest, this is a group that reaps them off, year in, year out by buying such produce and paying masese.

With obscurity on the agenda of the meeting which this group had with President Hichilema, we can only speculate as to what they discussed about. What we know as a matter of fact is that these characters who went to meet the President are heartless capitalists. They suck from the hard work of poor farmers in this country. With the rain fed crop yielding period bound, it is likely that these characters are on the move to lobby for policies that will oil their interests against majority Zambian farmers.

In the previous farming crop yielding period, we saw, for example how these capitalists manipulated prices of commodities, to disadvantage farmers while government watched without care.

If truly, the government represents the interests of majority farmers in this country, they can dictate prices of all farming commodities, in the same way, they regulate the fares in the transport sector. Why is it that government easily allows price manipulation in farming whereby, exploitative industrialists are free to manipulate prices at will?

In the 2021/2022 farming season soya beans production was at 475,353 metric tonnes and government was only buying 1,500 at K11.50 per kilogram leaving 473,853 for industrialists to buy. These industrialists decided to buy soya beans at as low as K4 per kilogram. This means, over 90% of the produced soya beans was being sold at extremely low prices by farmers.
Government did not intervene to regulate – or better still – put price index on farming products in the same way they do in other sectors of the economy. While these capitalists were giving farmers less money, the Tanzanian government was in need of 1 million metric tonnes of soya beans, offering $100 per 50kilogram and was willing to mop out all the soya beans in Zambia.

If indeed this government serves the interest of the people, it could mop out all the soya beans and offer farmers even more, and then, sell what they do not need to Tanzania and Congo which are ready to buy. But why doesn’t government do this? Because the government protects the interests of these capitalist groups and not farmers. If the government is interested in seeing farmers get a better deal from private buyers, all they have to do is allow exports. These exports need to be done in such a way that government is fully involved, and in this case, is the broker which buys from farmers and exports to countries in need of whatever farming commodities.

This could give farmers more income for their produce and would push the oil seed stakeholders to buy farming produce at the right price. For many years now, these exploitative capitalists have argued that if exports of farming products are allowed, it would push them to increase prices of commodities which they produce from the farming commodities. But when you look at the prices of animal feed, for example, they are high. Regardless of how much low prices they acquire farming commodities from farmers, finished products are always expensive. What is the point of continuing to cushion these capitalists? Is a farmer not worth government protection and love?

We hope that meeting which President Hichilema had with those capitalists is not about reaping off farmers, even this year. We shall wait and see.

FRA OPENS MARKETING SEASON

A brief analysis by Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

The Food Reserve Agency has announced the opening of the 2023/24 Crop Marketing Season and the purchase of designated agricultural commodities.

The exercise will run from 1st May 2023 to 31st October 2023.

The gazette notice issued doesn’t have the set floor price and of concern, the opening of the crop marketing season has come three (3) months earlier.

The Food Reserve Agency traditionally opens the marketing season in July and the exercise runs to September/October of the year..

This is because FRA has to monitor the maize moisture content so that the recommended 12.5 percent moisture content suitable for storage is achieved before FRA can start to buy and store the maize. This os to avoid substantial loss and waste.

I guess the announcement to buy the crops starting next week is due to the monumental national crisis where the country has exported almost all its crops including the national strategic reserves, and has been forced to buy maize far ealier taking the risks of stocking a crop that is not ready for storage and warehousing.

In Zambia farmers use natural elements to dry maize and other crops, hence the delay in opening Crop Marketing Season.

Storing maize that has not reached right moisture content attracts molds and diseases which results in extremely high post-harvest losses.

In the 2023/2024 marketing season, FRA will maintain the 1,255 satellite depots across the country. This is good for the farmer as it reduces the long distances that have to be covered to take the crops to the storage stands, sheds,or warehouses.

By law, the FRA is mandated to buy eight designated crop commodities which include white maize, orange maize, rice, sorghum, sunflower, groundnuts, soya bean and beans as strategic food reserves.

FRA buys using commodity prices which consider farm gate and open market prices,
factoring in the cost of inputs to reflective pricing as well as consultations with market
shareholders and players in the crop marketing value chain.

In 2022 FRA bought the crops using the following prices;

1. White maize from the K160 per 50 kg in 2021 to K180 per K50 kg bag, which is equivalent to K3,600 per metric tonne;
2. Soya beans remained at K11 per kg or K550 per 50kg bag; and
3. Rice also remained at K5 per kg, which is K200 per 40kg bag.

CONCLUSION

FRA has targeted to buy 250,000 metric tonnes. This is far below the recommended minimum national strategic reserves.

For example,in 2021 Crop Marketing Season, FRA purchased 947, 777.55 metric tons of maize valued at K2.8 billion, 121.60 metric tons of soya beans valued at K1.2 million and 656.80 metric tons of rice valued at K3.2 million.

In order to secure the strategic food reserves, we have always urged the Agency to take up the responsibility of drying the crops and invest in such equipment and technologies as required and thereby enter the market at the earliest possible time in order to meet their targets and to avoid unscrupulous buyers taking advantage of the small-scale farmers.

I am aware that the floor price, set by the Minister of Agriculture, has not been announced yet. So what scenario price and factors has FRA used? And what’s the price they are buying the crops? The farmer needs to know.

FRA is not the only player in the market as millers and grain traders are also present and price discovery for this year is important.

PARLIAMENT TO CENSURE AGRIC MINISTER OVER MEALIE MEAL CRISIS

Lusaka, Saturday (April 22, 2023)

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament ,Brian Mundubile says he will move a Motion of Censure against Agriculture Minister Reuben Mtolo Phiri for telling lies in Parliament over the mealie- meal situation in the country.

He said he was disappointed that a 25kg bag of mealie- meal in Mafinga District, Muchinga Province, currently costs K450 while border towns on the Copperbelt recorded shortage of the staple food.

Mr. Mundubile, a PF Presidential Candidate, said it was widely expected that the Legislature should provide checks and balances against the Executive under the doctrine of separation of powers comprising of the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary.

“One important question Zambians are asking is that did Legislature provide sufficient checks and balances regarding mealie meal and maize? The answer is yes,” he said.

Mr. Mundubile said Parliamentarians openly raised concerns regarding the continued export of maize to other countries but the Executive remained adamant.

“Our view is that whilst there is a provision for Censure of Ministers through a Motion in Parliament, I wish to inform the Nation that when Parliament resumes business, we will move a Motion of Censure against the Minister of Agriculture,” he said.

He said the Agriculture Minister provided inaccurate information on the Floor of the House that Zambia was food secure but the country suffered a staple food crisis a week later.

“Honourable Mtolo Phiri misled the Nation on the Floor of the House. As opposition political parties we will move that Motion so that he can be Censured on the Floor of the House. But we feel that is not enough,” he said.

Mr. Mundubile said Parliamentarians would propose stiffer measures under the Standing Orders so that the Executive remains responsible when handling matters of national importance.

He said citizens saw Health Minister Sylvia Masebo almost get away with it when she went several times on the Floor of the House to assure the Nation that the country had enough drugs in hospitals when people were dying all over the country due to shortage of drugs.

“The shortage has continued up to today. We will propose to Parliament to introduce in our Standing Orders stiffer sanctions to Ministers that come on the Floor of the House and mislead the Nation. We will start with the Minister of Agriculture in this particular case, using the existing Standing Orders, to move a Motion of Censure,” he said.

Mr. Mundubile said the Lawmakers would ensure that Parliament remains effective in providing the necessary checks and balances.

“Parliament should be able to serve the Zambian people by ensuring that we stop certain things from happening. If Parliament was operating effectively, we should have stopped these food shortages,” he said.