Contact: UPND Media Director Ruth Dante, 0976503165
Email: upndzambia@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE

NAWAKWI’S CLAIM ON HH ALLOWING ZIMBABWE TO USE MORE WATER IS SHAMEFUL

Lusaka (13.01.2023) We know that Madam Edith Nawakwi has never supported President Hakainde Hichilema but surely she cannot sink so low, to say that she had information that President Hichilema gave Zimbabwe Water equivalent to 300mw in April this year. This is according to a story trending on social media.

This is a serious issue and opposition leaders together with other Zambians are supposed to engage and dialogue to find solutions because energy is critical as it affects life, businesses and the environment.

The worst is where some leaders and party officials are so excited and using it as a bullet to attack and claim failure by government instead of showing the Zambian people that they have a solution through checks and balance.

We want to applaud the President of the Republic of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema for taking a lead and showing leadership during the Loadshedding period unlike in the past where citizens were told to urinate in Kariba dam.

According to a report by Zambezi River Authority Chief Executive ENG. Munyaradzi Munodawafa facts are that both ZESCO Limited and Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) have in the past exceeded their water allocation.

He said this when he made his presentation to Ministers and other senior government officials who toured the dam to assess the water and the ongoing $294 million dollar Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project (KDRP) works.

While ZESCO Limited, stated that water usage for the period 2018 to 2022, was as follows:

2018: Both ZESCO Limited and ZPC did not exceed their water allocation.

2019: ZESCO Limited exceeded its water allocation.

2020: Both ZESCO Limited and ZPC exceeded their water allocation.

2021: Both ZESCO Limited and ZPC exceeded their water allocation.
2022: Both ZESCO Limited and ZPC exceeded their water allocation; ZESCO Limited exceeded by 0.42% (allowable under the Water Purchase Agreement-WPA) while ZPC exceeded by 11.12% attracting applicable over-utilisation penalties.

Details in the report by Zambezi River Authority are as follows:
1) For the year 2022, ZRA allocated 45BCM and that utilities were advised to utilise water within allocation to leave 6% live storage (4BCM) by 31st December 2022 to support power generation into the second quarter of 2023 when flows from mainstream Zambezi River would start peaking in line with the hydrological cycle of the river.
2) The 2022 water allocation was compounded by the need to have very lower lake levels to facilitate for dewatering of the plunge pool without raising concern regarding pore pressure from high lake levels.
3) Over-utilisation of water by utilities and poor performance of Kariba lower catchment Rivers led to low water levels being recorded during the last quarter of the year 2022.
4) Current lake level is 475.78 (0.28m above the Minimum Operating Level-MOL of 475.5m. (11 Jan 2023)
5) Flows in the mainstream Zambezi River are expected to continue increasing going into February 2023.
6) Lake levels increasing and projected to significantly increase by April 2023 in line with peak flows of mainstream Zambezi River.
7) The upper catchment of the Zambezi River is recording increased water levels.
😎 The two utilities (ZESCO Limited and ZPC) will maintain combined average generation output at Kariba at 500MW, i.e., 250MW ZESCO and 250MW ZPC to the end of January 2023 after which they could increase to 400MW per power station as the flows of the mainstream Zambezi River further increase during both the months of February and March and into the second quarter of the year 2023.
9) The DAM DRAINS (located at the foot of the dam) from which minimal amounts of water is discharged from the upstream side of the Kariba Dam to downstream in a manner also referred to as ‘leaking’ are part of the structural design of any dam infrastructure. They have no effect on the structural integrity of the dam and do not deprive the utilities of water needed for power generation as the discharged amounts are very negligible.

The above are details from Zambezi River Authority and one wonders what Madam Nawakwi’s intention was by claiming that President Hichilema intervened and allowed Zimbabwe to continue using the water from the dam.

Madam Nawakwi’s claim has reminded us of the another of her claims where she accused President Hichilema of abducting Pheluna and Milton Hatembo. Am sure many of us thought this claim was a lesson to Madam Nawakwi because it led to the arrest of an innocent woman ‘Bina Nkwazi’ who is Chief Mukuni’s queen and the death of two persons whose children are now living as orphans.

UPND MEDIA TEAM.

MONDE BEMOANS THE STATE OF ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY

…as he proposes for legislation that would enable Zambians recall a sitting President that fails to deliver

Lusaka… Thursday, January 12, 2023 (Smart Eagles)

Patriotic Front – PF presidential hopeful Greyford Monde has continued slamming President Hakainde Hichilema for the many failed promises he gave Zambians prior to 2021 elections.

President Hichilema promised Zambians that he would fix the economic challenges that Zambians were grappling with.

But after being voted into power, the economy has worsened causing citizen’s tempers to start flaring.

When asked to share his view on the state of the economy when he featured on Millennium TV last night, Hon Monde said he did not know what had befallen Zambia.

He said the country’s economic state is completely on the freeze.

“I think the state of the nation right now is that we are completely on a freeze. We don’t know what has befallen us. Just when people were hoping that the FISP would work well, the program which was once a success is a total disaster, and now the issue of no medicines in hospitals – all these issues, we then are first with this problem of electricity,” he said.

Hon Monde said while people expected better delivery from the UPND administration, the country is now on a side where one cannot tell where it is going.

The potential PF Leader said the economic state of the country is gloomy.

He charged that Zambians wish there was a way they could recall a sitting President when they have failed.

“From the time that the current government took over power, we have been on the side where you can hardly know where we are going… and yet people expected better. So the state of the country right now, the state of the nation is so gloomy that many Zambians out there don’t know if really that the presidential term or a political party in office term, if there was a way it should have been lesser than five years or if there was a way to recall a sitting President when they have failed,” he said.

“I think that part of the Constitution would have be revoked to have been to ensure that we can quickly move on and get someone else, another political party probably to take over government. Because I think that there is so much not happening.”

JOINT COMMUNIQUE BY THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA ISSUED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE STATE VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA BY MR HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA HELD FROM 11TH TO 12TH JANUARY, 2023

1. At the invitation of His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, undertook a State Visit to the Republic of Angola, from 11th to 12th January 2023. President Hakainde Hichilema was accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Mutinta Hichilema.

2. President Hakainde Hichilema was also accompanied by Hon. Stanley Kakubo M.P, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Hon. Chipoka Mulenga M.P., Minister Commerce, Trade and Industry; Hon. Charles L. Milupi, M.P. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Frank Tayali, M.P. Minister of Transport and Logistics; Mr. Siazongo D. Sikalenge, Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, Finance and Economic Development, and H.E. Lawrence C. Chalungumana, Ambassador to the Republic of Angola and Senior Government Officials from the Republic of Zambia.

3. The official delegation of the Republic of Angola also included His Excellency Manuel Nunes Junior Minister of State for Economic Coordination; His Excellency Tete Antonio Minister of External Relations; Her Excellency Vera Esperanca dos Santos Daves de Sousa Minister of Finance; His Excellency Macy Claudio Lopes Minister of Justice and Human Rights; His Excellency Victor Francisco dos Santos Fernandes; Minister of Industry and Commerce; His Excellency Carlos Alberto Gregorio dos Santos Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Habitation; His Excellency Joao Baptista Borges Minister of Energy and Water; His Excellency Ricardo Daniel Sandoa Queiros De Abreu Minister of Transport; His Excellenpcy Edeltrudes Mauricio Fernandes Gaspar da Costa Minister and Director Office of the President; His Excellency Victor Manuel Rita da Fonseca Lima Secretary for Diplomacy and International Cooperation of the Presidency; His Excellency Xavier Francisco Azevedo Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extra Ordinary of the Republic of Angola to the Republic of Zambia; His Excellency Jose Alexandre Barroso Secretary of State for Petroleum and Gas; His Excellency Paulino Fernando de Carvalho Jeronimo Chairman of the Agency for Petroleum and Gas; His Excellency Maria Carmo Bastos Corte Real Bernardo Chairman of the Development Bank of Angola and other senior Officials.

4. President Hichilema expressed appreciation to His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço and the people of the Republic of Angola for the warm welcome extended to him and his delegation on his Visit to Angola.

5. President Hichilema congratulated His Excellency President Lorenco on assuming the role of incoming President of the OACPS and for the successful hosting of the 10th Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Heads of State and Government Summit which was held on 9th December, 2022 in Luanda.

6. President Hichilema was undertaking his First State Visit to the Republic Angola. However, President Hichilema had traveled to the Republic of Angola to participate in the Inauguration Ceremony of His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço on 15th September, 2022. His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço had also undertaken a State Visit to the Republic of Zambia on 2nd May, 2018.

7. During the State Visit, the two Heads of States reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen and deepen the historic relations of friendship, good neighbourliness and cooperation that unite the two countries and people, having recognised the preponderant role of the Founding Fathers of the nations, His Excellency Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto and His Excellency, Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda in building and promoting the excellent relations between the two countries.

8. The two Heads of States also discussed regional issues of mutual interest, including mediation initiatives led by Angola in the context of consolidating peace and security in Central Africa and in the Great Lakes region, particularly the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The two Heads of States also addressed the absolute need to restore peace in the Southern African Region, which has positioned itself as one of the most peaceful regions on the African Continent. The two Heads of States reaffirmed their commitment to resolves conflicts in the region, particularly in the Province of Cabo Delgado, in the Republic of Mozambique.

9. The two Heads of States highlighted the importance of peace and security issues in the regional integration agenda, and pledged to maintain an increasingly reinforced cooperation and collaboration in this matter, in the Regional Organisations to which both countries belong, namely, the African Union (AU), the Southern Development Community (SADC) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICRGL).

10. With regard to bilateral issues, the two Heads of States discussed the need to increase economic cooperation, highlighting:

(i) The project on the construction of the Angola/ Zambia Road through Jimbe border as part of the broader strategy to close the gap in the shortage of transport infrastructure aimed at linking the two countries by road;
(ii) The need to increase trade and investment volumes between the two countries as a way to improve the livelihood of the citizens of the two countries;
(iii) The need to collaborate in the resolving the energy crisis that affects the region by reinforce investments in the two countries in renewable energies such as solar, hydro- electric, wind and geothermal energy;
(iv) Enhance cooperation in the health sector in the areas of common interest; and
(v) Reestablish air connection between the two countries.

11. In this regard, the two Heads of States witnessed the signing of the Six (6) Legal Instruments in the areas of Energy, Infrastructure, Education, Trade and Justice, namely:
1) Agreement on the Creation of the Bi-National Commission between the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the Government of the Republic of Angola;
2) Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development of the Republic of Zambia and Ministry of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing on cooperation to facilitate the development of the construction of the Zambia-Angola connection road via the Jimbe Border, and another at the Malundo Sikongo border;
3) Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Zambia and Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of the Republic of Angola;
4) Memorandum of Understanding between the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) and the National School of Administration and Public Policies (ENAPP), regarding cooperation between the two Institutions in the area of academic programs;
5) Memorandum of Understanding between the Zambia Bureau of Standards and the Angolan Institute for Standardisation and Quality; and
6) Memorandum of Understanding between the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and the Investment Agency Private and Export Promotion of Angola (AIPEX).

12. On Energy, the Heads of States underscored the importance of investments in the Petroleum and gas sectors as a way to ensuring affordable fuel and petroleum products a key input in the productive sectors in both countries.

In this regard, President Hakainde Hichilema reiterated the interest of the Republic of Zambia in investing a stake in the Lobito Petroleum Refinery while His Excellency President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço reaffirmed the will of the Republic of Angola to invest in the downstream gas market in the Republic of Zambia, through among others, the construction of bulk storage facilities and a multi-product pipe line.

The two Heads of States acknowledged that these energy infrastructure projects will assist not only Zambia and Angola but the whole Southern Africa Region to have access to petroleum products.

13. On Transport Infrastructure Developments, the Heads of States acknowledged that although the two neighbouring countries enjoy a peaceful co-existence, there is still a serious shortage of Transport infrastructure that connects both countries either by Road, Rail, Water and Air.

The two Heads of States acknowledged that this lack of transport infrastructure has had a negative impact on trade and investment including on the movement of people, as well as on the operationalisation of the Lobito Corridor.

14. The State Visit was preceded by a Business Forum which was organised by the Zambia Development Agency and graced by the Hon. Chipoka Mulenga, M.P. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry and his counterpart from Angola Minister of Commerce and Industry Hon. Victor Fernandes, M.P. In attendance was Hon. Charles L. Milupi, M.P. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and Hon. Frank Tayali, M.P. Minister of Transport and Logistics. Twenty Zambian companies and over sixty Angolan companies participated in the Business Forum.

15. During the State Visit, President Hakainde Hichilema undertook a conducted tour of the Lobito Refinery project, Lobito Port, and the Benguela Railway company.

16. At the conclusion of the State Visit, President Hakainde Hichilema expressed his appreciation to His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço and the Angolan people for the warm welcome and the marks of affection reserved for him and his delegation on the first to the Republic of Angola, taking the opportunity to invite His Excellency President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço to visit the Republic of Zambia, on dates to be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.

Done at Luanda, Angola 12th January, 2023
🇿🇲🇦🇴

THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE : SHUT DOWN KARIBA DAM POWER

By GEORGE CHOMBA

What would you say if I were appointed Zesco managing director today and tomorrow I shut down Kariba down power station?

My guess is as good as your answer.

Take it from me that we can shut down Kariba Dam power station and still have electricity in our homes and have ‘parte after parte’.

Of course, ‘parte after parte’ when our work is not affecting public service delivery.

I have done my mathematics and my total is just fine.

I know my primary and secondary schools teachers would disagree but after working for three decades, I hold the bragging rights to my opinion of being a new found calculator.

For starters, I never loved mathematics in my childhood.

Calculations were never my cup of tea and my career path can show that I believed in the word.

But over the years, fate has proven me wrong that I never needed mathematics.

Ever imagined that I have to know how many minutes you stick around to read my write up? That is mathematics.

In newspapers, do you know the shape of the document was calculated by a mathematician?
What about the letters to fit newspaper columns, the headlines and the text?

I don’t want to know about radio and television schedules because they wow me on why programmes are either in 25 minutes or one hour 25 minutes.

I always asked myself why not 30 minutes or one hour 30 minutes?

Those minutes are reserved for advertising and journalists together with mathematician who calculated them as such.

Well, enough of journalism and mathematics.
The topic here is shutting down Kariba Dam power station which gives Zesco supply of 1080 mega Watts.

According to Zesco board Chairperson Vickson Ncube, the electricity utility company has a generation capacity of 3,494 mega Watts.

So I have done my calculation using additions and subtractions.

I ask you how many mega Watts you remain with if you subtract 1080 mega Watts from 3,494 mega Watts?

If your answer is 2,414 mega Watts, then you can agree with me and President Hakainde Hichilema that; ‘Let’s start thinking beyond Kariba Dam’.

Don’t imagine but know that the total national demand for electricity is about 2,400 mega watts.

So there we have it without Kariba Dam power.
But where is the challenge of removing Kariba Dam power from the national requirement?
I have forgotten the kilometres by road from Lusaka, however, remember that I never liked mathematics.

Kariba Dam is in Siavonga which is a tourist resort with leisure lodges and beaches.
It is in Siavonga that we like boasting about fish and kapenta.

So a year without Siavonga, rightly or wrongly, is a headache for some people.

Overall, we want to see the biggest man made lake in the world, if Kariba Dam is still the biggest.

But as stated, Kariba Dam in Siavonga only has installed generation capacity of 1080 mega Watts.

Zambia has a total installed electricity capacity of 3,494 mega Watts.

There then lies the challenge with the human incompetence?

Ndola power station has an installed 105 mega Watts but producing nothing.

Lunsemfwa with 56 mega watts is also producing next to zero.

Forgive me. I am not talking about the 2021 general election where some candidates were getting zero votes.

Look at Kafue lower which is producing 385 mega Watts when it has a 600 mega Watts installed capacity.

When President Hichilema visited Maamba Collieries Limited, he found 150 of 300 mega watts removed from the grid.

The coal fired plant is only producing 133 mega Watts.

Zesco knows the statistics as what I have is right in their computers.

Infact, Zesco managers were better students in mathematics than I was and can tell Zambians the total electrity generation capacity.

But the bottom line is, we can have 24 seven electricity power in homes and industry even without Kariba.

Don’t dare me. Why go to Kariba Dam which is giving us 250 mega Watts out of 1080 and not the dormat stations and power them? I rest my case.

ACC OFFICER GROWS COLD FEET

Lusaka Magistrate, Thursday, 12th January, 2023

ANTI Corruption Commission (ACC) acting Senior Investigations Officer who arrested and charged former Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo and wife Wanziya Chirwa failed to turn up at court Thursday morning for cross examination by the defence as she is reportedly sick.

In the last Court sitting, ACC officer Zangiwe Mulenga testified before Lusaka magistrate Slyvia Munyinya that Stephen Kampyongo owns property which was K2.,400,000.00 above his earnings.

The property include the house in Eureka valued at K8,600,000.00 which she told the Court belonged to Jon Van Blerk. Hon Kampyongo only paid $1,400 (about K25,612 based on today’s rate) out of a total purchase price of US$330,176.

ACC had received a report from the Financial Intelligence Center that Stephen Kampyongo had built the house but ACC investigations discovered the House belonged to Jon Van Blerk.

Among the four properties Mr Kampyongo is accused of owing above his income include bare or undeveloped land off Twin Palm road valued at K1,600,000.00, a property in Rockview, Multi Economic Zone valued at K819,000.00. Ms Mulenga said the property at Forest 27 showed that Hon Kampyongo had exchanged it with Sandra Ngwisha and there were no further investigations.

According to a State witness the Payroll Management and Establishment Control assistant director-personnel administration Humphrey Silupya, Hon Kampyongo earned a total of K3, 607,100.92 without including any other allowances he may have earned attending to other government business. The National Assembly also told the Court that Hon Kampyongo earned a total of K3,600,000.00.

According to the wage report generated by PMEC, Ms Wanziya Chirwa earned K1,314,973.33 in net payment from April 2010 to December 2022. According to the testimony of Mr Humphrey Silupya, in cross examination, the figures for Ms Chirwa do not include the earnings in salaries and allowances could have made from 2005 when she was first employed by government to March 2010 as the data could not be generated by the PMEC System.

Mr Silupya admitted that Ms Kampyongo had once travelled to the Netherlands where he worked for one year and could have earned additional allowances. He said he does not know the rate that is used when she travelled out of the country.

The Court has since adjourned the matter to 1st February, 2022 for cross examination of Mr Mulenga is now unwell and the State is expected to close its case around that time.

JOURNEY TO THE WEST: IS ZAMBIA, ANGOLA READY TO TRADE?

By GEORGE CHOMBA

Ever imagined being thrown out of State House because of lack of an invitation pass?
That aside. What about flying as a Government official in a foreign land without an aircraft ticket?
This was my experience 15 years ago when assigned to travel to Angola, Zambia’s western neighbour.
Don’t blame me, it is the nature of the profession, or rather the craft whose talent should be finding the news or something in the current affairs.
Back then in 2008, I was assigned to travel to Angola to cover President Levy Mwanawasa who was honouring an invitation by his counterpart, Jose Eduardo Dos Santos.

For those who care to know, this was in the aftermath of a cold war between the administration of Zambia’s second President Frederick Chiluba and the Angolan Government.

During Dr Chiluba’s time, his administration was being accused of sponsoring, Dr Jonas Savimbi, the rebel leader of UNITA to destabilise the Angolan Government.

So, after Dr Chiluba left office in 2001, Dr Levy Mwanawasa was being a neutral person to ‘normalize’ relations with the Angolan authorities, hence the invitation.
That is a story for another day.
I was not on the Zambian list of State House officials to visit Angola, but Zambia Daily Mail was determined to ‘spend’ a little bit to put yours truly on Air Angola to fly to Luanda, the capital city.

There I was armed with an air ticket in my jacket heading to Lusaka International Airport which is now Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to fly to Angola on a tour of duty of the Kizomba music country.

On arrival at 4 De Fevereiro International Airport in the capital, Luanda, a friend from the Angolan embassy in Lusaka who sat next to me whispered about the intention of his Government to shift the airport and turn it into an oil field because they had find petroleum at the site.
At that time, this was just for my information but fast forward, considering the high cost of fuel imported from the middle east, I wish importation of the petroleum products from Angola could have started in 2008.

At the airport, I parted company with my Angolan connection and linked up with the Zambian State House Presidential party.
I didn’t have my own transport and who am I not to enjoy the privileges which were over flowing in the body of my colleagues from the Zambia Information Service (now ZANIS) on the Government budget.

Thank God, I met Maxwell Chindele, may his soul rest in peace. We worked together when I joined ZIS before my search for greener pastures at Zambia Daily Mail.

Luanda was expensive then and I believe is still expensive. If I could buy groundnuts from street vendors at $1 in 2008, I don’t know how much the cost is in 2023.

If you are scrutinising why buy groundnuts on the street when I was US Dollar rich, the pocket was expected to leave some money for shopping.

In fact, don’t play with the Kwanza, the Angolan currency. If you do, blame no one for arriving back home with empty pockets.
And talk about food, real food the Zambian standard from Matebeto, we had to find some backyard arrangement to adequately satisfy our stomach.

This is whenever, we were not eating with the VVIP at some official function.
Fast forward, like the itinerary of President Hakainde Hichilema so far made available, so was Mr Mwanawasa’s back then in 2008.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, President Hichilema who has travelled to Angola for a State visit from 11th to 12th January 2023 at the invitation of his counterpart Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, will address the National Assembly of Angola, as well as travel to Benguela Province where he is scheduled to tour the Lobito Port, the Benguela Railway Company, and the Lobito Petroleum Refinery.

Turning back the hands of time, yours truly has the bragging rights of having visited the venues.
However, not all can be rosy and my encounter with the Angolan securities at their ‘State House’ is memorable.
I was not an official guest like my colleagues on the Presidential party were and so suffered an ‘eviction’.
Before this episode, I was in love with Angola’s State House which is on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
This is where the guard of honour for President Mwanawasa was conducted before the official bilateral talks with his counterpart, Jose Edwardo Dos Santos.
It’s not a nice thing for a journalist to be waiting for accredited colleagues to feed them with third party information about what transpired in the meeting.

But I had to defy the old proverb of; ‘once bitten, twice shy”.
After the bilateral talks and after President Mwanawasa addressed the Angolan Parliament in Luanda, the next point of call was the Benguela trip, some hundreds of kilometres, if not a thousand kilometres, from Luanda.
Getting to Benguela required some ‘bird’ to fly the Zambian delegation.
Those who have never witnessed Presidential security, should try going near the KK international airport when President Hichilema is receiving a counterpart.

But if asked to choose a profession if were to live again, journalism still rings a bell.
I was on the plane flying to Benguela Province and at Benguela’s Lobito Port listening to the harbour manager explaining to President Mwanawasa how it would be easy for Zambia to receive imports through Angola.
The reasons became even more clearer when we visited the Benguela Railway Company.
At the time, Angola was building a railway line from Benguela to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The interest to Zambia was that the railway was passing near North Western Province.
It was during that time that Former Vice President Enoch Kavindele had interests in building a public private partnership railway line from North Western Province to the Copperbelt.

It was being suggested that instead of Copper from North Western Province being transported by road, Mr Kavindele’s railway line could connect to the Benguela system and the mines would use that route to Lobito port.
North Western Province was being earmarked as the next Copperbelt, as reality seem to be dawning on Zambians through FQM’s Kansanshi and the nickel mine in Kalumbila.

Looking back at the commitments then, one is left praying whether Mr Kavindele’s dream will come true.
President Hichilema says on his facebook page; “Whilst in this country (Angola), we will discuss various issues affecting our two nations, and these will centre around unlocking sectors in energy, infrastructure, trade and investment.

“We are optimistic that this visit will lead to opening more opportunities for both Zambia and Angola as we are firm believers that before we look for partnerships and cooperation at the International platforms, we must look within our regional neighbours”.
The question therefore is aside the railway:

1. Are Zambians going to see cheaper Angolan Petrol and Diesel powering their vehicles and industry
   The journey to the west. Is Zambia and Angola ready to trade?

By Sakwiba Sikota

CAN PILATO FLY A PLANE BECAUSE HE IS A GOOD MUSICIAN?

This week I looked at my old picture albums and came across two interesting photographs.

Both the photographs were from the early eighties.

One was me with Captains Charles Musenge, Brian Mabula and late Captain Waluka Mukuni at some party. These three friends of mine were some of the earliest commercial pilots Zambia Airways had.

The other photograph was of me during my lecturing stint at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA). I was with a group of my students whom I was lecturing on the civil service code and it’s regulations.

The picture with the pilots interested me because I always used to marvel at the skill and prowess of my three friends. I even remember being on a flight one day and realizing that my Freind Captain Charles Musenge was flying me when he came on the on flight telecom to make a cabin announcement and identified himself as the pilot. The other passengers looked at me oddly when I excitedly was telling all and sundry that the pilot flying the plane was my freind. I felt safe.

The picture with my then students, whom I had lectured on the Civil Service Code and the public service Rules, interested me because quite a number of them had gone on to become senior civil servants and some even rose to the lofty position of permanent secretary.

They managed to rise to these high heights and perform duties of ‘Controlling Officers’ because the Public Service Rules (PSR) they had been lectured on provide standard operating procedures and policy statement that regulate work and the condition of service in the public sector.

PSR is designed as work guide and manuals for bureaucratic culture among public service employees.

As a result of my knowledge about what real pilots do, I do not appreciate Former President Barack Obama’s jokes about pilots.

Last year Obama joked about Herschel Walker, the Republican Party nominee for the Senate seat runoff in Georgia, using a “thought experiment” highlighting the Republican candidate’s lack of ability or experience for the political role.

At a campaign rally for Walker’s Democratic rival, Obama acknowledged that Walker was “a heck of a football player” and “amazing, one of the best running backs of all time.”
Obama however argued that Walker’s prowess as football player didn’t make Walker the best person to represent Georgia.

Obama imagined people seeing Walker in the airport or hospital and allowing him to fly the airplane or do surgery because of his success on the football field.

LET week B Flow had issues with Pilato.

In Zambia we all know that Chama “Pilato” Fumba recently got awarded the President’s Insignia for Bravery on account of tremendous heck of prowess in combining governance matters in his music using vernacular language helping to shape the political discourse of the nation and country.

As his music was widely accepted among the people affected by poor governance especially the youth, his fight for justice good governance and better living conditions for the poor through his music has gotten him special recognition as now a Permanent Secretary. This position requires one to be the ‘Controlling Officer’ and to follow civil service regulations for fear of having a charge from the Anti Corruption Commission of willful failure to follow laid down procurement procedures and guidelines contrary to section 34 of the Anti-Corruption Act.

When I think of Pilato’s appointment, Obama’s words keep on playing back in the recess of my mind, “Herschel Walker was a heck of a football player… does that make him the best person to represent you?… let’s say you’re at the airport and you see Walker and you say, Hey, there’s Herschel, He is winner man. Let’s have him fly the plane!”

Do not mistake Pilato as being a misspelling that needs the “a” to be dropped and the “o” moved to where the”a” was. Make no mistake, Permanent Secretary Pilato is what he is.

Seeing that Pilato is a heck of a musician, if not the best Zambian musician of all time, I would like to do a “little thought experiment” though and ask, “Can Pilato fly a plane?”.

Sakwiba Sikota

UPND has let Zambians down – Capt Mukengami

By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone

THE spirit’s of Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Elijah Mudenda, Grey Zulu, Mainza Chona, Alex Shapi and others will not rest until we reconstruct UNIP, says Captain Robert Mukengami.

He notes that President Hakainde Hichilema talks as if he is still in the opposition.

“UPND has let the people of Zambia down. They were given a majority vote but they are still campaigning,” he notes.

In an interview with The Mast, the retired captain said UNIP is the only opposition political party that can save Zambians.

“We are organising a UNIP symposium, an indaba. And this should be held God willing by April. And as national chairman, I am looking at all UNIP young turks, like comrade Muhabi Lungu, old guards like General (Kingsley) Chinkuli, Tiyaonse Kabwe, Alfred Banda, Njekwa Anamela,” he said. “We need to get back the spirits of KK, Nalumino Mundia, Grey Zulu, Elijah Mudenda, Mainza Chona, Alexi Shapi and the others. These will not rest until we reorganise UNIP.”

Capt Mukengami also indicated that even non-UNIP members who are keen followers of the former ruling party would be free to attend the symposium.

He said the symposium would be held at Mulungushi Rock of Authority next to Mulungushi University.

Capt Mukengami said no other political party shall surpass UNIP’s track record on uniting Zambians as well as its record on education, health and agriculture.

“UNIP is the only party that can be considered as a national party. We have a track record. UPND has let the people of Zambia down. They were given a majority vote but they are still campaigning,” Capt Mukengami noted.

On corruption fight, the UNIP leader said what is happening is vegeance, but was quick to add that he does not mean that those who may have committed crimes should not be prosecuted.

On health, Capt Mukengami said there are no drugs in health centres.

He said he has a number of prescriptions given to him by a health centre in Livingstone’s Dambwa North.

He called for the CDF to be revisited and accused the UPND leaders of giving their relatives projects.

“Go to Hillcrest Technical Secondary School and find out who sunk a borehole there. It is two ladies who related to a minister. CDF leaves much to be desired,” said Capt Mukengami said. “To date no government has beaten UNIP on agriculture and education. What you have now is partial free education.”

K1.8 BILLION RELEASED SINCE START OF THE MONTH, OF WHICH K419.3 MILLION IS FOR SCHOOL GRANTS

Finance and National Planning Minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP, says the execution of the 2023 budget has commenced on a smooth note. Since the start of the year a few days ago, the Treasury has so far released a total amount of K1.8 billion to finance public service delivery.

The tabulation of funds released from 1st January to date, is as follows:

1) TRANSFERS: K419.3 million was released to finance school grants under the Ministry of Education and K217.8 million for the Secondary Schools and skills development training bursaries under Constituency Development Fund (CDF);

2) INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: K165.2 million was released towards road infrastructure rehabilitation and development;

3) DISMANTLING ARREARS: K200 million was released towards dismantling of arrears for suppliers of goods and services to the Government;

4) DOMESTIC DEBT SERVICE: K619.8 million was released to service the domestic debt.

5) EXTERNAL DEBT SERVICE: K48.8 million was released to service external debt (multilaterals).

6) GENERAL OPERATIONS: K169.4 million was released to finance service delivery in various Government institutions. Notable in this category, included:

i) K55 million released to the Ministry of Agriculture for prevention of Army Worms;

ii) K88.3 million for operations and other public sector programmes; and,

iii) K26.1 million released as donor funds to various institutions.

We reiterate the call by the Minister of Finance and National Planning for Ministries, Provinces and Agencies to ensure that funds are absorbed and utilised on budgeted programmes – in a timely, efficient and effective manner in order to achieve the Government’s set transformational objectives outlined in the National Budget and the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP).

In conclusion, we confirm that the Minister of Finance and National Planning will host a Town-Hall Forum on the 2022 Budget and Economic Affairs Performance and 2023 Budget Execution, on Friday, 13th January, 2023, at Mulungushi International Conference Center, Mosi-O-Tunya Hall. The event will start at 08:45 Hrs and will be streamed live on the Ministry’s various social media platforms.

Keep in view.

CHOMA RESIDENTS CELEBRATE 💃AT ‘WE STILL NEED MY HOME TOWN’ PARTY

By Womba Kasela

Some Choma residents Wednesday evening turned up for the WE STILL NEED MY HOME TOWN IN ZAMBIA movement fellowship party hosted along the newly rehabilitated hospital road.

The party was meant to appreciate the works of MY HOME TOWN-MHT in the district as the movement appeals to the organization to rescind its decision to suspend its activities in the country.

Speaking at the event, Movement Chairperson, James Mooli, thanked government for the opportunity to hold such an event in the district.

Mooli also appreciated the community for turning up to attend the party which he said was an indication that the residents are also affected by the decision of MHT to halt operations in Zambia.

Speaking at the same event, Movement Organizer, Sam Mukubi, called on traditional leaders and government to work hand in hand in pleading with MHT to rescind its decision to suspend their activities in Zambia.

And in an exclusive interview with Byta FM News, My Home Town Managing Director, Gilbert Siachaya, stated that the organization is willing to stay in Zambia and continue to deliver its services.

Asked if MHT might rescind its decision, Siachaya could not comment, stating that he is not in a better position to do so.

For more details, tune in to Byta FM 90.3/100.3/101.9 or http://radio.garden/listen/byta-fm-zambia/YsDAFNNN

HICHILEMA DELIGHTED WITH HIS VISIT TO ANGOLA

Fellow citizens,

We were delighted and honoured today, to have been received at the Republic of Angola Presidential Palace, in Luanda by His Excellency President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, together with the Nation’s First Lady Mrs Ana Dias Lourenço.

Angola and Zambia are bound together by common history, culture and language and commonality between out two people, while the two countries share long borders and common natural resources such as water bodies, along these borderlines.

Further, Zambia hosted Angolans in their difficult times during their liberation wars. It is based on these past experiences, values and solidarity, that our two governments that are bound together by history and duty, should strive to extend this deep relationship by strenghthing our economic ties through Trade and Investment, for the benefit of our two nations and peoples.

We signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) around, Economic growth through Trade, Investment, Transport systems and people to people cooperation.

Tomorrow we undertake a tour of Lobito and Benguela to fully appreciate the strategic importance of these transit points that will enhance Trade and Investment between our two countries.

Hakainde Hichilema,
President of the Republic of Zambia.

BALLY SHOULD PURGE INCOMPETENT ZESCO MANAGEMENT

…he too needs to resign on a basis of his failure – Greyford Monde

Lusaka, Wednesday, January 11, 2023 ( Smart Eagles )

Angered with the incompetence the New Dawn Administration has handled the load shedding and other pressing issues, Hon Greyford Monde says the failure by President Hakainde Hichilema requires that he resigns on moral ground.

The PF presidential hopeful reiterated the need for a law that will allow people to recall an incompetent and failing President.

Not long ago, the Head of State boasted of ending load shedding in the period he has been in power.

As if the challenges that come with high price of fuel and other essential commodities is not enough, Zambians are now facing a 12-hour load shedding.

Uncoordinated statements from different officials both from government and ZESCO have been issued.

The recent explanation from the President is that “Kariba Dam is leaking.”

One of the explanations from ZESCO Limited Board Chairperson Vickson Ncube is that human factor had led to the energy crisis the country is grappling with.

And Hon Monde said the confession by Mr Ncube explains that technocrats ill-advised the President.

The potential PF president said what is being witnessed in the country is total failure on the part of the “top brass” recently appointed by the President at ZESCO.

“Suffice to say, his actions amounted to a political stunt aimed at face-saving for his boss, who a few weeks ago had claimed that he and his incompetent government have managed to end load shedding within one year in the driving seat of government affairs,” he said.

“What we have witnessed and are yet to witness is total failure on the part of the top brass recently appointed by the President at ZESCO.”

Hon Monde said to save Zambia from total collapse, the board and top management of the energy company need to be purged.

“Therefore, the President is challenged to fire the band within 48 hours. Any delay to fire these incompetent officers will plunge this country into untold economic malaise never seen before,” he said.

“This load shedding has already started impacting the economy negatively. Millers have indicated a decline in their production by as much as 20 percent. What this means is that prices of mealie meal and other products will have to be increased in order for them to meet their overhead charges.”

He further explained that some employees may have to be thrown on the streets in order for them to balance on revenue and expenditure.

Hon Monde said small scale enterprises (saloons, barbershops, welders, business centers) are already having it hard.

“What more damage should we witness before corrective action is done?Unplanned load shedding has caused the death of persons who were on life support and depended entirely on electricity supply. For us, we believe that one life lost is one too many,” he said.

“We need to move from a point of massaging failure with political rhetoric. Just a few weeks ago, the President is on record having admitted failure in the distribution of farming inputs and the health sector has broken down irretrievably with regards to timely supply of medicine in hospitals. Seriousness requires the President to promptly relieve all the ministers involved.”

PRESS STATEMENT, 11.01.2023

SOCIALIST PARTY CALLS FOR THE RESIGNATION OF ZESCO BOARD CHAIRPERSON

The attempt by Zesco Board Chairperson Mr. Vickson Ncube to save President Hakainde Hichilema the embarrassment of misleading the nation that his government had solved the problem of electricity deficit in Zambia is shameful. This act of trying to vicariously take the blame is a scandal of unprecedented proportion.

As Socialist Party, we do not believe that President Hichilema’s claim that his government had ended load shedding within a few months of being in office was as a result of being fed wrong information as claimed by Mr. Ncube. This is because Mr. Hichilema has exhibited a scandalous propensity to claim easy victories in an attempt to divert public attention from his failure to deliver on all key campaign promises.

President Hichilema has also exposed his habit of projecting himself as having the monopoly of wisdom in solving Zambian’s problems in line with the useless ‘Bally will fix it’ rhetoric. Against this background, we dispute the claim that the Zesco board chairperson misled Mr. Hichilema. Zambians know that when Mr. Hichilema issued the lie of having ended loadshedding, he made no reference to water levels at Kariba.

We wish to remind Mr. Ncube that his job is not to launder Mr. Hichilema who many Zambians have come to know as the champion of fake promises and pronouncements. There are enough UPND praise singers to defend him.

Therefore, we call upon Mr. Ncube to resign as Zesco Board Chairperson not for misleading the President but for attempting to offer himself as a sacrificial lamb to atone the lies of President Hichilema. Moreover, the individualistic manner in which Mr. Ncube handled the serious issue of Zesco loadshedding on Hot FM’s Hot Seat radio programme on Tuesday, 10th January, 2023, raised serious doubts about his approach to national challenges. He clearly showed that he also suffers from the same Hakainde syndrome.

Finally, we wish to remind Mr. Hichilema that when he was in the opposition, he attributed the challenges at Zesco including loadshedding to incompetence by Patriotic Front cadres who he falsely claimed were running Zesco instead of qualified people. But after he became President, many qualified engineers and top officials at Zesco were fired and replaced by individuals whose association with the UPND is well established. This scenario projects Mr. Hichilema as the chief priest of hypocrisy.

Frank Bwalya

SPOKESPERSON, SOCIALIST PARTY ZAMBIA

PF Chairperson for Information and Publicity Raphael Nakacinda says the claims by Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe that should the Patriotic Front (PF) bounce back into power in 2026, there is a possibility that the death penalty law would be brought back into the Statute books, is unfounded.

Mr Nakachinda added that the same law which Mr Haimbe claims to be abolished still exists in part 3 of the Constitution and can only be amended by way of a referendum as was proposed by the former ruling party.

“Mr Haimbe, whilst he is accurate in his submission that PF will bounce back in 2026, his fears are unfounded, suggesting that PF will reverse some of these amendments that were made. First of all, it must be understood that there is nothing to reverse because there is nothing they have achieved,” he said

“The death penalty is still on the statutes. The only way we can amend and remove the death penalty is by way of referendum, which referendum we had proposed as Patriotic Front because we understood that the only way to enhance human rights is by way of amending Part 3 of the Constitution and that amendment comes by way of a referendum,” he added

Mr Nakacinda however, lectured the Justice Minister that an Amendment of a subsidiary law amounts really to having done nothing because in the Republican Constitution, the death penalty still remains.

He reminded that the UPND are the ones who shot down the referendum that was proposed by the PF to iron out the issue in question.

“We can only ask the UPND not to worry, the brutality they have subjected PF members to, the tribalism they have introduced in this country, the Partisan consideration, whether it is those who are in office as civil servants working in government, they are being victimized to be PF, that attitude will not be tolerated under a rebranded Patriotic Front,” he stated

“When we come back in power in 2026, we are going to carry through all the positive things that will have been achieved if there will be any. We will not victimize any Zambian on the basis of their affiliation. For us, our approach will be anchored on the principle of One Zambia One Nation,” he noted

And Nakacinda assured Haimbe that the PF will come back into government with a totally different approach, adding that all those that either sympathize or belong to other political parties will be looked at first of all as Zambians before starting to consider partisan issues.

“We are coming back into government with a totally different approach, patriotism will be the anchor word, nationalism will be the anchor word and national unity will be the anchor word and prosperity is what we will be aiming for,” Mr Nakachinda assured

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe claimed that should the Patriotic Front (PF) bounce back into power in 2026, there is a possibility that the death penalty law would be brought back into the statute books.

Mr Haimbe believes that there is a possibility that the PF could reclaim the leadership of the country but is worried that the death penalty which has been abolished could be brought back.

According to Mr Haimbe, the PF was justifying their claims that the death penalty had not been abolished because the former ruling party believed that it would be voted back into government.

He said that the PF was preaching that the death penalty had not been abolished because they were of the false belief that should Zambians vote them back, they would use the Bill of Rights to revive it.

Mr Haimbe wondered why the PF was failing to understand the simple logic behind the abolishment of the death penalty.

He stated that the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code were the statutes from which the courts drew power to sentence and that was what President Hakainde Hichilema expunged.

“The logic is simple and the narrative that it was not abolished was a misnomer aimed at misleading the citizenry,” Mr Haimbe said

Mr Haimbe cited that Article 12 substation 1 of the constitution guaranteed the right to life to the people and provided an exception where a court of competent jurisdiction pronounced a sentence to death was the only derogation from the right to life.

He said that the courts drew the power to sentence people to death for capital offences like murder, aggravated robbery and treason.

“Then what does it mean if where you draw power as a court to pronounce death sentences is removed and tell that courts that you can no longer carry out that sentence what you can do is impose life, isn’t it abolition of the death penalty and why would anyone defy that simple logic and say it was not done away with,” he said

Mr Haimbe noted that the abolishment of the death penalty should not be turned into a tool for political campaigns but that politicians should engage citizens on facts that would promote civic education.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA.

Mr president Visiting Kariba dam and Maamba collieries that does not hold water, that’s pretence wood winking the people as If you care, because you knew about load shedding way back while in opposition. And you condemned it strongly to an extent of saying it’s one of your number one priorities once you form government what has gone wrong ba Elder?

Earlier somewhere in May 2022 you where bragging that within a year in office you have finished load shedding just be honest and tell the citizens that you are selling power to neighboring countries. Yes we can not develop in isolation, but it’s important to look into the plight of the Zambian citizens first.

It’s a well known fact, that a tongue cannot claim to be ignorant about what the teeth are doing. Mr president we Zambians are not dull in fact before you play it smart think about the majority poor Zambians who are wallowing in poverty working tirelessly to make ends meet to feed their families
like those running..

-Baba shops
-hair saloons
-Running butcheries
-Welders
-car wash
-tyre mending

The list is endless, Zambia is not a cattle ranch or kantemba it’s a pity to have people like Anthony Bwalya your Spokes person featuring on radio trying hard to justify your lies even reaching to an extent of saying PF misused the water in Kariba it’s a shame, that’s mockery to the Zambian people.

To me it doesn’t make sense to give preference to supply electricity to the neighboring countries. We’re not disputing that we cannot have load shedding, but let it be manageable with minimal hours, people should have power during their working hours as you look for a permanent solution. Staggering outage by ZESCO is not helping what we need is no load shedding at all because we have enough power to sustain us. Just reduce the mega-watts you are selling to your friends in South Africa and other countries if you are a patriotic Zambian it must be Zambian citizens first.

Why are you selling our birth rights? All this God given natural resources that we have as a country, it’s for the benefit of Zambian Citizens not foreigners.

-Mining sector is in the hands foreigners.

• Selling power to neighboring countries at the expense of majority poor Zambian citizens.

-High prices of commodities on the market.

-To make the matters worse even FISP program is in shambles up to now farmers in most parts of our country are still struggling to get farming inputs. Agriculture sector is the only industry we have for now, which can help greatly to turn around the economy of our country If handled with the seriousness it deserves.

In all honesty how do you expect to construct and build the crumbling economy when you look at the above sectors? Because, the above sectors are the major drivers of every sound economy. Instead you are helping other countries to build there economies while your country’s economy is crumbling in shambles.

Consulting from experienced, is not a bad idea ba Elder If possible resign on moral grounds. The dust that you have raised in the system has done more harm than good, it may take us over 10 years to get out of this quagmire.

ACHIZIMA.

Abraham Alinaswe Simpamba

Kampyongo’s property worth more than his earnings – ACC

A Senior Investigations officer at the Anti-Corruption Commission has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Court that the value of Stephen Kampyongo’s properties scattered across Lusaka is way above his income.

This is in a matter where Kampyongo, a former minister of home affairs is jointly charged with his wife Wanizya Chirwa a chief planner at the ministry of Lands on eleven counts of possessing properties worth K28,701,500 suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Zangiwe Mulenga told principal resident magistrate Sylvia Munyinya that on February 29, 2022 the Commission received a complaint that Kampyongo and his wife had illegally acquired properties in different parts of Lusaka.

“The details of the complaint is that AVIC International had built flats for Kampyongo in Foxdale. It was further alleged that he was in possession of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime. It was further alleged that Wanziya Chirwa had bought a property in Ibex costing way above her earnings,” Mulenga said.

She narrated that in April 2022, the director general authorised a full scale inquiry into the allegations and the Commission also received information from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) alleging that Kampyongo and Wanizya had built a house in Eureka and the costs of construction did not meet their income.

Mulenga said she prepared a warrant of access and served them on Ministry of Lands, Patents and Companies Registration Agenca (PACRA), Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), Various Banks and she went to Eureka and interviewed Jonathan VanBlerk who confirmed having sold property worth US$330,176 to the couple and a part payment of US$1,400 was made.

She said according to records at the ministry of lands Kampyongo has four properties all registered under his name.

“There was a property in Rock view Chalala 24406 a Vacant House, undeveloped land no.59837 in Multi Economic Zone, there was another property in Ibex off Twin Palm Road with an incomplete wall fence and another undeveloped land in forest 27. After I got the printout from Lands, the ACC wrote a letter to Government valuation department so that they could help us with the value of the properties,” she said.

“The Eureka property was valued at K8,600,000, the property in Ibex Hill off Twin Palm road, was valued at K1,600,000, The Rockview property was valued at K815, 000, Multi Economic Zone was valued at K819,000, the property at forest 27 showed that he had exchanged it with Sandra Ngwisha.”

The investigations officer indicated that details obtained from Payroll Management and Establishment Control showed that Kampyongo earned K3,600,000 and those from the National Assembly he got K5,600,000 plus sitting allowances.

“I did my analysis of his earnings versus the properties there was an excess of ZMW2,400,000. The properties were more than the earnings. I then decided to record a warn and caution statement. He remained silent. I decided to arrest him for possession property suspected to be proceeds of crime because of the payment that was made towards the purchase and the development effected on the property,”said Mulenga.

Earlier Humphrey Silupya an assistant director personnel administration at Payroll management and Establishment Control said according to the couple’s payslips between September 2012 and May 2010 Kampyongo got K1,180,823.86 as gross payment and his net payment was K1,314,973.33 while his wife earned K6,211,971.16 as gross payment and her net payment was K3,607,100.92 between April 2010 and December 2022.

During cross examination by Kampyongo’s lawyer Leon Lemba, the witness confirmed that Wanizya was employed in 2005 as a planner in the ministry of Lands and part of her earnings were omitted in his report.

Silupya affirmed that the K1.3 million showing on Chirwa’s payslip does not include other allowances which she accrued neither does the K3 million net payment on Kampyongo’s payslip.

Magistrate Munyinya adjourned the matter to January 12 for the investigations officer’s cross examination.

Kalemba

Zambia has killed the death penalty, but other rights remain on death row

By Sishuwa Sishuwa

When President Hakainde Hichilema announced in May 2022 that Zambia would soon abolish the death penalty, few took him seriously. Not only had he said little about it before, but he had shown a lack of urgency in honouring his election pledges to repeal repressive laws that undermine Zambians’ human rights and fundamental freedoms. Many were therefore caught by surprise on 23 December, when he made the pledge a reality, deservedly attracting plaudits from rights groups.

The death penalty was introduced in colonial Northern Rhodesia in 1931 as the punishment for anyone convicted of murder, treason or aggravated robbery. It was given effect by the criminal procedure code (CPC) two years later, backed by article 12 of the country’s bill of rights, unchanged since 1963. Since independence from Britain in 1964, Zambia has executed 72 people, with 380 currently on death row. The country’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, sanctioned 64 executions, while his successor Frederick Chiluba approved eight.

Since 1997, Zambian presidents have refused to sign execution orders, choosing instead to commute sentences to life imprisonment. The removal of capital provisions from the penal code is a positive step that marks the end of the use of a cruel, inhuman and degrading method of punishment. It also makes Zambia compliant with the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Also on 23 December, Hichilema assented to the repeal of a 1965 law on defamation of the president, which made it an offence – punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment – to publish “any defamatory or insulting matter … with intent to bring the president into hatred, ridicule or contempt”. This provision had been used to deter criticism through the threat of arrest and numerous convictions, including under Hichilema’s presidency. Its abolition is a victory for free speech and another positive step towards the promotion of human rights.

However, the president has left a number of repressive laws on the statutes. A key example is the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act, which was hurriedly enacted by the Edgar Lungu administration on the eve of the 2021 election, allowing the authorities to tap and confiscate electronic devices without proper safeguards. Some Zambians are already facing prosecution for breaching this law under Hichilema, who, in opposition, had promised to repeal it as his first act in office.

Another example is the Public Order Act, requiring any person who intends to convene a public meeting to give at least seven days’ notice, and conferring discretionary powers on the police to ban a meeting if they are unable, for any reason, to manage it. This colonial-era law has long been used in Zambia to restrict rights to assembly and free speech. Under Lungu, meetings of opposition parties and peaceful demonstrations by civil society were repeatedly curtailed. Violations are punishable by up to six years’ imprisonment.

Even the Penal Code Act, yet another colonial-era relic, contains provisions that criminalise libel and outlaw homosexuality, while its text is full of derogatory terms such as idiot, imbecile, vagabond and prostitute. None of this is arcane knowledge. Hichilema came into office when the statutory Zambia Law Development Commission had just finalised a 10-year comprehensive review of the penal code and the CPC. The commission handed its report to the minister of justice last February and recommended the immediate removal of several archaic provisions that restrict human rights, including capital punishment and the criminal defamation of the president.

A year later, the government is yet to provide any clear roadmap for comprehensive legal and constitutional reforms. The removal of the insult law and the death penalty – the latter of which is a change opposed by the majority of Zambians (one consultation found that nine out the country’s 10 provinces favoured retaining it) – occurred only after western pressure.

Since the president has weakened civil society by co-opting into government nearly all the civic leaders who acted as a check on power under Lungu, the pace and direction of legal reforms appear to be at the mercy of western powers and actors. These include the US, the EU, the UK, and a gaggle of advisers from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, who have been working with the president’s office since March 2022. Western influence on policy remains a thorny matter. It has led to important reforms, but raises challenging questions about how to untangle good outcomes from bad process.

A law on access to information – defined by the UN as “the right to seek, receive, and impart information held by public bodies”, and widely accepted as a core part of freedom of expression – was promised yet not delivered by successive governments. Hichilema’s has followed suit, raising questions about the president’s commitment to fighting corruption; he has refused to publish the value of his assets despite being elected on a platform of accountability and transparency. The failure to release his net worth is especially concerning given his extensive business interests and makes it difficult to work out to what extent his economic policies are benefiting companies in which he has a stake.

Hichilema’s sporadic delivery of promised democratic reforms is part of a wider failure to act on his election pledges, including subsidising agricultural fertiliser, reducing the cost of living, tackling corruption, resolving problems in the mining industry that have left tens of thousands of jobs under threat, and addressing persistent shortages of drugs and other medical supplies in public hospitals. The resumption of crippling 12-hour daily power cuts has made a mockery of his assurances only a few months ago that his administration had ended the energy crisis. In this context, public opinion of Hichilema in Zambia contrasts with the praise he is receiving from the west.

Sishuwa Sishuwa is a historian and lecturer in modern history at the University of Zambia. Twitter: @ssishuwa

Kasebamashila Kaseba
HOW ONE DAY THE PUBLIC SHALL BE SHOCKED TO LEARN UPND AND PF ARE ALLIES AGAINST PUBLIC INTEREST FOR PERSONAL INTEREST JUST AS UPND ALLY PRIME TV ALLY PF ALLIED LAWYERS AMONG THEM DIAMOND TV BOKANI SOKO TO SUE FOR DEFAMATION

UPND and HH have an arrogant tendency of leaving matters to the last minute or get overtaken by events before they can react as happening with ZESCO loadshedding.

Or have the tendency of thinking the public won’t discover or uncover the truth just because the government workers are sworn to some oath of secrecy.

When some of us at their start asked them for a roadmap of programme for their five year in office, we were chanted down by UPND cadres HH or themselves rebranded as praisers who accused us of wanting delivery of five years in days or weeks thereby paltering from roadmap to delivery.

– “It is too early.”

– PF had 10 years to destroy.”

Today, ZESCO is loadshedding citizens or voters or SMEs or industries who are answered by praisers with pie in the sky vague long term answers, “we are in the right direction” not on the right roadmap.

One day, it shall be publicly known as today known to UPND cadre Proud Sichaba, who was honoured by HH for among others justifying PF loadshedding when it is too little too late that UPND and HH are frauds or fraudsters working for personal interest against public or national interests.

UPND, HH, Prime TV, Shawa, Simuuwe can happily work or ally with Prime TV Shawa allied to PF and rival-turned-ally Diamond TV (former Mobi TV) Bokani Soko in betraying and suing me for Defamation for three years when HH has repealed his higher Defamation of the President and death penalty for treason etc or even after Prime TV illegally reopened itself ahead of HH inauguration or appointment of Cabinet.

If Prime TV Shawa whom I sacrificed for or risked with for five years can repay me with a Defamation lawsuit through PF lawyers or rival-turned-ally Diamond TV, who really is UPND or HH and worse a UPND cadre or praiser to Prime TV Shawa?

Or if HH, I dealt with in person a few times including by his letter and phone calls, to thank me for solidarity can today rubbish his own word or bond or can rubbish me for business partnership with Prime TV or profit, who really is an unknown cadre or praiser or citizen in the unknown rural area.

Zambians, including myself, doubted HH for five of six times on the suspicion of what he has turned out to be the privatisation and personalisation of the republican presidency.

Otherwise, one point eight million voters who voted for EL (against two point eight million voters for HH) was too high or the highest for a losing President.

HH (and voters) shall badly panic after procrastination, of everything, just as he is panicking over ZESCO loadshedding that he himself first defended as he is defending or allying Prime TV violating labour laws or UPND cadres violating press freedom through media raids against the so-called restoration of the rule of law.

ZESCO Board Chairperson Vickson Ncube has taken the blame for the loadshedding that the country is currently faced with.

Mr Ncube stated that if he had looked at the flow of the waters he would have been able to anticipate that when the country hits a certain time, the water levels will not be able to generate electricity to full capacity, adding that he would have also looked for solutions in the neighbouring countries with power as this would have enabled him to mobilise solutions to the potential problem.

“With Loadshedding there’s a failure on the natural part and the human part, on the natural part I can’t explain it, I will just mention that our hydrology is poor, our water reservoirs are also poor, no matter what we do, we have no control over the natural part, and on the human part we should have anticipated on that because in leadership theres anticipation of a problem so that when it comes, you are ready to face it, so, to that extent I shall take responsibility by stating that we failed the nation as ZESCO and as Board Chairman I take the full responsibility, I should have been better informed, and aware by measuring my hydrologies, looked at the projection and see at what point, we are going to hit a crisis, and I should have started fining for inteverning measures so that by the time the crisis comes, am ready to meet it and I wasn’t,” he explained

In responding as to whether he misinformed the President who assured that load shedding is the thing of the past, Mr Ncube admitted to have misinformed the Head of State because if he had given him correct information, the President wouldn’t have made such a statement, adding that the President does not seat at ZESCO everyday, neither does he seat on the ZESCO Board, but he rather gets information through ZESCO and if they give him information and he then uses the same information to inform the nation, then as ZESCO they must take the blame.

“The problem then comes in sometimes when you become arithmetical and not practical, you look at your generation capacity, I look at all our electricity generation stations, Kariba with 1080 megawatts, Kafue Gorge ABOUT 900 megawatts, Kafue Gorge lower with now seating at 600 megawatts, Itezhitezhi seating at 120 megawatts, Maamba with 300 megawatts and many other smaller power stations, and I look at my maximum demand of 2200 megawatts from 3400 megawatts, but am not looking at the underlying factors that will affect the generation, am just looking at the demand versus the capacity but when the circumstances in the generation change, I am blind sided, so that is where the problem comes in,” he disclosed

He further disclosed that there is a bigger problem that might be faced if eversive measures are not taken right now, explaining that if any of the machines sucks water combined with air they will be messed up, and this will that the situation can only be corrected in about 18 months which will be dependant on the damage caused, as a power utility company putting in place immediate measures, four machines where shut down and only remained with two operating even though the two machines are not operating to full capacity, where instead of generating about 180 megawatts, they all generating about 125 megawatts.

He admitted that the Patriotic Front – PF curbed load shedding completely but it has come back because of the mismanagement plus nature (low water levels at Kariba Dam) and he has apologized for this.

The ZESCO Board Chairperson, noted that the power utility company still exports power to neighboring countries because they want to cushion a huge debt which is now amounting to US$3.3 billion.

Mr Ncube has since assured the nation that load shedding is likely to end in March if things are put in place accordingly.

ADVICE TO THE PRESIDENT FROM A FORMER MINISTER.

INTRODUCTION

I didn’t realise how many people read our stories on Zambian whistleblowers. Neither did I realise how impactful our articles have been.

A week never passes without bumping into somebody who mentions and congratulates me on the brilliant insights in our articles.

Since I love my peace and quietness I sometimes want to hide and not take credit for the knowledge in the articles .

I have met politicians, economists, media people etc and every encounter leaves me with more ideas and the desire to write more..
Last month I met a senior legal Counsel who mentioned that the UPND system, including the Secretary General of the UPND, reads our articles and wants to meet me in person .
Be ready for more stories that will mushroom as a result of these encounters .

ANALYSIS,

ENCOUNTER WITH THE MINISTER

He approached me and mentioned that he has been briefed by his children that I write awesome and impactful stories and wanted to find out what my background was? I said I am thankful to learn that people actually read our articles but I don’t have any background worth talking about. I added that my writings are purely out of passion which I take as a pastime. I have been an autodidact freelance writer from the age of 19 who has written for both the public and private tabloids.

He went on to mention how thankful he was to the President because his wife had just been appointed in the diplomatic service. He further complained how his wife had been sidelined by the PF government..

Mr Mulenga ( not his real name) said writers like us have a lot of influence on both the leaders and the people. He advises that we need to use our influence to help the President improve and guide public policy . He said the first area where we need to help the President is on the Barotseland issue. Mr Mulenga says the only way the barotseland issue is going to rest is by calling for a referendum based on the actual geographical boundaries. He said the only way the people of barotseland will be settled is by allowing its people to vote for or against the independence of barotseland. He also mentioned that the President has shown political will for the people of western Province by appointing its people to key positions and initiating developmental projects. So the idea of barotseland being neglected is neither here nor there.

The other issue that he talked about concerns the welfare of cadres. He emphasized that cadres are the backbone of any political system and neglecting cadres is politically suicidal.

He mentioned that during the MMD era cadres were well looked after. Same with the PF though cadres in the PF era overstepped their boundaries by lacing their activities with violence.

Ba Lungu afwilisheni ba Kateka he begged because the President means well for the country but he needs to be advised.. He also congratulated the President for building and encouraging a professional and disciplined civil service.

TRIBAL DISCONTENTMENT

Talking about the civil service I would like to add by bringing in another important perspective. As writers we have the ability to sniff whatever goes on in all areas of the governance system. And we have the ability to advise accordingly. Our advice is never malicious but to ensure that the government is on track. We are in this together and we want to ensure that the change that people voted for is materialised.

There is growing discontentment among the civil service with regard to the working atmosphere. Since we don’t have access to the information law it is extremely difficult to get the side of the government but we have been told that most of the key positions such as that of the Minister, Permanent Secretary and the procurement staff have been given to personnel coming from one region.

Furthermore, we have been told that the official language in government ministries is slowly changing from English to Tonga. This is proving difficult for people that emanate from other regions to have conversations within the government establishment..

Have we ever noticed that Hollywood movies that do not have the minorities are resented by the African Americans, Latinos and Asians. A resentment will naturally appear if racial and tribal balancing is not addressed.

CONCLUSION,

The New Dawn Administration has a huge task to ensure that the mistakes that were made by the PF administration are not repeated. The country has witnessed high levels of reverse tribalism and the earlier this issue is looked into the better.

A lot of well meaning Zambians are doing everything possible to advise the Presidency but most of their efforts are being blocked because of a number of factors such as the know it all attitude, a bad reading culture and presidential aides sitting on information ( this will be a story of another day).

I submit.

John Noel Lungu.

Zambian Whistleblower is on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, Facebook and TikTok
© Zambian Whistleblower

GOVT, ACC HIT WALL OVER PRESIDENTIAL JET

…as Israel supplier says no corruption or bribes were made in the purchase of the plane

By Correspondent reporter

The suppliers of the Gulfstream G650 Presidential Jet to Zambia Elbit Systems of Israel has refuted claims by the United Party for National Development (UPND) government of corruption in its dealings over the plane.

According to a statement, Elbit Systems one of Israel’s top arms companies, has refuted reports of corruption and bribery in the procurement of the Gulfstream G650 Presidential Jet by the Zambian Government.

In response to government and the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) request for information relating to the purchase of the controversial Gulfstream G650 Presidential jet, Elbit Systems said that it “does not correspond to reality, to say the least.

Elbit stated that its compliance systems will not lend its hand to corruption and bribery, directly or even indirectly.

”Elbit has a compliance and enforcement system on the subject, which meets the highest criteria, and will not lend its hand to corruption and bribery, not even indirectly.”

It added: “To the best of our knowledge, the integrity of the interaction was examined by the Zambian authorities and no fault was found in the conduct of Elbit and no blame was placed on Elbit.”

It said, “With the publication of the news about allegedly improper procedures in Zambia, we launched a comprehensive investigation while monitoring the foreign publications and the parties involved in the publication.”

Last month, the Anti-Corruption Commission arrested some former officials in the PF administration including former Defence Permanent Secretary Stardy Mwale on allegations of corruption in deals worth over $500 million with Israeli defence contractor, Elbit in relation to the procurement of the Gulfstream G650 Presidential Jet.

In its statement, ACC, said that as the chairman of the ministry’s procurement committee, Mwale failed to comply with proper procedure before charging him with fraud and other violations regarding three contracts with Elbit Systems “for goods and services not supplied in full”.

The other three are former senior Defence Ministry officials, include the former chief accountant who was also arrested.

Purchased in 2019 by President Edgar Lungu’s administration, the presidential jet was outfitted with an anti-missile defence system known as Elbit J-Music, which the UPND and President Hakainde Hichilema claim was bought at an inflated price of over USD400 Million.

The Analysis: We borrowed from China to light up Zambia
…now let us own the Electric Vehicle narrative, Amb. Mukwita says

From KBN TV live 10.01.23

The dire power situation Zambia is currently experiencing would have been worse if President Michael Sata and his successor H.E Edgar Lungu had not made major financial investments in the energy sector for the first time since independence says Ambassador Anthony Mukwita on live KBN TV programme, ´The Analysis.´

“The biggest investment in the energy sector amounting to more than US$4 billion in Zambia after independence only occurred between 2011 and 2021 boosted by President Michael Sata and President Edgar Lungu this is a verifiable fact. All the excess power we have now and are exporting to some SADC countries are from the Lungu and Sata investment administration,” said Ambassador Mukwita.
Mr Mukwita said what is worse today is the fact that the people being hit or affected adversely the most are ordinary Zambians running barber shops, salons and “tuntembas” such as nshima restaurants at the markets being load shaded during the peak time that people want to cut their hair or braid their hair or eat nshima.

Ambassador Mukwita said it does not make sense for Zambia with all its huge rivers and lakes to be load ´shaded´ as the country exports power to Namibia, DRC and South Africa.

On the same programme, Mr Kennedy Mambwe, the KBN TV owner and CEO lamented that, despite being a good person, President Hakainde Hichilema finds himself in the dilemma of being “ill advised,” by his handlers.

Mr Mambwe said, “all this bad PR look on the part of President Hichilema exposes his media and communication team…he is not being well advised by his people, no matter how good he can be and is…what we have here is a communication problem more than anything else.”
Below are some salient issues discussed on ´The Analysis aired live every Sunday hosted by Henry Wiseman Zulu featuring Ambassador Mukwita and Kennedy Mambwe. Wiseman also hosts a similar programme every Wednesday on Lusaka Music Radio:

• The high cost of living in Zambia continues to hurt Zambians in the lower income bracket as government looks aside
• Ordinary Zambians either suffer due to load shedding even when or as the government continues to export power
• The late distribution of agro in puts which will push prices of food in 2023, with the monthly increases of fuel prices plus no drugs in hospitals countrywide
• The EV industry issue that the government has signed without disclosing to the nation the contents of the deal.
The full interview is available on the link below for your independent view:

WE WILL JAIL YOU FOR CORRUPTION AND THEFT-MALILA

Chief Justice warns sticky-fingered civil servants

Chief Justice Mumba Malila has forewarned public workers against dipping their thieving fingers in state coffers saying they will be jailed.

In a statement, the chief justice revealed out that law enforcement agencies were closely monitoring plunderers in the civil service and they will be pursued upon confirmation of their misdeeds.

“I am expectant that the criminal conduct, if any of those currently mismanaging the financial affairs of the State, stealing in various forms from the public purse, or flouting procedures and and causing financial loss to the State must know that they may be continuously undergoing surveillance and scrutiny by our law enforcement agencies, and will be brought to justice as soon as prima facie evidence of criminality is established,” justice Malila said.

The chief justice noted that the disposal of matters before the Economic and Financial Crimes Court is retarded and the citizenry whose national resources were allgedly stolen, is becoming impatient.

“They (citizens) are agitated by the tardy prosecution process. They want results quickly,” he said.

He observed that some individuals who are undergoing trial have been delaying their cases through forum shopping, raising objections and interlocutory applications and in some instances delays have been caused by lawyers representing different accused persons before courts at the same time, while in some cases prosecuting agencies are usually not prepared.

“Our adjudicators should determine cases based on evidence and must not be unduly influenced by external pressures such as political statements or their own prejudices. Here I mean pressure from those who may express unfounded reservations on the Economic and Financial Crimes Court and proceed to pour cold water on their handling of corruption cases…. There is always a risk of push-back of all corruption efforts by powerful persons and sometimes by individuals called upon to account or their proxies. I urge adjudicators not to feel discouraged,” said justice Malila.

“No matter how long it takes, the courts are expected, at the appropriate moment to deliver their verdicts. I expect that if these individuals are found guilty on the evidence, the Courts will apply the full rigours of the law. Those exonerated by the evidence will of course walk.”

Kalemba