By Speedwell Mupuchi

THERE are no hidden conditionalities being requested by the IMF, says the Ministry of Finance.

The ministry said this in several responses to questions by the Ministry of Finance online partners.

A partner asked the ministry, “Apart from the macroeconomic conditionality which were actually in line with government’s stance on its 2022 macroeconomic objectives, are there any other hidden conditionality we must expect from the IMF deal?”

The partner premised his query on sentiments from government officials concerning the removal of fuel and electricity subsidies.

In response, the ministry said the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had focused on the need for the whole public sector to curtail inefficient public expenditure, including in State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and agencies.

“The two parties have agreed that rationalising where and how the government spends public resources is an important part of the economic transformational agenda. In this regard, the removal of subsidies will facilitate an important shift in spending from poorly targeted subsidies towards greater investment in health, education, and the delivery of more social benefits such as: 1) Enhanced allocations for the Constituency Development Fund – meaning that more schools, desks, clinics, water boreholes, etc. will be available for rural communities,” it responded.

“2) Paying off all outstanding pension arrears – some beneficiaries have been waiting for several years for their retiring benefits; and,3) Hiring of 30,000 teachers, hiring of 11,000 health personnel, introduction of a bursary scheme and elimination of tuition fees for secondary school education, etc.”

It emphasized that subsidy removal was a measure that would enable realignment of public expenditure from poorly targeted choices such as fuel, to enhanced investments in health, education, and social protection.

“The outcomes favour our society’s less privileged. The government is also working on measures to streamline the licences and permits required by businesses in order to further improve the business environment,” it explained. “It is also important to note that although the government will continue to support small-scale farmers through the implementation of the Farmer Input Support Programme, the facility will be reassessed to address the embedded historical challenges. Following this, a comprehensive agriculture support Programme will be launched, commencing in the 2022/2023 agriculture season.”

The ministry said the new programme would be cost effective, better targeted, and equitable across beneficiaries.

Another partner asked about the status of Lazard on debt restructuring and the ministry said the government embarked on a debt restructuring exercise in 2020 and appointed Lazard Freres as financial advisors during the process.

It said the restructuring exercise was anchored on the G20 and Paris Club Common Framework, which was also underpinned by an IMF programme support.

It said following a period of discussions and exchanges with the Fund, the government recently reached a Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with the IMF which should culminate into an Extended Credit Facility that would provide financial support amounting to about US $1.4 billion, for three years.

“The SLA has also provided a basis for achieving consensus on the macro framework and the debt sustainability analysis that will inform the debt restructuring exercise. In view of the above, government will continue to work with the financial advisors, the IMF and all other stakeholders towards securing agreement with creditors on the debt restructuring exercise,” the ministry said.

However, a partner challenged the ministry to clearly state the advantages and the disadvantages of IMF Staff Level Agreement (SLA) and the removal of subsidies.

“Give a cost-benefit presentation on why the decisions are important,” urged the partner.

The ministry in response said the SLA would underpin government’s engagement with its creditors to restructure the debt.

It said the SLA was also expected to pave way for a formal programme with the IMF which would be a major step towards achieving the comprehensive debt restructuring needed to repair the economy and place it on sustained growth trajectory.

“The programme will help create fiscal space for Zambia to implement reforms and unlock highly concessional financing amounting to US $1.4 billion to be disbursed over a period of three years under the Extended Credit Facility. This will enhance the balance of payments position and further boost investor confidence; important components in the competitiveness of the economy,” it said. “The SLA will also pave way for restoring macroeconomic stability and provide a foundation for an inclusive economic recovery process.”

The Ministry said the removal of subsidies might temporarily increase the cost of doing business.

It said to reduce the cost of doing business, the government would implement counteractive measures such as improving the business environment and streamlining the number of licences and permits required for businesses.

“Subsidy removal is a measure that will enable realignment of public expenditure from poorly targeted choices such as fuel, to enhanced investments in health, education, and social protection. The outcomes favour our society’s less privileged,” the ministry said. “Regrettably, the capacity to service our loans and invest in development remains very limited and in the absence of restructuring, the country will continue to be choked by the debt burden. We reiterate that without the IMF programme, debt restructuring would practically be impossible as creditors would be unwilling to engage in refinancing discussions. We need the IMF Programme.”

And the ministry said discussions with the IMF did not centre on identifying or earmarking any public entity for privatisation.

“The government and the Fund, instead have agreed on the need for the public sector to curtail inefficient expenditure, including among State Owned Enterprises (SOE’s). The government is therefore undertaking a review of all public entities to rationalise expenditure to those entities, and where necessary, implement reforms for more efficient and cost-effective service delivery,” said the ministry.

Retired veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga has cautioned politicians and Zambians against abusing their freedom of speech.

Dr. Mwaanga has told a local radio station QFM that some comments coming from some individuals targeted at the head of state are disturbing.

Dr.Mwaanga said that Zambians are breathing fresh air due to the freedom of expression that has been restored to them, which, however, must not be abused.

Dr. Mwaanga said that the head of state is a respected figure in any country and that no one should use unpalatable language against him and advised politicians to respect president Hakainde Hichilema, adding that those who disagree with his style of leadership must do so respectfully.

Dr. Mwaanga stated that those abusing their freedom of expression are jeopardizing the freedom of others who have more sensible things to say regarding the direction in which the country should go.

Meanwhile, UPND Lusaka Province youth chairperson Mr. Anderson Banda has called on the opposition members to have constructive criticism and not bring the name of the head of State into ridicule.
Mr Banda said the opposition shouldn’t take the calmness and tolerance by the UPND youths as a source of weakness but they are doing so to respect the rule of law.

Mr Banda said the mandate has been left in the hands of the law enforcement agencies but if they dare the law enforcers, the UPND Youths will have no option but to respond in a way which they would understand.

He has called upon the opposition members like Mr Raphael Nakachinda, Mr Bowman Lusambo and others to practice mature politics because UPND Government has created a conducive environment to accommodate everyone in the political arena unlike before under their regime.

Mr Banda said politics of character assassination and propaganda will not make PF relevant to the people of Zambia who suffered beyond measures.

Mr Banda said it is unfortunate that Nakachinda and Lusambo are seeking public attention hence going as far as insulting and mocking the Head of state who is busy working on the economy which was plundered by the previous regime.

Mr Banda was speaking this when he was featured on a Prime TV breakfast show dubbed “WAKE UP ZAMBIA”.

A NDOLA-based woman who claims that Bowman Lusambo fathered her four children is demanding K13,900 as child maintenance per month.

The woman is also demanding that Lusambo pays her K7,000 every six months for the children’s clothing.

According to an affidavit in support of summons for affiliation and maintenance filed in the Lusaka High Court, Mercy Matongo Cowham wants the court to order Lusambo to be maintaining the children with K5,000 for food, K3,500 groceries, rental K5,000, water bills K200, electricity K200 which comes to K13,900 per month.

Mercy stated that in addition to the children’s monthly expenses, she is seeking an order that Lusambo should be contributing K7,000 every six month for the children’s clothing.

She submitted that this was proper case for the court to make an order for affiliation and maintenance of the children.

And Mercy stated that she was currently squatting at her grandmothers house in Chipata, Eastern province with the children due to lack of financial support from Lusambo.

In this case, Lusambo who is the former member of Kabushi parliamentary seat following the nullification of his seat, sued Mercy in the High Court.

He is seeking an order that a Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test be conducted on the children to ascertain their parternity.

Lusambo is also demanding damages for libel from Mercy.

He further wants the court to order Mercy to retract and apologize your to him of her statements in question, costs and any other reliefs the court might deem fit.

But Mercy in her affidavit maintained that she has been in an on and off sexual relationship with Lusambo from 2014 to date.

Mercy explained that from 2015 to sometime in 2018, Lusambo would maintain her and the children once in a while by providing all the necessities.

“Since July 2010, the plaintiff completely stopped maintaining the children and has refused to do so despite being reminded of his obligations on numerous occasions,” she alleged.

Mercy added that lack of support has caused great hardship on the children and that she has been struggling to provide for them without any support from their father

She wants the court to order Lusambo

to be providing for all the monthly expenses, including accommodation and pay all water and electricity bills.

(Mwebantu)

By Leah Ngoma

Government is holding discussions with various stakeholders to come up with an amicable solution for Konkola Copper Mines-KCM- and Mopani Copper Mines.

Chief Government Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda says the minister of mines and his team are looking into the two mining companies as government is fully aware of the anxieties that the issues surrounding Mopani and KCM have caused not only on the Copperbelt, but on the whole economy.

Ms Kasanda says government is keen to have these issues resolved for the benefit of all stakeholders in the mining industry and once a definite position has been arrived at, government will inform the nation accordingly.

Regarding the issue of ZESCO, Ms Kasanda says there are no plans to sell the power utility company and that restructuring does not mean selling.

In a statement, Ms Kasanda says the Industrial Development Corporation-IDC-, which is the holding company of all state owned enterprises, gave guidance on this early this week.
PHOENIX NEWS

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON, HON. CHUSHI KASANDA, MP ON INDENI, KCM, MOPANI AND ZESCO

Lusaka, Thursday, 13 January 2022 –

Government has noted the misinformation and falsehoods being peddled by the opposition Patriotic Front on several issues regarding the economy in general and on strategic national assets in particular.

While Government is open to the opposition providing checks and balances, we would like them to do so with facts.

The correct and official position of Government on the matters that have been raised is as follows:

Last week a delegation of four ministers visited Indeni Oil Refinery and informed workers of the new business model to which the workers will be part of. But before transitioning to the new business model, all the workers will be paid their dues. The deliberations of this meeting were widely disseminated in the media. But it seems the opposition are still bent on misinforming the public even in the face of clear facts on the table.

There are no plans to sell Zesco. Restructuring does not mean selling. It is about improving operations and increasing efficiency of the power utility. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which is the holding company of all SOEs, gave guidance on that early this week. Again this was reported widely in the media.

The Minister of Mines and his team have their hands on deck on Konkola Copper Mines and Mopani Copper Mines. Government is holding discussions with various stakeholders to come to an amicable solution. Government is keen to have these issues resolved for the benefit of all stakeholders in the mining industry. Government is fully aware of the anxieties that the issues surrounding these two mines have caused not only on the Copperbelt, but on the whole economy.

Government would like to urge all stakeholders in the energy and mining industries to exercise patience as it deals with these issues. Once a definite position has been arrived at, Government will accordingly inform the nation.

Issued by:

Chushi Kasanda, MP

Minister of Information and Chief Government Spokesperson

The Candidates’ Comment

A false narrative being championed by the Patriotic Front (PF) and its cluster of crooked tenderprenuers regarding the awarding of a contract for the supply of 50,000 metric tons by the Hakainde Hichilema led administration to Alpha Commodities must be curtailed.

The Candidates had a privilege to talk at length with some honest junior officials at the Ministry of Agriculture regarding the supply of farming inputs in this country for the past seven years. Our conversation with these officials has led to the discovery of so many criminal activities which some suppliers of fertilizer, senior ministry of Agriculture officials and politicians in the PF administration stole public funds through dubious activities.

The information at our disposal is bulk and sometimes confusing, as such, we shall methodically present this information in a series of editorials to ensure that we cast enough light on the criminality that characterized that ministry. As we do so, we hope the new administration can learn about the loopholes and deal with issues presented herein if indeed they are interested in fighting corruption in this country.

One of the many lies told to Zambians by the PF in the run-up to the 2021 elections, is that they had delivered farming inputs to all parts of the country for the year 2020/2021 farming season. A number of suppliers with concrete and traceable links to the PF were paraded on Television to concretize the lie regarding the supply of farming inputs. The PF was in search for votes and farmers were part of their bigger chunk to win an election.

Of course, with the exception of Alpha Commodities and Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia, the other suppliers did not supply all the inputs as per their contractual obligation. These suppliers have always behaved in this way for the past 7 years. These include Nerias Investment, Nyimba Investments, Export Trading Group (ETG) and Rockcliffe Trading. The owners of these companies.

When the UPND came into power, they ordered for a snap check of the supply of fertilizer with a view of ascertaining if indeed farmers received inputs as claimed by the PF and their friends in the supply of fertilizer.

The snap check revealed that a cost of undelivered fertilizer is $144,000,000 when calculated at $1,200 contractual amount. This money was paid to crooked fertilizer suppliers which excludes Alpha Commodities and NCZ.

It must be noted that, the Ministry of Agriculture undertook this snap check. If senior officials at this ministry have been collaborating with crooks, with suppliers of farming inputs and PF thieves, what guarantee is there that the snap check which established that $144 million was plundered has painted a comprehensive outlook of things?

Clearly, while there are few honest junior officials at this ministry, the truth is majority are in the pockets of these crooks. It is therefore, not a problem for government to order for another comprehensive and independent audit at Ministry of Agriculture which should spread to 2015.

The argument which faceless, guerilla online platforms that government must rely on the Auditor General’s report is at best soporific and at worst stupid. We say so because the AG recently released a report but nowhere in that document did they capture this very important issue where government lost $144 million to these crooked suppliers. Cleary, the AG is not a credible and reputable institution that must be regarded in any way, in this fight against corruption.

There is no corruption in the award of fertilizer to Alpha Commodities by the UPND government. PF and their allies must not even open their mouths over this issue because they are part of the plunder that characterized the Ministry of Agriculture for the past seven years.

In our next editorial, we shall expand on this. -The Candidates

Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) President Dr. Nevers Mumba says Patriotic Front officials are in a state of dizziness after losing power in the last August general elections.

Dr. Mumba has predicted that PF officials, who have been vocal after losing power, will go quiet in the next two to three months as they face justice.

Speaking in an interview with veteran broadcaster Frank Mutubila on Capital Radio on Thursday morning, Dr. Mumba further accused the PF regime of raping the Zambian economy through dubious means.

“This kind of attitude (arrogance) will continue for a few more weeks and then it’s going to die out. It is a dream, they think they are dreaming that it is not real. They have lost power and yet they have.I mean you are talking to a guy who has been in Government before and in a party that lost power. There is a period of time we call it “stupid period” in political genesis. It is called a stupid period. A stupid period if you went to drink last night and later on in the morning up to 09h00 you are feeling like a little dizzy over the influence of the liquor you took last night,” Dr. Mumba said.

“The dizziness is still with our colleagues in the PF. The salutes of the policemen and the flag flying in front of their vehicles. It is very destructive to a mind that did not deserve to hold those positions and eventually had that position so they remain under that dizziness for a while. Their language is defiant not knowing the policemen have switched sides, they are now on the side of the law, justice and Government so they will not sustain it because the law does not stop because you insult them, the law keeps going,” he said.

“They will insult as they go into Chimbokaila (Lusaka Central Prison), as they go to Kabwe Maximum Prison they will be insulting and the voices will become dimmer or rather fainter and fainter. And in the next two months, three months with the fast track court coming this country will be quiet; our colleagues in the last administration will be no more. I am just speaking now as a Prophet of God because when I listen to the way they are speaking. The best thing to do when you run the country aground is to feel apologetic and be quiet and when the police are asking you questions, cooperate. If you are innocent you will be set free but if you are arrogant it is also a sign that you are probably guilty,” Dr. Mumba added.

On numerous corruption allegations being leveled against PF officials, Dr. Mumba called for justice to prevail.

“We have made ourselves very clear that time has come for the issues of this nation to finally be resolved and hold every individual accountable. I want to be honest and put it on record that one of the reasons that the Zambians voted in such great numbers for this President and this Government was precisely to end this mess. It is therefore incumbent upon this current President to continue to push as hard as he can in order to gain the confidence of the voters who believed that the former President (Edgar Lungu) and his administration raped the economy of this country to un-proportional levels that we have never seen since Independence,” Dr. Mumba said.

Dr. Mumba, a former diplomat, said Zambians were anxious to see how the New Dawn Government would handle the crusade against corruption.

“More than 80% of Zambians have the gut feeling that the previous Government did unthinkable things and therefore when we read those things they literally make you sick that people who call themselves Zambians and apparently born in this country, educated by the free money of this country can go out there and deliberately rape the economy of this country.”

“We are all sitting on our tentacles waiting to see how this administration is going to wipe away the tears of Zambians and satisfy our anxiety on what is going to happen to those responsible,” said the former Republican vice President during the MMD regime.

EARN FROM THE MINES, BROADEN TAX BASE THAN RUSHING TO THE IMF- AMB. MWAMBA

The taxes imposed on Zambians are too steep the government of President Hakainde Hichilema must get the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to reduce the Pay As You Earn tax.

Government must immediately find ways of expanding the tax base in order to give the Zambian formal sector relief it so much needs in these harsh days of high cost of living.

“Currently Zambians in the formal sector are bearing the brunt of a huge tax portion, which reduces how much money they take home, this must stop and ZRA must shift its attention to sectors such as the Mines.”

Even the US$1.3 billion the government wants to borrow from the IMF could have been easily raised from taxing the mines more but they go scott-free exporting our gold and emeralds while government borrows money its unacceptable.
The mining sector needs to be taxed much more than they are currently taxed in form of mineral royalties etc not poor hard-working Zambians hence the reason ZRA must broaden the tax base and the new dawn government instead of removing taxes from the mines and heavily tax ordinary poor Zambians like you and me.

THE ZESCO SAGA

I feel that ZESCO must be freed from the heavy financial yoke of paying Independent Power producers up to US$40 million per month its unsustainable and it must end.

“The thought to unbundle and sell ZESCO must end because we need it as a strategic national asset and selling it will result into further huge increments in electricity bills in addition to high costs of fuel, bus fares and mealie meal prices.”
ZESCO must advertise all jobs that have been scrapped by the new MD (Victor Mapani) who has fired all highly trained middle managers and Directors to make it more competent.

THE PF LEADERSHIP RACE

“Among the good and great men running for the party leadership Presidency, I (Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba) among the Big Guns given my vast experience in public service.”

Source: Round Table Interview hosted by Nakiwe Simpungwe in LUSAKA.

UPND Lusaka Province Youth Chairperson, Anderson Banda has charged that the current crusade of the recovery of public resources and assets by the ACC and DEC are an act of natural justice and should not be accused on President Hakainde Hichilema.

The criminal-ladden duo of Raphael Nakacinda, PF Chairperson for Information and Publicity and former Lusaka Province Minister, Bowman Lusambo recently caused a stir which left a larger section of the Zambian society furious after the two renewed their vigorous mudslinging and scandalous fights and taunts against the Head of State.

Statements by Lusambo and Nakacinda such as promising to use juju against the President and accusing him (HH) of having an invincible hand in the recent arrest and detention of a number of PF surrogates on charges ranging from assault, abuse of authority of office, plunder of public resources and possession of property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime have left a larger section demanding for justice to prevail against the duo.

And Mr Banda says the manoeuvres by the two are meant at distracting and slowing down the wheels of justice as they face numerous criminal charges including defamation of President and being property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime, among.
He says it was regrettable that each time political criminals and plunderers of public resources were summoned before investigative wings of the State, such had resorted to maligning the name of the President.

He says those who have stolen from the poor people of Zambia should not think that they will be saved by their malicious attacks on President Hichilema.

Mr Banda notes that those who were being summoned before ACC and DEC for crimes, abuse of office and corrupt activities should not accuse the Presidency of having a hand in their misfortunes.

He says it was imperative that Zambians and political players alike get to appreciate the restoration of the rule of law.
He charged that it was out of order for few disgruntled elements whose past crimes had caught up with to be working round the clock to divert the attention of the President from carrying out his National duties.

He said the youths of the UPND in Lusaka Province would no longer condone those who are insulting the President indiscriminately.
He has since warned that those who think that the silence of UPND members meant that they were weak and not able to defend the party and its leaders would be shocked when citizens arrests are effected on them, soon.

He notes that the broader spectrum of freedoms such as expression, Press, association and Assembly that were being enjoyed after the UPND formed Government should not be used as a scapegoat on which to commit crimes.

Mr Banda further stressed that the numerous economic achievements that the New Dawn administration has achieved within a short space of 4 months should be appreciated by all well-meaning Zambians.

SUBSIDY ON FUEL REMAINS UNTIL 30th JUNE 2022

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Minister of Finance Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane has extended the suspension of customs and excise duty on petroleum products.

In a Statutory Instrument No.2 of 2022, dated 11th January 2022, the excise duty on petroleum and diesel remains suspended until 30th June 2022.

To prevent fuel increase, the previous government suspended collection of these taxes by the Zambia Revenue Authority.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN

This is very good news to consumers as the pump price of fuel may not be increased just now and the rising cost of living maybe arrested as any further fuel increase could have seen escalating price increase in goods and services.

Government loses upto $41million a month in foregone revenue because of the suspension of collection by ZRA of these taxes.

Government also spends $26milliom in price differential on volatile exchange rate, world oil price and uniform pricing of pump price scheme across the country.

This development however, may threaten an approval of Zambia’s Programme by the Board of the IMF where the Minister of Finance pledged to remove subsidies on fuel, and promised to charge cost reflective tarrifs on electricity and reduction of expenditure on the FISP Programme.

On 3rd December, 2021 IMF announced that it had reached a Staff-Level Agreement with the Zambian Authorities on a new arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility for 2022-2025.

The government’s bold and ambitious reform program, supported by the IMF, seeks to restore fiscal and debt sustainability, create fiscal space for much needed social spending, and strengthen economic governance and transparency.

To complement the authorities’ strong reform program a comprehensive debt treatment under the G20 Common Framework is needed to restore debt sustainability.

The IMF Executive Board’s consideration of this agreement is subject to progress on this front.

(A subsidy is a benefit given by the government to groups or individuals, or sector and is usually in the form of a cash payment (direct) or tax reduction (indirect))

By Ulande Nkomesha,

ACTING PF national chairperson Davies Chama has lamented that it’s unfair to label all those who served in Edgar Lungu’s government as thieves, warning that the UPND will also be given the same name once they leave office.

Commenting on Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya’s remarks that the UPND government’s collective objective was to ensure that all those who participated in the looting of resources were held accountable, Chama said concrete evidence of the alleged corruption should be availed to law enforcement agencies if it was available.

“The problem I have is that when you insinuate that people have stolen, where have they stolen from? Because when you steal there must be somewhere you have stolen from. They should give valid concrete evidence that money moved from account A to account B. When you say people looted, what did they loot?

If Bwalya from State House who is representing the President says ‘looters must pay’, that is why people are insinuating that probably that there is a hand from State House which is instructing the institutions of government, maligning people who are innocent that so and so has stolen or every minister has stolen or everyone who was in the previous government of president Edgar Lungu has stolen,” he said in an interview, Monday.

“If they have that evidence, they should be able to give it to those security institutions. Now that they are in office they have all the documentation of what transpired. If somebody moved money from somewhere which is government money to his own account, they should have that information rather than saying ‘looters must pay’, which looter?”

Chama said it was unfair to label former PF ministers as corrupt, adding that the UPND would also be called thieves once they leave government.

“Now that they are in government, can we be saying that they are also stealing? That is why our vice president (Given) Lubinda gave a metaphor that the price of road construction was costing $1 million per kilometre during our time, now for them, it was going to cost 1.8 million per kilometre. It is not fair, we should not be labeling each other that we are thieves.

Even themselves, are [they] thieves now that they are Ministers, now that they are in State House? It is not fair, it is not correct. Once they leave they will also be called thieves. Will it be fair for them? There must be decency in the way we do our politics,” he said.

“Even when you want to win people’s support by calling innocent people that they have stolen and yet they have not stolen anything, it is not fair. This is the problem I have, calling other people thieves or all those who served in president Lungu as thieves without providing any evidence, it is not correct and it is not fair. Ministers are not thieves, there is nothing to steal, there are a lot of checks and balances which are in government that if you steal it will show.

These politics is dirty politics that we do in Africa, which is very retrogressive, it will not take us anywhere. We will not develop as a country. If anything, it will retard at the rate at which we are going to move as a nation. It will just cause a lot of division which is unnecessary witch hunt and they are wasting their energy. Let them mention who stole.”

Chama said people no longer trust politicians because of the continued insinuations that they were thieves.

“The scenario of calling anyone a thief, every contract someone is a thief, this level of suspicion is uncalled for. That is why things are not moving. People cannot even process payments. That is not the way you run government, that is how they want to run government themselves thinking that everyone who is in government is a thief, that is why people are not trusting any politician.

This is what saddens me because politicians are not being trusted. Any contract they sign, they are being accused that they have eaten, there is corruption involved. If you are corrupt yourself, if you are a thief, you will see a thief everywhere, if your character is wrong, if you are a prostitute you think everyone is a prostitute,” said Chama.

By Oliver Chisenga

INFORMATION minister Chushi Kasanda says the PF are giving themselves unencumbered credit and popularity to think Zambians would make a mistake of voting them back into government.

Responding to assertions that the UPND government has connived with the Electoral Commission of Zambia to cancel the Kabwata by-election because their candidate Andrew Tayengwa is not popular, Kasanda said the UPND still has the stamina and popularity and would not need to connive with any party.

Kasanda, the chief government spokesperson, said even if the PF rebranded they would never bounce back into power.

“The PF have always given themselves unnecessary credit and relevance. Like I always say, people want to make themselves relevant but to tell you the truth they are very irrelevant if you ask me,” she said. “I know they are talking about the rebranding but whether they rebrand or they don’t rebrand, they are not coming back.” Kasanda said as has happened in the past, “there is no government in Zambia that has bounced back after being booted out of office”.

“There is no government that has ever come back. Absolutely none in Zambia. And they won’t be the first. There is no way the UPND government has connived with UPP. We wouldn’t even bother ourselves to go to a small party like that and start negotiating. Whether small or big we wouldn’t negotiate with anybody. We still have the stamina and popularity and would not need to connive with any party,” she said.

Kasanda argued that the UPND is happy with the Tayengwa and are sure of victory even if the elections were held next week.

“We decided on the candidate and we are happy with the candidate we decided on. There was no reversal by the way. So them to actually say that we connived with the candidate of that party is every unfortunate. They should be bigger than that really,” she said.

Kasanda further said the UPND has spent a lot of money on the by-election thus it would not be in their interest to have it cancelled for whatever reason.

She said with only 10 days remaining before the poll, it was illogical for the UPND which is still enjoying massive support from Zambians to get off the bus.

“We are not ready to do that as a government. We are at pains that actually somebody did that. It has not sat well with us but that’s their constitutional right. PF will give credit to themselves just like they always do just to give themselves relevance,” Kasanda charged.

She said the cancellation of poll by the ECZ was in line with the provisions of the Constitution.

Kasanda said the ECZ is an independent body and “there is no political influence in their operations whatsoever”.

“We cannot influence ECZ to do that, absolutely not,” maintained Kasanda.

On Monday, the ECZ cancelled the
Kabwata by-eletion after the United Progressive Party (UPP) Kabwata candidate Francis Libanda sent in a second letter invoking the provisions of different Article 52(6) of the Constitution of Zambia, which among other things includes resigning from the sponsoring party.

ECZ chief electoral officer Patrick Nshindano said the Commission had rejected the withdrawal from the election by the UPP candidate dated January 7, 2022 and allowed the by-election to proceed as planned as provided for by the electoral process Act No. 35 of 2016, Section 31 (2) which empowers it to reject a withdrawal and proceed with the election.

He explained that a “withdrawal” is clearly only permitted before the closing of nominations as provided under Section 31(2) of the electoral process Act.

Nshindano, however, said with the second letter received from Libanda dated January 10, 2022 clarifying his decision whilst invoking the provision of Article 52 of the Constitution, the electoral process Act under Section 31(2), the law requires the cancellation of elections and calls for fresh nominations for eligible candidates.

Following the cancellation of the by-election, various stakeholders among them the PF feel that Libanda was paid by the UPND to withdraw after sensing a loss.

PROPAGANDA, ILLEGALITIES, THE POISON IN THE CHALICE AGAINST THE FIGHT ON CORRUPTION

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

On Wednesday, 12th January 2022, we were greeted by a newspaper banner headline alleging that the Anti-Corruption Commission was pursuing former Lusaka Province Minister, Bowman Lusambo and investigating him for the ownership of 49 or more properties in Lusaka and elsewhere.

Offcourse this was a lie designed to excite maximum public outrage against Lusambo and officials of the previous government.

Later, ACC Spokesperson Queen Chibwe, issued a statement and stated that Mr. Lusambo was being investigated and charged for six (6) and NOT fourty nine (49), properties reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.

The previous day, Lusambo was fighting another manufactured lie that peddled a narrative that the paternity dispute debate he has been engaged in with Mercy Matongo Cowham was settled as the court-ordered DNA results were out and he was allegedly proven to be the father.

This false story quickly gained currency and traction as credible online pages and social-media influencers carried the story.

Offcourse the story was fake.

The Court has not yet ordered any DNA test yet.

Learning from the earlier fight against corruption, we must watch out for heightened propaganda and outrageous claims of theft and plunder.

As soon as the fight against corruption takes the course of propaganda, it becomes persecution and absurd.

When it is not driven by evidence or pursuit of alleged crimes, it becomes a political circus, a side-show to distract citizens from discussing serious national issues.

Law Enforcement Agencies and other oversight institutions must not be used as tools in this political fight as they risk losing their professional standing and respect in the eyes of the people.

MWIIMBU FORMS JOINT INVESTIGATIONS TEAM

On 3rd December, 2021, Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Hon. Jack Mwiimbu announced that Government had constituted a Joint Investigations Team to probe past and present corruption cases with the intention of recovering alleged looted State assets.

Like the Taskforce on Corruption established by the Government of President Levy Mwanawasa, the Joint Team of Investigations has not been established by the law or any legal framework.

Someone may argue that this body is ad-hoc in nature and officers in the team will use authority from their existing institutions.

However, any entity or body established to pursue such a mammoth and noble undertaking requires proper legal standing for legitimacy, legality and posterity purposes.

MUMBA MALILA ESTABLISHES FAST TRACK COURT

During the Ceremonial opening of the High Court, Chief Justice Dr. Mumba Malila SC announced that he had set up the Economic and Financial Crimes Division Court.

He said he had invoked provisions of Article 133 of the Constitution which establishes the High Court.

And in the High Court, the Constitution has established, as divisions of the High Court, the
Industrial Relations Court, Commercial Court, Family Court and the Children’s Court.

Dr. Malila SC, has added a new inclusion and established the Economic and Financial Crimes Court Division.

He is clearly responding to earlier announcements by President Hakainde Hichilema who announced that a fast track court process will be established to handle economic and financial crimes of the past regime.

The Chief Justice has established the new division relying on Article 133(3) (3) which states that;

“The Chief Justice may constitute, by statutory instrument, specialised courts of the High Court to hear specific matters.”

CONCLUSION

So this action by the Chief Justice has been done, not because the country needs this division but because it is at the instigation of the Executive, thereby eroding or undermining the independence of the Judiciary.

Matters like this require broad consultations from stakeholders to establish consensus.

No matter how noble the cause, when propaganda and illegalities drive the process, they become a fly in the soup, poison in the chalice.

The fight against corruption must not be targeted, political or driven to obliterate political opponents.

Instead of pursuing crimes, the fight against corruption must not under the the guise, become a witch-hunt, a tool to carry out vindictiveness and retribution as Justice and the rule of law will be sacrificed at the altar of political expedience.

IS THERE REALLY A FERTILIZER SCANDAL?

The Candidates’s Comment

For a very long time, there has been a false narrative being championed that the UPND administration of Hakainde Hichilema has single sourced Alpha Commodities to supply fertilizer worth $50 million.

Further, a number of online platforms have claimed that Dr. Maurice Jangulo the owner of Alpha Commodities is behind an audit which has been ordered by the Ministry of Agriculture over the supply of fertilizer for the period of 2020 to 2021 farming season, merely, to disadvantage his competitors by producing a report that is damaging.

There is a narrative that Maurice was given the $50 million contract to supply 50,000 metric tons of fertilizer because he is a friend to Hakainde.

Therefore, a number of people mainly from the opposition are accusing the Hakainde led administration of being corrupt. Specifically, the Patriotic Front (PF) is attempting to discredit efforts by the investigation wings to investigate and arrest them for any suspected corruption during their tenure on a premise that, while it is okay to do so, this must extend to allegations of corruption happening at the Ministry of Agriculture today.

We agree that all forms of corruption must be investigated regardless of who the suspects are.

However, the PF and all those crying foul over this Alpha Commodities contract are being hypocrites and dishonest. These elements know the truth very well.Of course, the truth is that, towards the 2021 elections, PF lied to Zambians that they had finished distributing fertilizer to all parts of the country. The companies engaged, which included Alpha Commodities and others stated publicly that they had indeed supplied the commodities to all parts of the country in line with the their individual contracts. Of course, only Alpha Commodities and Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) had met their contractual obligations despite that all companies were fully paid.

These companies joined the PF to lie, to cheat that they had met their contractual obligations when in fact not because they wanted Zambians to believe that PF was delivering on time. The PF knew very well that not all companies delivered fertilizer but they wanted to fool Zambians during an election year.

When UPND won the election, an audit was instigated by Ministry of Agriculture to ascertain whether or not the commodity had been delivered by the companies involved. That audit was undertaken by officials at Ministry of Agriculture who have in the past worked together with the same corrupt and dishonest fertilizer suppliers to lie that they have met their contractual obligations.

Anyone who has five senses cannot trust any audit undertaken by these elements at Ministry of Agriculture.

After the same audit, it was discovered that only Alpha Commodities and NCZ had met contractual obligations while other suppliers did not despite getting paid. And when it was discovered that there was a deficit of 50,000 metric tons, government sort for the services of Alpha Commodities and NCZ but the latter stated that it could not afford to deliver given the urgency and time frame. That is how government arrived at giving the contract to Alpha Commodities.

Is there any corruption herein? The answer is categorical no. Alpha Commodities was given that contract because it is a good supplier that met contractual obligations unlike those cheaters.

It can’t be said that Alpha Commodities is today corrupt just because it’s owner Maurice is a friend to Hakainde. Maurice was getting these contracts even during the PF administration. Was it corruption then? The answer is categorical no.

We know that these false narratives are being championed by competitors of Alpha Commodities in partnership with some elements within PF. The Candidates had a candid discussion with a few Ministry of Agriculture officials in confidence. The things we have been told and proved with documents over the behavior of the suppliers of fertilizer for the past seven years , are horrific. It is actually very disturbing that the Office of the Auditor General has not captured the theft of public funds by suppliers of fertilizer. Why has the AG report not paid any attention to Ministry of Agriculture ? To those who came to us with information, we thank you very much because now we have a wide perspective of what has been happening at Ministry of Agriculture. In the past, we depended much on information from suppliers themselves to form an opinion but now we know better.

A number of faceless online platforms have been hired to peddle a false narrative about this issue. And because the UPND has a very weak media system, these lies continue to walk and appear to be truth. Surely, with all these facts, available, why is it difficult for UPND to put to rest these lies? Has the UPND media system been put in the pockets of competitors of Alpha Commodities to malign Maurice and by consequence, Hakainde?

We shall do our best to ensure that a correct narrative is presented to the public for them to understand the kind of plunder that has been happening at Ministry of Agriculture. If there has been criminality in the PF administration, Ministry of Agriculture is one a dirty place.

United Party for National Development (UPND) national chairman Steven Katuka has dismissed as nonsensical insinuations by some political opponents that the party wants to change its Kabwata parliamentary candidate because Andrew Tayengwa is unpopular.

Mr. Katuka who spoke to QFM radio station accused the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) of spreading the propaganda because it is scared of the UPND candidate, and has since offered to have his head cut off if the party changes its Kabwata parliamentary candidate Andrew Tayengwa.

Mr. Katuka said that the party did its homework before adopting Mr. Tayengwa and that the party is ready to accept the outcome of the by-election as it has done in the past elections.

Mr Katuka is, however, optimistic that the party will emerge victorious once the election is held.

And Christian Coalition president Charles Mwape has charged that any political party that will change its candidate for the Kabwata by-election should be held responsible for the cancellation of the by-election.

Professor Mwape said that reports suggesting the change of candidate are unfortunate and should not be tolerated and recommended that going forward, any political party whose candidate withdrawal from the race should be given the responsibility of printing the ballot papers and paying fresh nomination fees.

Meanwhile, former United Progressive People (UPP) Kabwata parliamentary candidate Francis Libanda has rubbished accusations suggesting that was paid by the ruling UPND to withdraw from the by-election, a move that necessitated the cancellation of the election by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

Mr. Libanda said that as much as he regrets the cost implications of his action to the nation, especially that the ballot papers have arrived in the country, at no time in his life has he been associated with the UPND which is being accused of paying him to withdraw from the race.

Speaking when he addressed a media briefing in Lusaka today, Mr. Libanda said that the decision to withdraw from the race was born out of his desire to have a clean conscience, stating that it beats his conscience to think that he should have participated in an election process that is shrouded in corruption.

Mr. Libanda said that the reason he pulled out is that one of the candidates was reported to the drug enforcement commission (DEC) by his political party official for money laundering, while another candidate his own party officials questioned his credentials, to the extent of petitioning his adoption to contest the by-election.

ABOUT BENEVOLENCE: A CASE OF THE OPPOSITION OCCASIONALLY SAYING NICE THINGS ABOUT GOVERNMENT

By Sean Tembo – PeP President

1. In Zambia, or should l just say in Africa, being an opposition leader is akin to being a leper. No one wants to publicly associate with you under the guise of avoiding the irk of the Government of the day, wether actual or imagined. If you are fortunate enough to make it and become Republican President however, then the tide changes and everyone will want to associate with you. Everyone will claim to have been with you as you fought for power in the trenches. In my particular case however, when l do manage to hold a conversation with a “well-wisher”, the theme is often that l condemn the Government too much. That am unfair on the Government. That my checks and balances are laced with malice because l regret having exited from the Opposition Alliance because if l did not, then l would have been a Minister in the new dawn administration now. That going forward, l should be a benevolent opposition leader and occasionally say nice things about the new dawn administration.

2. That is a compelling submission indeed. However it is premised on the assumption that the new dawn administration has been doing good things and bad things and that l only cherry-pick and amplify on the bad things in an effort to paint them black. Well, maybe that is really the case but from my standpoint, it isn’t. I genuinely do not see anything good that they new dawn administration has done in the past 5 months. And if l pushed myself to say something good about this new government, l would be lying. And l don’t want to lie. I know for certain that people do point to certain perceived accomplishments of the new dawn administration such as removal of cadres and political violence, payment of retirees, payment of farmers, fight against corruption, freedom of expression etcetera. So let us dwell a little bit on these issues and discuss them in greater detail.

3. Removal of cadres from the streets and end in political violence: it is a fallacy for anyone to think that UPND has removed cadres from the streets and that political violence has ended. UPND Cadres are even more lawless than PF cadres. Just a few weeks ago when Nakachinda appeared at Chelstone Police, they went there and assaulted innocent people and damaged vehicles right at a police station. The police managed to apprehend a few of them around NRDC area but they were subsequently released without charge. At least the PF cadres that stormed Lusaka Central Police, when PF was in power, were taken to court and convicted. Additionally, during the Kabwata parliamentary by-elections nominations about three weeks ago, UPND cadres led by William Banda attacked three women who were part of the PeP Choir Group and they damaged my party bus and stole an Invertor, amplifier and one playing drum. After the attack, they didn’t even run away, they even started playing our drum right there. The single police officer who had the courage to confront them was assaulted and his uniform torn, on accusations that he was a PF supporter. No police reinforcements came. The docket is right there at Kabwata Police and despite the fact that the assailants were identified by the victims, no one has been arrested to date. One of the PeP Choir women who was assaulted had to be admitted at Levy Mwanawasa Hospital and was five months pregnant. She subsequently miscarried. So what is the difference between the PF cadres who attacked us in Cairo Road and the UPND cadres who attacked our women choir members in Kabwata during nominations? If you asked me l’ll tell you that the PF cadres were better because they attacked their fellow men, compared to the UPND cadres who attacked our women choir members. So you need to forgive me if l do not join the chorus that Bally has removed cadrerism and given the opposition freedoms of expression and assembly.

4. Payment of Farmers for Maize Supplied to Government Last Year: this is again a fallacy. Amid much pomp and fare, the new dawn administration announced that farmers will be paid on 3rd January 2022. Bally subsequently posted on his page that the farmers had been cleared. However it later emerged that not all farmers had been paid and there are no timelines given for payment of the remaining farmers. The Secretary to Treasury announced that out of the approximately K1.5 billion that was owed to farmers, only about K900 million had been released leaving a balance of about K600 million. However, our sources indicate that the actual amount that was released was actually around K200 million, meaning that Government still owes as much as K1.3 billion to farmers for last years’ crop, with no timelines or commitments on when this money will be released. Clearly, there is a lot of dishonesty and lack of sincerity on the part of the new dawn administration regarding this matter. Suffice to mention that we are talking about citizens who worked an entire year to produce that maize and that is their only source of income for the entire year which they need to use to meet their household needs. If l was President of this country, l would not, in good conscious, go and spend weeks in America and Europe attending useless talk-shops while farmers remain unpaid. I would fail to swallow the T-bone steak that my hotel would serve me, knowing that the money am wasting overseas can help to pay one or two farmers. So forgive me if l do not join in the chorus of believing that Bally paying K200 million out of the K1.5 billion owed to farmers is an accomplishment that l should congratulate him on.

5. Fight Against Corruption: So far, Bally’s fight against corruption is laced with a lot of sensationalism. And for some of us who have been around the block for a while, we cannot help but be reminded of Mwanawasa’s sensational fight against corruption which saw a Task Force being created and staffed by his lawyer friends who walked away with billions of Kwacha’s of taxpayers’s money. So far l see a pattern whereby false information on the corruption fight is leaked to News Diggers who paste it all over the place only to turn out not to be true, meanwhile the objective of alarming the public would have been achieved. This was the case with the reported alleged use of the Presidential Challenger Plane to carry US dollars from Turkey as well as the reported 49 properties allegedly owned by Bowman in Lusaka, which reduced to four properties the day after the sensational News Diggers headline. Some of us see through these matters and we are not going to be hoodwinked by this marriage between the new dawn and News Diggers which appears to be aimed at exaggerating the successes in the fight against corruption. Of course like any well-meaning citizen, l want the perpetrators of national looting to be prosecuted and the money recovered, but that has to be done in a sober manner free from any malice or personal vendettas. My idea of a successful corruption fight is actual convictions and not just arrests. Anyone can allege and arrest, but the truth of the pudding lies in the conviction. So again forgive me if l do not join in the chorus of believing that the new dawn administration has scored successes in the fight against corruption. Until such a time that am convinced that Bally’s fight against corruption is different from Mwanawasa’s and that it is not laced with malice and vengeance, l will not be ready to give him a pat on the back.

6. So it appears that we are back to square one. I am really itching to be a benevolent opposition leader and l genuinely want to say something nice about the new dawn administration, but my only handicap is that l am unable to identify anything good that Bally and his new dawn administration have done so far. But l am an open-minded person. I am fully aware that l am fallible. It is possible that l might not have seen the good things that the new dawn administration has achieved so far, and so am appealing to all those who might have better eyes than mine to share with me any accomplishments of the new dawn administration so far. Because from where l stand, Bally has zero accomplishments to his name. Unless one wants to argue that getting an IMF bailout loan is an accomplishment, or increasing fuel prices is an accomplishment, or engaging in voyages of discovery across the globe is an accomplishment, or paying 30 pensioners out of approximately 227,000 pensioners is an accomplishment, or appointing party members into the civil service is an accomplishment, or giving student loans to 2,000 out of 10,000 eligible university students is free education or refusing to shift to Nkwazi house because it is below his standards is an accomplishment, or having a 34 member cabinet when he condemned bloated cabinets when he was in opposition is an accomplishment, or paying farmers K200 million out of the outstanding K1.5 billion is an accomplishment, or giving mining houses a defacto tax holiday when copper prices are at an all-time high of above $11,000 per metric tonne is an accomplishment, or planning to privatize Indeni and Zesco is an accomplishment, or giving the police a shoot-to-kill order while on the other hand claiming to be a Christian nation that does not carry out the death penalty is an accomplishment, or awarding an exorbitant fertilizer contract to the husband of your cabinet minister who then fails to deliver after being paid 100 percent upfront is an accomplishment, or appointing an archaic finance minister who believes that fuel price increments will not affect the youth because they don’t drive is an accomplishment? Please do share with me any of the new dawn administration’s accomplishments so that l may have something nice to say about Bally and his government. I very much want to be a benevolent opposition leader, so please help me to become one.

/// END

SET 13.01.2022

By Oliver Chisenga

BRIAN Mundubile say the government should not lay double standards in the fight against corruption.

On Monday, The Mast published a story where government sources revealed that part of the fertiliser supplied by various companies was of low quality.

The sources said upon being subjected to tests by the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI), part of the fertiliser was also found to be underweight.

“These fertilisers were meant for various parts of the country, but the most affected was that going to Southern Province. In fact, even the quantities were discovered to be underweight. So, the government has asked these suppliers to replace the fertilisers,” the sources told The Mast. “This thing should have been announced some time in December because that is when these things were discovered after rigorous tests as per the government norm. The tradition is that whenever government receives fertilisers from suppliers they are tested by experts at ZARI; and that is what happened even in this scenario. The only problem is that the government has kept quiet instead of informing Zambians. If you want, you can call the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and inquire about this. Tests were done and these were the findings. But of course, not on all the supplies. It’s just that most of those affected were destined for Southern Province.”

When contacted, agriculture minister Reuben Mtolo Phiri confirmed the account and said the government had since informed the suppliers and asked them to replace the commodity.

“No one has refused. How can they refuse because we did the test, isn’t it? So, all we’re doing is we sample here and there and when we find that the fertiliser is not good enough, we ask them to replace it. Yea, we have gotten those reports and our men are on it. Yes, we’ve gotten those reports. I can confirm and our men are on it,” said Mtolo. “…Yes, but you know what, let me say something to you. Some of these stories might look very sensational but the effects they have on the economy can be very, very devastating. So, be very careful the way you write this story. We are on top of things. Every corner where we are receiving a problem, we are making sure that the fertiliser is being replaced. Depending on how you write it, it can become a very difficult situation. Even farmers who have received good fertiliser will start saying we have bad fertiliser. This is where responsibility and patriotism could come in. Whoever is giving you this information, be very, very careful because we could end up into a lot of complicated situations. This is what I have to say to you, The Mast. It’s a very sensational story for you. But depending on what you write you could create a very, very unnecessary problem. You’re calling me for the second time, it means you are very pleased with what you’re doing. And I can just caution you that be very careful. Be extremely careful. The reason I’m saying that, is this; you could be given this information by a group of people who think they themselves could not get involved. Now, we are busy checking the stock, alright! We’re busy checking the stock to make sure everywhere we have got good quality fertiliser being given to our people.”

Reacting to the expose, Mundubile who is PF chairperson for legal affairs said the UPND government must be very open about the transaction.

“Government cannot apply double standards on the issues of suspected corrupt activities. So, if there is suspicion that somebody acted in a manner that can be attributed to corrupt deeds then they should proceed in the usual fashion that they have been going about exposing these things,” he said. “Previously we said we can fight corruption quietly, do investigations quietly, but they chose a mode of going out loud; calling out people, calling out companies. So, they might as well do it even to this one. Then people will respect their fight against corruption because they will be consistent and coherent.”

He demanded the government explains the terms of the contract to the public.

“There has been a breach on the part of the supplier, so what does the contract say; the contract that the supplier and the client agreed upon? A contract anticipates situations such as those. How did the agreement expect to resolve those issues…that’s from a contract point of view,” Mundubuile said. “A contract always provides how a relationship is supposed to continue and dealt with if at all there has been breach on either party.”

He wondered at what stage the government discovered that the fertiliser being supplied was underweight and of low quality.

Mundubile said the transaction also showed an element of fraud from the suppliers.

“The criminal aspect of it begin to kick in, so initially it’s civil; it’s just a contract but if you look through it and that there was deceit or that the supplier aimed to gain a profit out of supplying underweight fertiliser, then we invite other investigative wings to get interested in exactly what was happening there,” he explained. “The first part is a contract. What does the contract say? How did they agree to resolve a difference or if there is a breach?”

Mundubile said if it was established that the suppliers meant to defraud government then they should be brought to book.

He said President Hakainde Hichilema was very clear on transactions such as the current fertiliser deal.

“President Hakainde Hichilema is very clear on transactions such as those because it’s a danger to the food security of this country. Meaning that farmers are going to get a raw deal. And secondly, the government who is paying for this fertiliser is being defrauded of the much-needed revenue. So government must be very open about this transaction,” said Mundubile.

President Hakainde Hichilema Must Dismantle “Political Commandoes”

“……………With globalization, no country in Africa can be said to be safe from Islamic State-linked militants. Back home not long ago, it became a normal feature for political parties to boost of having in their ranks, “commandoes” ………”

President Hakainde Hichilema has travelled to Malawi to attend the extraordinary summit of the Southern African Development Community Head of State and government.

President Hichilema is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kakubo, Defence Minister Ambrose Lufuma and Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu.

Southern African Leaders will be discussing among other topics, the security situation in Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique.

Analysis

There has been a rise in the insurgency in the Northern part of Mozambique since 2017.

Here is a brief background about Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique.

Cabo Delgado, a gas-rich province bordering Tanzania, has been gripped by attacks by Islamic State-linked militants since 2017. At least 3,500 people have died and around 820,000 have fled their homes.

Atrocities include massacres, beheadings, to of homes and mass abductions, especially of girls.

In order to address the situation, Regional Leaders approved the deployment of the SADC mission in Mozambique by July 2021, to combat acts of violent extremism in the affected area of Cabo Delgado Province.

The SADC Mission in Mozambique was initially deployed in July, but its mandate was extended indefinitely in October. SADC members and Rwanda stepped in six months ago to assist the struggling Mozambican army, bringing in more than 3,000 troops.

Zambia cannot afford to miss this summit and it is encouraging that President Hichilema is part of other African Leaders seeking to find a solution to arrest the insurgency in Mozambique.

Our team of analysts believes that African nations must invest in “ground intelligence” so that such camps are curbed before they ground their operations in the country. With globalization, no country in Africa can be said to be safe from such groups. Back home not long ago, it became a normal feature for a political party is to boost of having in their ranks, “commandoes”, these were very common feature during the reign of the Patriotic Front, the trend was also common among UPND structures.

Such groups act as entry points for extremists’ usually Mostly people initiated into the “commandoes” tactics are usual not in formal employment which makes them vulnerable to groups that can promise and offer them some money.

Taking you back a bit, beginning in October 2017, armed Islamist extremists linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) launched a jihadist insurgency in the Cabo Delgado region, which is rich in minerals.

In conclusion, Zambia is discovering minerals such as gold, diamond, mining activities going on in such areas must be guarded heavily because there is usually an influx of foreign nationals to areas hosting these minerals, authorities do not know the background of these foreign nationals.

The Speech Analyst

12.01.2022 S

I DO NOT AGREE WITH MAGANDE ON THE PRIVATISATION OF ZESCO – EMMANUEL MWAMBA

I saw this article by Hon. Ngandu Magande; “Zambia Should Not Fear Privatising ZESCO”.

I wish to offer a different view.

You don’t need to privatise ZESCO in order to promote Independent Power Producers.

Investors in the sector can be invited without disrupting ZESCO operations.

We made mistakes in the 90s where we gave away state-owned enterprises instead of encouraging the private investors to set up their own.

ZESCO needs reforms;

1. Depoliticise ZESCO.
2. Halt the corruption and the leaks through the procurement process.
3. Advertise all positions from senior managers to CEO to attract the best human resource to run the utility.
4. Renegotiate immediately all unfair Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) that are bleeding revenue off ZESCO of about $40million a month.
5. Introduce wheeling charges on transmission or system infrastructure as charged by Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP).
6. Unbundling ZESCO may not be the only solution. With now experiences obtained from Kenya, Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. We can take the best approach to this process.

ZAMBIANS SHOULD NOT FEAR PRIVATISING ZESCO – MAGANDE

Zambians should not fear to privatise Zesco, says former Finance minister Ng’andu Magande.

Speaking with Daily Revelation, Magande said the restructuring of Zesco into three main components is something that should have been done a long time, saying he was part of a team that travelled to the United States of America to look into the same matter in 1994, then as president of the Economic Association of Zambia.

He said by coincidence the team he was with found that there was a blackou in the whole of the western USA, and therefore it was easy for them to diagnose where the problem was coming from, saying they came back from that trip with a conclusion that they needed to unbundle Zesco.

Magande said the restructuring into generation, transmission and distribution would attract private enterprise into the market, as well as people having a choice in terms of who should supply them with the energy.

“That’s why we should have done this a long time ago,” Magande said, adding that many were failing to enter into the market, where even if they produced they would need to sell to Zesco when Zesco is also a producer and supplier. “Many of us who have been outside we know, for instance in London there are many power suppliers; nuclear, hydro, solar and sell to different distributors. In your home where you lived in Brazil you didn’t even know whether the power was imported or was locally produced.”

Asked that many were of the argument that government’s plan to restructure was actually aimed at finally privatising the company, Magande said: “But why are we scared about privatising? CEC was formed by technically competent Zambians.”

Magande said apart from supplying power to the mines on the Copperbelt, they were also doing the same to Congo and two states in Nigeria.

“If we have competent people, privatisation is not talking about foreigners but amongst ourselves,” he said.

Magande said if Zambians did not have money, the government should come in and help them with loans, saying there was nothing complicated in running some of these industries.

“If there is a group that wants to buy Lusiwashi power station, help the people get this money. The banks are awash with money right now…in the mining industry it’s the same. If there are Zambians who are interested we can even have Zambians start manganese mining in Mansa. If that’s the way government wants to go they will have proper cost benefit analysis,” he said.

But put to him that former late presidents Frederick Chiluba and Levy Mwanawasa refused to privatise Zesco over arguments that one could not sell everything including their bedroom, and that he himself in a recent interview with Daily Revelation said… http://dailyrevelationzambia.com/zambians-should-not-fear-privatising-zesco-magande/

More @ www.dailyrevelationzambia.com

Chanoda Frackson Ngwira

When a Prophecy about Zambia’s elections came from our Father a few months ago, i was in a dilemma, I asked myself several questions regards that word especially the second and last one. I received over 50 calls from the obvious, more than half of the calls asked me whether I would choose the Prophet’s side or the Party’s side.. I categorically stated that physically I was deflated and taken aback however spiritually, I said I had no control of what God has said through Papa..

Slander against the man of God from within the PF family emerged, they called him names, insulted him.. But I put my foot down and said he remains God’s General, the set man upon my life and there is nothing that can make me turn my back on him. In short I said and told those that asked me to choose between him and the party, I said PF remains my party and Prophet Joshua remains my Father in the Lord. I never bowed down to pressure regardless of the threats and words from within the family. I took on boys and girls that spoke ill of this man, I told them off among them Kings Malembe and yes I am proud and will always be proud to associate myself with this man.

Let me take this opportunity obviously to the dismay and disappointment of many, to thank the UPND Government and President Hakainde Hichilema for having allowed and cleared my Father in the Lord to land in the soil of Zambia after so many years of being blocked. I appreciate this Government for allowing the General Membership of the church have an opportunity to have their Father home. This I must be honest, I salute the Government.

To you Papa Iginla, there is no politics that will make me change my mind about you Sir, you remain a great part of my life and that of my family. My wife, kids and I will forever call you Dad no matter the political feelings and resistance from the Club PF which I believe in so much…

WELCOME TO ZAMBIA SIR….

By Mwaka Ndawa

THE Anti-Corruption Commission says the provisions under which former minister of health Dr Chitalu Chilufya was charged with possessing property suspected to be procceds of crime was based on reasonable suspicion where evidence is incomplete.

The Commission argues that criminal prosecution does not amount to defamation.

Dr Chilufya has sued the Commission and its former acting director general Rosemary Khuzwayo demanding US$ 50,100,000 as damages for libel over malicious prosecution on corruption related charges in 2020.

He is seeking damages for malicious prosecution, libel and defamation, intimidation as well as e exemplary and aggravated damages to be assessed.

In his statement of claim, Dr Chilufya said between September and August 2020, he was prosecuted for possessing property suspected to be proceeds of crime involving more than US$200,000 to purchase shares in Samfya marines and tourism services, spark guest house now Henry Courtyard and a boat, which proceedings he attended at great cost.

He claimed that he was innocent but subjected to and exposed to criminal proceedings and was at a risk of being imprisoned if he did not defend himself.

Dr Chilufya charged that the ACC did not have evidence or reasons to arrest and charge him.

He said despite the evidence by the commission’s witnesses exonerating him, he was still prosecuted but the prosecution ended in his favor and he was acquitted by the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court.

“The defendants were malicious in their prosecution and they had no proof to prosecute the plaintiff on the subject offense and that they were being motivated by social media lies and publication of a well-known malicious online publication and newspaper which neither had evidence nor facts that the plaintiff was involved in any wrongdoing,” Dr Chilufya stated.

“The defendants did not bother to verify their allegations nor their investigations but proceeded to prosecute the plaintiff. The investigations against him did not show evidence capable of causing a prosecution as the defendants had no proof of the alleged offenses against the plaintiff.”

In its defense, the ACC said that Dr Chilufya’s arrest was not malicious but was based on a report it received on December 17, 2019 bordering on allegations that he had properties which were suspected to have been dubiously acquired.

It refuted assertions that it neither had evidence nor reasons to arrest and charge him.

“The first defendant will demonstrate at trial that the provisions under which the plaintiff was charged is based on reasonable suspicion, that is a state of conjecture or surmise, where proof is lacking,” ACC explained.

“The first defendant denies ever being motivated by any social media publication or newspapers and will aver at trial that the arrest and prosecution of the plaintiff was formed by an independent report dated December 17, 2019 to the first defendant. The said report was investigated as evidenced by PW1 (Chipampe Manda, an investigations officer) from the surbodinate court.”

It said the information it gathered from the investigations formed the basis of Dr Chilufya’s arrest and apeearance in court.

“The first defendant will show that the purported audio recording, in whatever manner the plaintiff became aware of it, and in so far as it purports to disclose internal Communication within the ACC, an investigative agency of the state, cannot be relied upon by the plaintiff, as its use in connection with this action invites the court’s complicity in the perpetration of an illegality, namely, the unlawful disclosure of protected information thereby falling within the exclusionary rules of state privilege,” ACC said.

It stated that it did not fail to prove allegations against Dr Chilufya because it decided to make an application to “offer no further evidence” which led to his acquittal before the case to answer stage as a compromise after the court summoned Khuzwayo to show cause why she should not be cited for contempt of court for suspending Manda after he testified in favour of the plaintiff.

The ACC said that Dr Chilufya is not entitled to any reliefs he is seeking based on grounds of embarrassment.

The opposition Democratic Party (DP) is confident of successfully fielding a candidate in the rescheduled Kabwata Constituency Parliamentary by-election after the cancellation of the earlier polls initially set for 20th January 2022.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) on Monday cancelled the Kabwata Parliamentary by-election following United Progressive Party candidate Francis Libanda’s withdrawal from the race.

ECZ chief electoral officer Patrick Nshindano announced during a media briefing in Lusaka that fresh nominations would take place on a date to be announced.

ECZ last month refused to allow the DP candidates for Kabwata, Lingwati, and Sokontwe by-elections from filing in their nominations.

The DP failed to file in their nomination for the Kabwata by-election due to internal wrangles which resulted in the party factions presenting two candidates.

DP Vice President Judith Kabemba, who is battling for the party leadership with President Harry Kalaba, said her group is sure that it will field a candidate when ECZ announces a new date for the nominations in Kabwata Constituency.

Ms. Kabemba said her group has already demonstrated to ECZ that they are the eligible office-bearers by producing documents from the Registrar of Societies.

“We are very confident that we are going to participate because last time the ECZ did not have ample time to understand the situation and what was going on. What we know and what we believe in as DP is that every institution is governed by the constitution of the party as well as documentation that has been submitted to the Registrar of Societies because the Registrar of Societies is the institution that governs how political parties are supposed to operate so the documentation at the Registrar of Societies is clear as to who was supposed to file in the nominations,” she said.

“Obviously ECZ having time now and the engagements that we are doing now we believe that the right thing will be done because like they say numbers don’t lie. I am sure even documentations at the Registrar of Societies will prove the truth,” she said.

Ms Kabemba said her group was not expecting the Kalaba faction to again attempt to field a candidate in Kabwata Constituency.

“There should not be any clashes this time around unless some people want to continue with the habit of lawlessness as they used to be in PF because you know some of these things when they stick in the blood it is difficult to remove them. The papers have proved that our colleagues (Kalaba faction) are not part of our party leadership meaning they do not have the mandate to field a candidate.”

“Even in homes someone cannot come from the streets to dictate that I will be eating chicken thighs that are supposed to be eaten by the father, so even in this case the people who are supposed to field a candidate in Kabwata it is ourselves. It is unfortunate that our brother (Mr. Kalaba) has taken a route which is detrimental and he does not want to adhere to the right thing,” she said.

The by-election in Kabwata Constituency has been necessitated by the death of the United Party for National Development (UPND) Member of Parliament, Mr Levy Mkandawire on Thursday 18th November 2021.

Meanwhile, DP National Executive Committee member Justin Nkonge has declared the party ready for the fresh nominations in Kabwata.

“As DP we stand ready and it might be a blessing in disguise but I want to put it on record that we are not happy by the behaviour of our colleague who withdrew from the elections. We are not jubilating as DP looking at the unfortunate happening from our colleagues. We call that unfortunate because there are a lot of issues involved there; there is a lot of money that was put in to begin with by ECZ, ECZ had gone ahead to print ballot papers including the candidates that field in will be required to raise some more money and start paying the nomination fees,” Mr. Nkonge said