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

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/

THE OBJECTIVE IS TO MAKE ALL LOOTERS ACCOUNTABLE – STATEHOUSE

SPECIAL Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Anthony Bwalya says the collective objective of the UPND government is to ensure that all those who participated in the looting of resources are held accountable.

And Bwalya says the PF should stop insulting the media by suggesting that they are clapping for the UPND administration over the arrests of former government officials.

The State House official was speaking following complaints from former Cabinet Ministers that President Hakainde Hichilema was abusing the police to harass the opposition members.

Bwalya said it was shameless for PF members to cite President Hichilema as they undergo law enforcement scrutiny over alleged involvement in corruption activities.

“It is contemptible and shameless for members of the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) to cite the name of President Hakainde Hichilema as they undergo law enforcement scrutiny over their alleged involvement in corruption activities while they occupied public office. It must be categorically stated and noted, that the President has nothing to do with the actions or decisions of law enforcement agencies to inquire into reports or allegations of corruption and any other reported transgressions of the law involving members of the former ruling party,” he said.

“It must be indicated, that the culture of lawlessness and criminal wrongdoing at the expense of the Zambian people is long gone and that all individuals who may have leveraged political authority to cross and circumvent the boundaries of the law much to the disadvantage of the people of Zambia must and will account before the law to the fullest extent.

The collective objective of the new administration is to ensure that all those who participated in the looting of public resources must be held accountable and that all proceeds of corruption and crime must be recovered and redirected towards improving the welfare of all our people,” said Bwalya.

And commenting on PF acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa’s remarks in which he accused the media of praising and clapping for the UPND when the ruling party is destroying democracy, Bwalya described the remarks as an insult to the media.

“I think that is an insult to the media, you colleagues in the media should not take sentiments like that. That is denigrating the good works that you colleagues do. We want to believe that the media are and have always been independent in terms of how they do and conduct themselves. So for members of the opposition party to now begin to insinuate that the media are clapping for the new administration, that is an insult to the work that the media does.

You colleagues should take exception to that. It is as good as he is calling you unprofessional, that is what he is doing. So you are covering him and on the other hand he is calling you unprofessional because he doesn’t like how you are reporting on and around the fight against corruption,” said Bwalya.

NEWSDIGGERS

A CHAT WITH AMBASSADOR EMMANUEL MWAMBA ON 2022 EDUCATION SECTOR FUNDING

By Alexander Nkosi

1. INTRODUCTION

Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba shared an article where he highlighted that reduced education sector funding in 2022 will affect the quality of education delivered. I appreciate the effort made in putting the article together and the need to critically analyse and discuss all sectors. However, I don’t agree with him on a number of issues raised. I find a lot of contradictions with his policy positions on related issues.

2. EDUCATION BUDGET

Ambassador Mwamba argued that for the first time in twenty years, the education sector has received the lowest allocation of 10.4% of the National Budget. The relative share of the 2022 Budget to the education sector budget is at its lowest in ten years with the highest level having been in 2016 where the sector received 20.2 per cent. He further argued that this development poses a significant risk to Zambia’s economic ambitions as education is an important source of human capital formation.

My response to this is: In 2020, the total budget was K106 billion while allocation to education was K13.1 billion (12.4%). In 2021, the total budget was K119.6 billion with education getting K13.8 billion (11.5%). In 2022, the total budget is K173 billion with education receiving K18 billion (10.4%). Given this analysis, it is clear that while the percent allocation to the education sector has gone down, the actual amount allocated increased by K4.2 billion whereas in 2021 it only increased by K700 million. Note that the reduction is the percent allocation was because the budget significantly increased to cater for huge debt obligations as well as increased recruitments. In 2021, the budget increased by K13.6 billion whereas in 2022 it increased by K53.4 billion. This explains the reduction in percent allocation to education even if the actual allocation increased by K4.2 billion. Hence while percent allocation to the education sector is an important indicator, it should not be analysed in isolation as it does not give a complete picture.

3. STATE OF EDUCATION

On the state of education, Ambassador Mwamba presented that a study done by Examination Council of Zambia ( ECZ) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD) revealed that 15 year old students achieved only 5 per cent and 2 per cent of the minimum international level of proficiency in reading and mathematics respectively. The average years of schooling stand at 6 years instead of the recommended 13 years ( from early childhood to secondary school education). Classroom parity for primary and secondary school level stands at 1 to 9. This means that the number of drop-outs and those learners remaining behind continues to be big due to lack of classrooms as one progresses higher.

My response to this is: To improve the quality of education, government has done the following just in 2022: (i) Funding to the education sector has increased by K4.2 billion compared to K700 million in 2021 as highlighted above, (ii) DCF has significantly increased, part of which will go towards ensuring schools have better furniture and other things, (iii) Free education from grade 1 to 12 for day schools and scholarships for boarding secondary schools, (iv) 30,000 teachers will be recruited to improve the quality of service delivery, (v) Education Infrastructure development will continue.

While I agree with Ambassador Mwamba that we need to do more to achieve better education outcomes, this cannot be done in one budget cycle. One of the biggest challenges we face is huge debt which is clearly chocking social sector spending. How do we achieve 20% budget allocation to the education sector when domestic revenue is all exhausted by debt service and wage bill? This is why debt restructuring is critical and this is hinged on the IMF deal which Ambassador Mwamba is against.

4. SCHOOL FUNDING

While Ambassador Mwamba argues that funds allocated to schools are inadequate, his assessment of school funds in the previous years is incorrect. He assumes they had more funding by simply looking at how much allocations they were suppose to receive and how much was to be collected from learners. On paper this looks better but the actual situation was that schools went for months without receiving funding from government. Even when they did, it was not full funding and not even enough to pay debt. Schools also never received full payment from learners. Most learners in public schools only made part payments and government instructed schools not to chase them. Schools struggled to mobilise funds, but now we have a situation where three weeks before schools open, funds have been released. This is definitely a good starting point and whatever challenges are faced, improvements will be done in the subsequent school terms and years. This is a better solution than getting back to a situation where we are asking learners to pay again.

5. ANALYSIS

5.1) Ambassador Mwamba opposes heavy borrowing but wants this education budget increased to match the 2016 percent allocation (21%). This would mean increasing the education budget to K36 billion (double the current allocation), where will this money come from? Even if we reverse the decision to make mineral royalties tax deductible, we will only raise K3.2 billion, so where does he expect government to get the money?

5.2) Zambia is spending a lot on debt service, i 2022 zambia will spend K78.6 billion on debt service and this has been increasing over the years and is chocking social sector spending. If we can restructure our debt and reduce annual allocation to debt service, we can significantly increase social sector spending. This debt restructuring is hinged on us being on an IMF deal which Ambassador Mwamba opposes.

5.3) It is difficult to attain good education outcomes with a poor students to teacher ratio. This is why government is recruiting 30,000 teachers, but again Ambassador Mwamba has repeatedly questioned this, labeling it too ambitious and unrealistic.

5.4) Ambassador Mwamba opposed increase in fuel prices induced by removal of K26 million monthly subsidy because of the impact it has on the cost of living, on the other hand he wants the same parents to pay school fees because government cannot afford it?

6. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, an annual budget is like a cake, when one sector gets more, some other sectors have to receive less. I’m urging Ambassador Mwamba to offer a feasible solution after highlighting what he perceives as a big challenge. How do we in 2022 increase the education budget to match 2016 percent allocation?

Thank you.

THE POOR BUDGET ALLOCATION TO THE EDUCATION SECTOR WILL FAIL THE FREE EDUCATION DREAM

By Amb Emmanuel Mwamba

For the first time in twenty years, the education sector has received the lowest allocation of 10.4 per cent of the National Budget.

The relative share of the 2022 Budget to the education sector budget is at its lowest in ten years with the highest level having been in 2016 where the sector received 20.2 per cent.

This development poses a significant risk to Zambia’s economic ambitions as education is an important source of human capital formation, generating technical skills and creating the man-power required for sustainable development.

In the Budget of K173billion, Government has allocated K18.1billion for operations for both primary and secondary schools, for skills development, teacher recruitment and for on-going construction of school infrastructure.
Despite massive investment in the education sector, education outcomes remain poor.

STATE OF EDUCATION

A study done by Examination Council of Zambia ( ECZ) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD) revealed that 15 year old students achieved only 5 per cent and 2 per cent of the minimum international level of proficiency in reading and mathematics respectively.

The average years of schooling stand at 6 years instead of the recommended 13 years ( from early childhood to secondary school education).

Classroom parity for primary and secondary school level stands at 1 to 9. This means that the number of drop-outs and those learners remaining behind continues to be big due to lack of classrooms as one progresses higher.

FUNDS ALLOCATED TO SCHOOLS TOTALLY INADEQUATE

Since the MMD days, Government has provided free educational services for learners at primary school level.

At secondary school
level, however, learners
pay K600 (K200 per term) per year per child as user fees.

For those learners in boarding secondary schools, they
pay an additional K1000 per term to bring the total to K3,600 per year per learner.

In addition, Parent Teachers Association (PTA) prescribed fees and examination fees are also paid.

Government has announced that it has abolished both user and examination fees that
learners pay in public schools.

Regarding boarding fees for secondary school learners, a bursary scheme has been introduced for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs).

The provision of the budget for the bursaries will be done through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

PUBLISH RELEASED FUNDS TO SCHOOLS

Last week, Secretary to Treasury released K324 million as grants and operational funds to early childhood, primary and secondary schools to fill the gap arising from the abolition of user and PTA fees.

Ministry of Education has since made funding profiles for the schools to receive these funds.

5,587 Primary Schools have been allocated funds for requisites receiving a total sum of K35million.

The highest receiving K20,000.00 per term while the least received K2,700 per term.

3,098 primary schools will also receive grants totalling K22.9million.

Secondary Schools received K16.7million with K440,000 per term being the highest and the least receiving K369.00 per term.

The 1,421 secondary schools as grants will receive K12million with the highest receiving K17,000 per term and the lowest K5,600 per term.

Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) Programme will receive K12.3million with the highest school receiving K25,000.00 per term and the least receiving K960 per term.

It is clear from the above that all categories of schools will receive a drastic reduction from their own budgets run under user fees arrangements.

I therefore challenge the Ministry of Education to publish details of the funds allocated to schools in the public media to enhance transparency and accountability.

The publication of the released funds will also reduce conflict and suspicions between the parents, learners and school authorities.

CONCLUSION

Since the public purse has faced competing needs, Government should have phased the implementation of the abolition of PTA and user fees in Secondary Schools.

Parents and guardians with capacity to pay should have been allowed to continue paying the K600 (K200 per term) in Secondary Schools and the K3,600 ( K1,200 per term) per year in Boarding Schools.

Orphans and vulnerable children must have benefited from the available provision and exempted from paying any fees as a start.

PRESS STATEMENT

10 TH JANUARY 2022

THE CORRUPT ELEMENTS ARE VICIOUSLY FIGHTING BACK DAY AND NIGHT BUT THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Fighting corruption is a very risky business. World over Corrupt elements are known to be very powerful, ruthless and some lives are lost in the process. The way PF is behaving may appear strange to most Zambians. But as UPND we knew that once we start fighting corruption the same corrupt elements will fight back very viciously. President HH and the UPND are here to fulfill all campaign promises; fighting corruption is one of them.

Suddenly, most PF leaders are now behaving worse than a street hooligan. But through President HH and the UPND, Zambians must be assured that their stolen money will be brought back. As much as most Zambians are surprised by the viciousness and vulgar language coming from PF, as UPND we are not shaken by this behavior. We fully understand that the “rich” corrupt elements are fighting back day and night for their survival. But their days are numbered.

Do you recall one corrupt element openly boasting that they are stealing in order to live a comfortable life in future? Now, what do Zambians expect from such a person if he is faced with a jail sentence? He will stop at nothing, including the use of Juju in order to escape prison sentence. Are you not surprised that immediately after the August defeat these corrupt elements quickly mobilized themselves and launched a very vicious smear campaign against President HH and the UPND? Their language suddenly changed from that of Honorable Persons to that of a Ruffian.

Zambians, why is it that these corrupt elements are not telling you what new things they will do for you once they “bounce back”? The fight they have launched against President HH and UPND is not for you Zambians; forget, it’s all about personal survival of not going to prison. The aim and intentions of these crooks and thieves is to frustrate the fight against their corruption and later claim that they are innocent. We ask them to wait patiently for that day they will put on that orange work suit with letters at the back clearly written PRISONER. President HH and the UPND will never disappoint you on the fight against corruption. It’s Forward Iwe LAZO (Thief).

Percy Chanda

UPND – Chairman for Mines and Freedom Fighter

Opposition Economic and Equity Party President Chilufya Tayali has defended his decision to contest the Kabwata Constituency Parliamentary by election set for 20th January, 2022.

Despite being EEP President Mr.Tayali last August contested the General Elections as a mayoral candidate for Lusaka City.

When Mr. Tayali featured on a Millennium Radio show over the weekend, some callers to the programme questioned why a party President was contesting parliamentary elections.

Some callers wondered why Mr. Tayali cannot allow other members of the party to contest elections.

“I am Chitondo Champo from Fisenge, Luanshya. You are playing all the corners 7, 10 don’t you have wings? We should weigh ourselves. Even me as Champo I run positions on the grassroots when I drop as a chairman I say let others serve. And you see, you don’t have structures on the ground. My son let others serve,” the caller said.

Another caller said:”I am Boniface calling from Ndola; I want to contribute. Mr. Tayali, in my view you are not supposed to stand in that position because you are a party President. Better you leave the candidature to others because you are a party President.”

In response to the callers, Mr. Tayali said he was the most suitable person in the party to contest elections because EEP needed someone experienced if they are to win polls.

“All of them are saying you are a President who is going down to contest as Member of Parliament. It is like leaving the bedroom you are coming to the sitting room, it is because of the way we have gotten used to looking at leadership. Actually in this country we are spoiling people, leaders are supposed to be your servants and they are supposed to serve you at whatever level but because we are used to saying ‘no he is the President he has to be there as a President.’ He is supposed to serve you, even the President himself sometimes has to go down to serve people wherever they are,” Mr. Tayali said.

“Politics especially elections, is a contest, it is a competition and whenever you are going in a contest you pick your best. The Economic and Equity Party is a small political party, a very small party. Yes my part has members but those members are not Chilufya Tayali. I said a political election is a contest and you have to pick the best and when you have not had one person who can stand in front you try with that person that you have,” he said.

“If your team is small and it doesn’t have people who can compete, you have to do with what you have. At the moment, the Economic and Equity Party, those members that you are talking about, would not give this election the competition that I am giving it. It is a political party but we cannot run away from the fact that Zambia and Malawi are all countries, there is also Rwanda so there are big and smaller countries. Even political parties there are smaller and bigger political parties,” Mr. Tayali said.

He promised to be available and provide effective leadership to the people of Kabwata Constituency if elected Member of Parliament on 20th January.

“I am standing for the poor; I am giving hope and courage to the poor people. I am very sure those people who want representation, the poor people who want somebody who can represent them, will give Chilufya Tayali that vote. This is what I am promising to people, I am available and for me when I say I am going to come I will come. When I say I am going to do this, I will do it. I don’t give excuses. What I am promising the people of Kabwata is effective leadership,” Mr. Tayali said.

He said Kabwata Constituency needs a Member of Parliament who will provide checks and balances to the UPND Government for it to fulfill campaign promises.

“I will be present in that Parliament and I will offer checks and balances. The UPND needed checks and balances, they made a lot of promises but for them to fulfill those promises they needed a Chilufya Tayali. President Hakainde Hichilema needs Chilufua Tayali, the Ministers need Chilufya Tayali so that I can push them. The poor people’s voice is going to be well represented if you elect Chilufya Tayali on 20th January,” Mr. Tayali said.

“Don’t fire 327 Indeni workers because of IMF”

…they have families that depend on them, begs Mwamba

Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba wrote

9th January 2022

The government of President Hakainde Hichilema must exercise maximum restraint and halt plans to sack 327 employees from Indeni Refinery because of the deep misery the action will cause on immediate and extended families of the affected workers.

“There must be a better way to work around the Indeni issues than lay off 327 Zambians with families that depend on them just because the IMF said so.”
Ambassador Mwamba suggested: “instead of paying US$500 million to middlemen to import fuel annually, government only needs about US$90 million when it uses Indeni”.

Mr Mwamba, the former Permanent Representative of Zambia to the Africa Union and Ambassador to South Africa urged the Hichilema government to “do the math” and see how many Zambians would suffer if 327 Zambians in Ndola were sacked at Indeni as a result of planned restructuring of the company, as prescribed by the IMF.

In Zambia, a working person supports about 10 other extended family members, 327 sacked family members equals to about 3270 delinquents if the Hichilema government proceeds with plans to shut restructure Indeni.

FISP PLANS CHECKED

Ambassador Mwamba said plans by the UPND government to restructure FISP or the Fertiliser Input Support Programme will reduce agriculture production and induce poverty

FUEL SUBSIDIES TO SPIKE PRICES AND COST OF LIVING

Ambassador Mwamba cautioned Zambians brace for higher fuel and food prices after 15th January once government re imposes taxes of fuel. He said food prices and the cost of living shall rise.

FREE EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA

Ambassador Mwamba said it was a “pity that many Zambians don’t know that Zambia has enjoyed free education in primary school since the MMD government days. He challenged government to refute this fact.

He also becried the “paltry” 10 per cent the government has allocated to education in Zambia in the current budget, the lowest in the decades. The national budget is about K173 billion and government allocated only K18 billion to the entire education sector.

CORRUPTION IN ZAMBIA

Ambassador Mwamba said while there is a general agreement that corruption existed in the previous PF government as much as it exists in the current UPND government.

He gave a specific example of the classic Maurice Jangulo US$1407 per tonne fertiliser scandal that has consumed the nation in debate without a word of defence from the Hichilema government or condemnation.

“Corruption is bad and must be fought. However the fight against corruption is used as a political tool to shut up perceived political opponents.”

Ambassador Mwamba has been seen as one of the most credible critics of the Hichilema government as he has stayed away from taking personal shots at government officials but instead addresses national issues.

SOURCE: Millennium TV and Radio

KABWATA BY-ELECTION DRAMA: Saviour Chishimba saves the cancellation of the by-election and fresh nominations in Kabwata

With the ignorance being expressed by the United Progressive Party (UPP) president Xavier Chishimba regarding the withdrawal of candidature from the Kabwata parliamentary by-election of his party’s parliamentary candidate for Kabwata and the fact that Mr Francis Libanda, the candidate, is a sponsored candidate by the party, which party has not written to ECZ to withdraw its candidate from the race, it goes without saying that Kabwata by-election will go ahead.

The only best way Libanda should have done trigger the cancellation of the by-election was for to first resign from his party and then tender a withdrawal of candidature notice to ECZ.

Now that he has not done even if he did not want to participate at this late hour in this election or he had the desire to cause the cancellation of the Kabwata parliamentary by-election and then fresh nominations without him resigning from the sponsoring party is a non-startor mission.

It is failed electoral sabotage staged by a political amateur.

Now, that he has not resigned and he can’t withdraw without the party knowing and the party still has not written to the ECZ of its candidate resigning from the party ticket, Mr Libanda is still very much in the race just as the UPP as a party.

Therefore, from this standpoint, the ECZ has no issue to make a position that the Kabwata by-election proceeds as planned without reopening the nominations as long as the letter of withdrawal is not from the party but from a sponsored candidate who has not resigned from his party, it does not hold water

It is null and void.

As alluded above media reports suggest that the UPP President is unaware of his candidate’s withdrawal from the race yet the candidate wrote and submitted his withdrawal letter to the Commission.

Only an authentic letter from the sponsor of the candidate will trigger cancellation of the election and fresh nominations.

If it was an independent candidate, it would have been automatic opening of fresh nominations.

My position in the wake of Dr Chishimba pleasing ignorance on developments obtaining in Kabwata therefore saves the otherwise, the would have been the an unfortunate development.

I submit

McDonald Chipenzi

THEY ARE HERE IN KABWATA
By Mutinta Nketani Nyanga

Mr. President… they are here and they want our votes.

Those who tortured us day and night with their cadres are here and campaigning freely with a message different from general elections but same arrogance.

Those who did not allow the opposition to wear regalia are wearing theirs freely during the door-to-door campaign.
Mr. President, you did not specifically tell us how to treat them during a by-election, give us a signal.

Mr. President, even those who always rushed to the media to say UPND was behind the gassing and burning of the markets are here in Kabwata.
Now they are accusing you of wanting to demolish houses for residents and build a mall.

Even those who are said to be behind torture at ‘Kamugodi’ are here pretending to be holy.
Kabwata has also seen those who could not inform the nation that individuals without a track record of business had the ability to own more than K65 Million cash in their homes.
Even the cadres that were splashing money to an extent of burning some notes are here as well

Mr. President, you did not tell us what to do to them when they come to campaign on foot pretending to be like one of us, please give us a signal.

Mr. President, those who wanted to create a one-party state through Bill 10 are here and this time accusing you of trying to do the same.

We are also able to identify those who once said K2 Million was shopping money campaigning on foot pretending to be like one of us.
Tell us what to do to them

They are here Mr. President.
Those that contributed to the rise of the Dollar exchange rate from K5 to K21, price of fuel from K6 to K17, and price of mealie meal from K35 to K200 are in Kabwata telling lies that your government is behind the high cost of living.
Please tell us what to do to them

Lastly Mr. President, those that made sure that you were not allowed to campaign freely in the run up to the August General Elections are here.

Those who tear gassed you in Chipata and Nakonde are playing ‘holier than thou.’
Those behind the gunshot dent on your vehicle in Ndola are also in Kabwata.

Mr. President, even those behind the switching off of internet on 12th August, 2021 and made us use VPN are here in our constituency.
We have not forgotten Mr. President, give us a signal of how best to repay them.

MADAM SPEAKER CREATE A SPACE FOR ME IN THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE, I AM COMING NEXT WEEK WE NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FERTILISER AND FUEL SCANDALS, SO THAT BALLY CAN ACT

If it was corruption under the PF, it is also corruption under UPND. PF was not removed out of power for UPND to come and engage in the same vices.

When I get to Parliament I will have powers to ask tough questions to the Ministers and Vice President for clear answers.

My eyes are already focused on the Fertiliser issue and Fuel. The Minister of Agriculture and Energy should be ready to do some serious explanations.

This fuel pricing needs to be explained, it is certainly not clear. Is the IMF conditions already in force when we have not FULLY signed the agreement?

What about the VAT waiver on fuel? How much has the govt saved so far since we increased fuel pump price?

Then what really is the cost of producing electricity in Zambia? How cost effective is the production of electricity?

I honestly have a lot of questions.

My father, Mr. Milupi, as Minister of Infrastructure will also be in the firing range, because UPND promised to build and maintain roads and other infrastructure at a cheaper price, yet they seem more expensive than the PF.

The Vice President will have to give the people of Zambia, especially youths who are looking for jobs, when exactly the employing of the 40,000 will start and we have to keep count to ensure that number is employed.

I will also ask about Debt swap and other promises made to civil servants.

Trust me, I will be highly powered and there will be no dull moment.

But this to happen all of you in Kabwata must go out on 20th January to vote for me. You have to give me a mandate.

My victory will be yours and many people who need a voice in Parliament.

KABWATA – NDIMUNTU WENU!

TAYALI THE RIGHT CANDIDATE FOR KABWATA!

TAYALI THE PUBLIC LAWYER – THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS!

LET ME GO AND SPEAK FOR YOU IN PARLIAMENT!

By Mike Mwansa

IF President Hakainde Hichilema was vindictive all police and prison cells would have been full with the PF criminal gangs, says Lusaka youth Dillon Mayangwa.

In an interview, Mayangwa said President Hichilema was a good leader focused on improving the lives of Zambians.

“President Hichilema has concentrated on improving the lives of the ordinary Zambians and not fixing or punishing anyone. This is clear for all of us to see. Surely, if the President was vindictive, all our prisons, police cells would have been full of these PF criminals,” he told The Mast. “Most of them their crimes are well documented for you and me to see. Starting from Edgar Lungu who refused to hand over power to the Speaker in 2016 when elections were challenged! Look at corruption cases that happened; understand his leadership.”

Mayangwa said President Hichilema was the man of the people who had even forgiven those who were calling him a tribalist.

“Unlike the way former president Edgar Lungu treated his political opponents after he won the disputed 2016 elections, HH is letting those people (PF) to enjoy their retirement peacefully. Only their conscious is not letting them free because of what they did to the people of Zambia. Probably that’s why they are developing gray hair,” he said. “They are scared that the law would soon visit them because of the crimes they committed to many Zambians. All this indicates that the President is not as vindictive as compared to his predecessor. This shows how good of a human he is. Even people like Chishimba Kambwili and his brother Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba who strongly preached against then opposition leaders by carrying a verbal campaign are freely enjoying their lives.”

Mayangwa said Zambia was on the right wheels to achieve economic recovery.

He called on citizens to support President Hichilema.

Mayangwa described President Hichilema as a “decent man who does not want to see the tribalism, cadreism, theft, corruption and criminal gangs which was experienced in the 10 years of PF rule”.

“Look at the economic reforms which he has so far undertaken. The President is surely on the right track to bring the economy on its wheels. Although these measures may seem to be hurting, in the long run it will be all smiles. President Hakainde Hichilema is a decent man who has shown us great leadership,” said Mayangwa. “We are on the right track. But for one to appreciate President Hichilema’s greatness one has to take a look at how previous leaders such as Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Dr Frederick Chiluba and Rupiah Banda were treated after leaving office. The PF today are enjoying Hichilema’s good leadership like any other citizen because the President has allowed the judiciary and other law enforcers to be professional as they conduct their duties, unlike the way it was in the previous regime.”

TREASURY RELEASES K46.575 MILLION TO ‘FIGHT’ #ARMY_WORMS

The Treasury, Friday 7 January, 2022, released K46, 575, 000 to the Ministry of #Agriculture to enable them to #combat #armyworms. The exercise will contribute to #crop #protection and #food security, countrywide.

Through relevant authorities, the Government will continue to closely monitor the situation, accordingly.

(EXCERPT FROM THE MID-WEEK BRIEFING BY THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, HON. REUBEN MTOLO PHIRI, MP)

“…AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, ZAMBIA IN THE LAST TEN (10) YEARS HAS EXPERIENCED OUTBREAKS OF THE FALL ARMY WORM IN SEVEN AGRICULTURAL SEASONS.

THE FALL ARMY WORM IS A SERIOUS
THREAT TO NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY, AND AS GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE STRENGTHENED SURVEILLANCE AND OTHER CONTROL MEASURES TO CONTAIN THE OUTBREAKS OF
MIGRATORY PESTS AND DISEASES.

IN THE 2021/2022 FARMING SEASON, A TOTAL OF 331 HECTARES HAS SO FAR BEEN AFFECTED BY ARMY WORMS AND THIS IS IN MKUSHI DISTRICT OF CENTRAL PROVINCE.

HOWEVER, DUE TO THE PREVAILING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, MY MINISTRY EXPECTS ALL PROVINCES TO EVENTUALLY BE AFFECTED BY OUTBREAKS.

I WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT IN AN
EFFORT TO CREATE AWARENESS ON ARMY WORM CONTROL MEASURES, MY MINISTRY HAS BEEN WORKING WITH VARIOUS MEDIA HOUSES, ESPECIALLY LOCAL RADIO STATIONS. WE HAVE
ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH MOBILE SERVICE PROVIDERS TO SEND TEXT MESSAGES ON ARMY WORM CONTROL TO AFFECTED FARMERS.

I WANT TO ASSURE THE FARMING COMMUNITY THAT THE MINISTRY IS ACTIVELY MONITORING EVENTS AS THEY
DEVELOP AND APPROPRIATE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN TO STOP THE SPREAD OF ARMY WORMS IN EACH PROVINCE.

LET ME HOWEVER URGE ALL FARMERS TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR THEIR FIELDS AND ENSURE THEY APPLY THE
RECOMMENDED CHEMICALS TO AVOID ANY CROP DAMAGE.

WE WISH TO ENCOURAGE ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THE SECTOR TO BE ALERT AND BE CAUTIOUS OF FAKE PRODUCTS.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU BUY SEED AND FERTILIZER FROM WELL ESTABLISHED OUTLETS SO AS TO AVOID FAKE FERTILIZERS AND POOR QUALITY SEED…”

TWITTER:
@MOFNPZambia

EMAIL:
treasurybriefs@mof.gov.zm or treasurybriefs@gmail.com

LINKED-IN:
Zambian Treasury

TEL:
+260-211-253512/253786/252121/250544

ADDRESS:
P.O. Box 50062,
Chimanga Road,
Ridgeway 15101
LUSAKA.

TASILA LUNGU DEVASTATED AS KUKU GROUND VANDALIZED BY UNKNOWN THUGS, APPEALS FOR HELP.

She wrote;

SAD DEVELOPMENT: VANDALISM AT KUKU GROUND SPORTS COMPLEX IN CHAWAMA

Today we conducted the inspection of our community ground, Kuku Ground Sports Complex.

The ground was initially upgraded from a bare land dirt football pitch to a sports complex with artificial running track, artificial football pitch, basketball and netball courts, seating places, a police post to provide security, lighting and a wall and grill fence, borehole and water tank, parking spaces, toilet and changing room facilities.

The project was first conceived when I was starting out my work as Councillor in Chawama. The community was concerned that due to the fact that we have very few recreational sites in Chawama for our youth, we should protect the site from any developers. In addition, we decided that to reduce injuries for the young who played football on the dirt pitch, which often flooded during the rains and other games there, we would redevelop the ground into something modern and suitable.

We worked with a wide team of community supporters and well wishers, including Lusaka City Council – who own the site to develop a master plan to create, execute and handover to the community a fully completed sports complex, including ensuring a 24 hour police presence by constructing a modern police post within the Ground that is also accessible to the general public from a front entrance separate from the Ground main entrance.

Unfortunately, in the last few months the site has began to be vandalized and left unattended and unprotected.

We are looking into new plans with the community, stakeholders and well-wishers as to how best we can continue to provide security, maintain the facility and ensure it continues to serve the community. It would be a great loss to our community and our young if we cannot come up with sustainable, workable solutions.

Thank you to everyone who worked to deliver the completed facility to the community.

Tasila Lungu Mwansa

FERTILIZER SUPPLY AUDIT QUERIES WILL HAUNT MTOLO PHIRI

“Why did he pick fertiliser supplier to audit his competitors?”

By John Phiri

A couple of months ago, we praised Agriculture Minister Mtolo Phiri for his accomplished and informative responses to members of parliament who were at the time anxious about delays in distributing agro inputs as the farming season was fast approaching.

At that time we noted that Phiri’s more than 30 years in agribusiness and especially the cooperative movement, were much in evidence. He proved a highly believable character in the United Party for National Development (UPND) government.

One of the major reasons Phiri gave for what all MPs and small scale farmers agreed was delayed distribution of inputs was that his Ministry had instituted an audit of fertiliser supply contracts that the previous government had given out.

Phiri emphasised then that the audit was necessary so that details of what went on with these fertiliser supply contracts were established.

Well, it is months now and the “re-organised” farming inputs programme has come and gone, yielding mainly the sudden death of the much-demonised agro dealers, and the cleverly-justified deliberate skewering of fertiliser distribution in favour of Southern Province, North Western Province and Western Province.

That justification being that it was to correct an imbalance, or the unfair distribution under the Patriotic Front(PF) government, which disadvantaged eligible vulnerable farmers in the three provinces.

Unfortunately, Phiri has been less forthcoming about the full details of this audit, which was so important as to have delayed flagging off distribution of farming inputs.

Phiri and his Ministry of Agriculture have displayed no transparency in releasing the full report of that audit.

Is it that the audit did not yield the information that “informers” had promised would finally nail suppliers they believed were close to the previous government?

But the audit appears to have been used as good cover for un-evening the playing field in favour of one long term but smallest player among the five who had been in the fertiliser supply game the past close to two decades – the one now publicly known to be owned by the spouse of Information and Media Minister Chushi Kasanda, known as Alfa Commodities.

The second supplier is the perennially-limping Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia given to supply 13,000 metric tonnes, to hide alleged tawdriness from the motive for this selection.

Phiri has come out less believable in giving reasons why this small player, Alfa Commodities, was suddenly “picked” to take the supply of 37,000 metric tonnes, which quantities the new government was commissioning urgently, and whose payment was reportedly promptly made.

When giving the latest picture a week ago, Phiri said so far he was only happy with how NCZ and Alfa have performed.

He said NCZ had delivered all its 13,000 tonnes; Alfa Commodities’ delivery was above 85% completion, with assurance of conclusion by Friday, January 7, 2022; Neria was still to supply 50,000 metric tonnes; the OTHERS have already done so.

For some reason Phiri could not even bring himself to naming those OTHERS who had already fulfilled delivery of their full contracted quantity.

But somehow, he was also not unhappy about the performance of these OTHERS, who had also completed their delivery of fertiliser. Instead he was happier with Alfa Commodities’ 85% to completion.

Since it is already known that NCZ and Alfa Commodities were paid their contract sums, can Phiri also tell the nation whether the OTHERS have also been paid for their deliveries, in the same manner that these two now preferred suppliers have been paid?

But perhaps the more serious questions that will haunt Phiri up to the end of his tenure at the Ministry of Agriculture relate to the genesis of the famous fertiliser audit whose hidden findings have informed the new status given to Alfa Commodities which seems destined to become chief fertiliser supplier to the government.

These same questions have been asked by some other intrepid publishers:

Since this so called fertiliser supply audit was done by an outsider, which company did the work?

When was it contracted? What was the budget for this work and how was it financed? Did the owner of Alfa Commodities have any part in recommending to the Ministry the company that did the audit?

Could this work not have been done by the office of the Auditor General?

The Author is Former Times of Zambia Managing Director.

Credit: Zambian Whistleblower

PLANS TO UNBUNDLE ZESCO LTD SHOULD NOT BE A RUSHED PROCESS BUT A PRODUCT OF CONSENSUS BUILDING:

First and foremost it is a fact that state utilities have been the major players in the electricity sub sector in Africa although some countries are also pondering changing their business models in line with global trends.

Therefore plans to restructure the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation ( ZESCO) LTD by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) which may eventually lead to the unbundling of the power utility looks good at face value however there is need to be extra cautious as electricity drives the engine of economic development and as such in my view the process should not be rushed but should be a product of consensus building among key stakeholders to avoid repeating the mistakes of privatisation which looked very good on paper in initial stages but the post privatisation era was not a success story to write home about as it’s scars are still visible especially on the copperbelt.

I remember during our time in the union the National Energy Sector and Allied Worker’s Union (NESAWU) took a strong stance against privatisation and unbundling which was being spearheaded by the IMF and the world bank and as such we strongly opposed plans by the then MMD government to either privatise or unbundle the power utility based on the experiences we gathered from other countries such as Uganda which was the pioneer country in sub saharan africa to unbundle it’s power utility but we instead supported commercialisation benchmarks as an alternative business model and the same was endorsed by the world bank and for the first time in many years ZESCO declared dividends to the government.

Although Uganda has registered some success in terms of improved revenue collections, connections and investments just to mention but a few the same has not been replicated in countries like Ivory coast while currently South Africa is also debating whether to unbundle it’s state power utility ESKOM or not

While unbundling of the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) LTD MAY lead to improved efficiency,revenue collection and promote investment opportunities however the same will come at the great cost to a Zambian consumer as the cost of electricity shall go up because of anticipated increase in overhead costs.

Even assuming that ZESCO is unbundled as being proposed by the IDC we expect possibly three companies to be born out of such a process namely; generation, transmission and distribution thereby lengthening the electricity supply chain and as such these companies will have their independent management structures and board of directors to manage these firms and this of course will come at a great cost to Zambian electricity consumers.

Further in 2005,the Mwanawasa government made a bold decision to intergrate Kariba North Bank Corporation (KNBC) into ZESCO and in fact the union supported the move because it was made in national interest because before the move, ZESCO used to buy power from KNBC which was never the case after the two companies were almagamated therefore the question to ask ourselves is did the intergration of KNBC into ZESCO bear positive results or not?

It is my considered view point that the challenges facing ZESCO today are well known facts and the cure lies in depoliticizing the firm and as such I don’t think unbundling is an answer to the current challenges the company is facing as the only cure is divorcing politics from the company and thus the only sure way the company can run as a business entity and ensuring that the best human capital is appointed to management positions to run the firm efficiently and profitably.

Furthermore during the UNIP government ZESCO was one of the best run power utilities in africa that even engineers from some european electricity utilities used to come and learn something from Zambia but over the years the company has been runned down because of political interference as the company does not run as a business entity and above all appointments to the position of managing director and directors respectively are no longer done on merit as it used to be during KK’s reign because during the UNIP government it was not easy for someone to rise to the position of managing director and director as one had to have a proven record of competency and experience and rising through management structures but the system changed after the fall of the UNIP government in 1991.

Fellow country men and women you dont need to be a rocket scientist to tell that nowadays it depends on who you know in government to be appointed to top management positions at ZESCO and this should not be the case were appointments are largely driven by political,tribal and regional considerations which is retrogressive more importantly in this day and age.

I keep wondering why the position of managing director and directors at ZESCO and other state owned enterprises are not advertised in line with corporate good governance principles so that well deserving Zambians regardless of their political, tribal and regional affiliations applies for these jobs so that the best brains are appointed to top management positions in order for the firm to run effeciently and profitably.

Moreover it is sad that every time there is a new head of state at state house or change of government there is a new managing director and directors at ZESCO and as the results the staff turn over is too high and in such a scenario it is extremely very difficult for the company to effectively implement it’s business plans because of lack of continuity and in fact already more than 30 highly trained management staff have been retired in national interest or fired at the power firm following the ascendance of the new dawn government to power and most of these casualties have nothing to do with politics but fired based on rumour mongering which is synonomous with parastatal politics and surely where is money going to come from to pay severance packages when the company has a backlog of more than 40000 unconnected customers who have paid capital contributions in full,cry my beloved country Zambia?

By and large the end results is that the company has continued and will continue to lose highly qualified and experienced electrical engineers if this culture of with hunting does not end because these men and women we trained at great cost to tax payers money are now providing a dedicated service in the diaspora and indeed it is true that a prophet is not respected in his own country which is a very retrogressive way of thinking.

It is in light of the foregoing that we need to put our heads together as to whether ZESCO is ready for unbundling taking into account the experiences in Uganda, Nigeria and Ivory coast however the country should continue to invest in renewable and non renewable sources of energy in order to meet current and future electricity demands.

Needless to say that Zambia is well positioned in the region and being a member of Southern African Power Pool(SAPP) it can become the net exporter of electricity in the sub region and beyond therefore we must emulate countries like Ethiopia whose electricity state utility is building the Grand Renaissance Hydro Electric Power Dam on the blue nile which will be the largest hydro power investment in Africa and upon completion it will generate about 6450mw of electricity and as a country we can also do it.

It is unfortunate that as a country there were no significant investments in the electricity generation sub sector in the last more than 45 years apart from the then 900mw Kafue Gorge Hydro Power Station which was commissioned in 1977 and until now when the country has developed the 750mw Kafue Gorge Lower Power Project which is a single major investment in the power sector after so many years despite increasing population and economic activities especially in the mining industry.

Lastly but not the least I hope that the new dawn government will carry on the good works left behind by the PF government which includes the construction of electricity inter connectors to neighbouring countries to enable the country export electricity and accelerating the completion of the 750mw Kafue Gorge Lower Power Project which undoubtedly is a giant step in revolutionizing the electricity generation sub sector in Zambia.

In addition the new dawn government should also seriously consider investing in the 2400mw Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Project which is a joint venture between Zambia and Zimbabwe,the proposed 600mw hydro power project on Luapula river and many other pipeline investments while at the same time encouraging private sector participation in the electricity sub sector such as Independent Power Producers (IPP’s) so that they can compete with the state power utility(ZESCO).

The author is a member of parliament for chama north and former General Secretary of the National Energy Sector and Allied Worker’s Union (NESAWU)

UPND ALLEGEDLY INDUCED WITHDRAWAL OF UPP ASPIRING CANDIDATE FROM KABWATA RACE

The Socialist Party has accused the ruling UPND of engineering the withdrawal of United Progressive Party –UPP- Kabwata parliamentary candidate Francis Libanda from the January 20th election.

Addressing the media in Lusaka this morning following the withdrawal of Mr. Libanda’s candidature from the Kabwata by election race, Socialist Party General Secretary Cosmas Musumali has alleged that the UPND engineered this resignation because it has been facing challenges to sale its candidate Andrew Tayengwa who has allegedly been rejected by the people of Kabwata.

Dr. Musumali says with this resignation, the UPND is well aware that according to the law, the Kabwata by election will have to be cancelled and the process started all over again.

He claims that the Socialist Party is aware of 2 new candidates that the UPND will choose from to replace Mr. Tayengwa when the new election date is announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ-.

Dr. Musumali has since appealed to the ECZ to treat the Kabwata case different and allow the candidates who are already on the ground to continue with their campaigns and the election to go ahead.

Efforts to get UPND Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa on these allegations failed by broadcast time as his phone went unanswered.

Meanwhile, the Governance, Elections, Advocacy Research Services –GEARS- Initiative Zambia says the act by Mr. Libanda to withdraw from the race is very irresponsible and inconveniencing to other candidates, political parties and the electoral commission of Zambia.

Yesterday, Mr. Libanda announced his withdrawal from the kabwata parliamentary race, a move which entails that the electoral commission shall cancel the election and require the filing of fresh nominations by eligible candidates and elections shall be held within 30 days of the filing of fresh nominations.

Mr. Libanda’s decision also means that the nominations done to candidates currently campaigning in Kabwata has been invalidated and candidates and political parties will have to re-adopt new candidates who will be required to pay new nomination fees of K15, 000 per candidate and mobilize new numbers of supporters for their nominations.

Reacting to this development, GEARS Initiative Zambia Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi says this is a very bad development especially after other candidates had already spent money in the campaigns and in paying nomination fees.
PHOENIX NEWS

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have disclosed that their fuel imports orders have been placed on hold, until government clarifies the status of tax waivers that were implemented in 2020/2021.

In a letter by Oil Marketing Companies Association of Zambia President, Dr. Kafula Mubanga, written to the Minister of Energy, Hon. Peter Kapala, the Association informed the Minister that hundreds of trucks are marooned at the borders waiting for Government’s clearance on the issue of waiver of taxes on petroleum products.

He also stated that OMCs have since put on hold fresh oil purchases.

He said some service stations on the Copperbelt have started running dry and this may cause panic buying and fuel shortages.

He expressed concern at the supply insecurity that has risen as a result of Government position or lack of it on the matter.

BUT GOVERNMENT JUST INCREASED FUEL

On 16th December 2021, Energy Regulation Board Chairperson, Reynolds Bowa announced fuel pump price increase by K3.54 per litre from K17.62 to K21.16 while Diesel was increased by K4.56 from K15.59 per liter to K20.15.

In my articles; “Another Fuel Increase May be on the Way” and “Fuel Subsidy-How It came About”, I urged Government to come clean on the matter as another fuel pump price increase was due in January/February, 2022.

WHY ANOTHER IMMINENT FUEL INCREASE?

Following an agreement with the IMF on a Staff-Level Agreement with the Zambian authorities announced on 3rd December, 2021, Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane announced that all fuel and electricity subsidies will be removed beginning January 2022.

In 2020/2021 period, Government passed several Statutory instruments that suspended all taxes on petroleum products that included taxes on ; Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas.

The taxes suspended or waived on petroleum products were Customs Duty-25%, VAT 16% and Excise duty of K2.07 per litre.

This constituted the subsidy registering a loss to the Treasury of $41.4 million revenue per month.

Further, Government spent about $26million a month to absorb price differential arising from exchange rate fluctuations and world oil market prices.

This brought a total of $67.4 million per month spent on fuel subsidy.

CONCLUSION

What I find troubling is the lack of information and explanation on this brewing crisis.

Clearly, we have both fuel shortage and fuel increment looming.

The reinstatement of taxes on petroleum products since January 1st, 2022 requires an official explanation to allay fears and inform citizens of the pending increment.

Government has stated that the loss to the Treasury because of this subsidy was $807million annually.

Government also disclosed that it owes OMCs $507million in payment arrears.

So both Hon. Musokotwane and Hon. Kapala must take time and explain to Zambians about the measures they are implementing which are raising the cost of fuel and electricity that will immediately impact livelihoods of the people.

MY ONLY DAUGHTER HAS NEGLECTED ME

My Daughter, Memory Mubanga Chileshe and I had a typical Mother and Daughter relationship. We both liked cooking and Listening to IIyashi Lya Pano Insonde and Ifyabukaya Radio Drama on ZNBC radio 1. She was not only my daughter but also my best Friend.

My Husband died when Mubanga was 6 years old and in Grade one at Chisengalumbwe Primary School in Lusaka.

I raised and educated my daughter all by myself. I used to sell roasted groundnuts and already cooked beans at Kasaba Tavern in Kabwata so that my daughter could be educated and have a better life.

And after she completed her Grade 12, she started doing a course in Social work at Young Women Christian Association ( YWCA) and after she completed her studies, she got a Job as a counselor at one of the local clinics in Lusaka.
We then moved from Jake compound and started renting a better house in Chilenje, behind Shoprite.

In 2011, my daughter got married to a police officer and the three of us started living in Libala stage 3.

My health started failing me in 2017. I started losing weight, was always thirst and was always fatigued. I also started having blurred vision and frequent urination. I went to the hospital were I was diagnosed with diabetes. I was immediately put on medication.

As Time went by, I started
Wetting my Pants unknowingly.
I would urinate on myself in front of people without feeling it.I would also find my bed wet every morning.The whole thing did not go well with my only child/daughter who started complaining that, her house was smelling of urine and that, i was embarrassing her and that ,I was a nuisance in her home.

Mubanga stopped talking to me, she became unhappy and our relationship fell apart.

As a grown up person, I knew that I was no longer wanted in her house.
I realized everything I did was affecting the people around me,
so i left her house and came to live in village in Mwense

It has been 2 yrs since I came to the village and sadly my daughter has never called to check on me even when she knows that my health is bad. I inject myself with insulin everyday.

I have shared my story hoping it will reach out to my daughter. I just want to tell her that it is sad that she has abandoned me because of my illness. I want to tell her that, I will always love her and she will always have my blessings and I wish her all the best in her marriage and life in general.

ARBITRATION OR COURT SETTLEMENT….THE CHOICE IS YOURS, BUT….

By Dickson Jere

But why go to Arbitration instead of Court? This is a question that was posed to me yesterday. For starters – the law recognises that grown-up people (even companies) can agree by way of contract as to who should resolve their disputes. They can even agree to oust the jurisdiction of the courts and prefer arbitration via an Arbitration Agreement in the contract.

You see, the choice is yours. You can agree to have contract that does not have an Arbitration Clause and allow the Courts in Zambia to have jurisdiction over the dispute. However, it is becoming increasingly attractive in commercial transactions to refer disputes to arbitration.

This is now a worldwide phenomenon. Section 10 of the Arbitration Act of Zambia provides that a matter that is subject to arbitration but filed in the High Court must be stayed and referred to arbitration at the request of any of the parties.

But why Arbitration?

Arbitration is faster unlike the courts of law. But importantly is that arbitration process is done in private and not open to the public unlike court. So the disputes are resolved quietly and only the parties know the outcome – most of the times.

The parties can also agree in advance as to who should be Arbitrators in case of dispute unlike the courts of law where a judge is imposed on the parties. In arbitration, parties can agree to pick an expert in the field of the dispute – like a former banker to arbitrate in a banking dispute. You can agree that the dispute should be dealt with by a single or three Arbitrators. You have a choice in the composition of the Arbitration Panel unlike the court of law.

Where will be Arbitration ?

Again, the parties agree beforehand where arbitration should take place. Whether in Zambia or abroad. You also agree which law should be applicable to the dispute and including the language to be used. The Chinese usually love to insist on Chinese Arbitration with use of Chinese language in case of dispute.

The downside to arbitration is that you pay the Arbitrators unlike courts where judges are paid by the state. Sometimes it can be costly!

The law in Zambia, however, proscribes certain matters from being taken to Arbitration. These include, criminal matters, public policy, issues to do with paternity, maternity or parentage, and matrimonial causes proceedings such as divorce. These are not subject of arbitration even if the parties agree.

RUSSIA FORCES RESTORE ORDER IN KAZAKHSTAN AFTER GOVERNMENT FORCES WHERE OVERRUN BY IT’S OWN CITIZENS.

Russian forces have brought an electronic warfare system that includes small drones equipped with jammers, as well as tracked and wheeled light armored vehicles, with them to Kazakhstan where they are now deployed for what is officially described as a peacekeeping mission. The Collective Security Treaty Organization, a multi-national security bloc in which Russia is the principal member, agreed to send troops to support the embattled regime of Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev after mass protests triggered by a hike in fuel prices turned into open civil unrest yesterday.

Authorities in Kazakhstan have already been engaged in a crackdown on demonstrators, announcing today that they “liquidated” dozens of individuals, a term the meaning of which may have been lost in translation in this context, but that has been widely reported to refer to civilian fatalities. You can get fully caught up on the current situation in the country in The War Zone’s initial reporting here.

The Russian Ministry of Defense released various videos and pictures today showing vehicles and personnel from a mix of airborne and special operations units bound for Kazakhstan loading onto Il-76 and An-124 cargo aircraft at bases in Russia. At least one 6×6 Kamaz truck in a configuration associated with the Leer-3 electronic warfare system, also known as the RB-341V, was seen in this imagery, including the video and pictures seen below.

BMD and BTR-D light tracked armored vehicles, 8×8 BTR-82A light wheeled armored vehicles, and other light armored and tactical vehicles, were among the assets seen being loaded onto cargo planes as part of this deployment to Kazakhstan, which Russia says will involve no more than 5,000 of its troops. Forces from the other four CSTO members Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan – are expected to be part of the final ‘peacekeeping’ contingent, with Belarusian troops already on the ground. The core missions, at least officially, of the CSTO’s force in Kazakhstan will be “to protect important state and military facilities in Kazakhstan and to assist local law enforcement officers in stabilizing the situation,” according to a report from TV Zvezda, the Russian Ministry of Defense’s television station.

The materiel Russia is bringing certainly feels more combat-oriented compared to what one might expect to see deployed for a ‘peacekeeping’ mission in response to civil unrest. The inclusion of the Leer-3 system, which consists of the Kamaz truck and between two and three specially configured Orlan-10 drones, is particularly interesting. The truck serves as the ground control center for these small unmanned aircraft, which carry small electronic warfare jammers.

They are primarily intended to scramble cellphone communications, something that does seem like it would be very useful for a regime looking to break up large-scale demonstrations. This capability would help prevent protestors from coordinating with each other, as well as further prevent them from sending out pictures or videos documenting abuses on the part of government security forces.

Officials in Kazakhstan already hit the country with a major internet blackout yesterday in a clear effort to conceal what was going on as reports of crackdowns in various cities first began to emerge.
Orlan-10 drones also carry full-motion video cameras and, while their range is relatively limited, could be used to help monitor continued protests and otherwise provide improved situational awareness to CSTO commanders.
The imagery from the Russian Ministry of Defense, including the video seen below, also showed another Kamaz truck with a large dish mounted on top of the rear end of the vehicle, which led some to speculate that this was another electronic warfare system. However, this appears to be a mobile command post vehicle carrying a communications suite to support the deployed forces.

AM IN A SITUATION, ABOUT TO GET MARRIED TO A WHITE MAN BUT HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO A BLACK CHILD

Hello admin. Please hide my identity. Am using my friends account. I am in a fix and dont know what to do. Early last year, I started dating a white man. He has been so good to me and has always been there for me.

However, at some point we started having misunderstandings and I ended up finding comfort in another man whilst I was still with the white man. (Don’t judge me) after some weeks my boyfriend (white man) and I reconciled and it was during this time that I started seeing signs of pregnancy.

I was so happy I told him and he too was happy. My relatives ofcourse wanted to see him and charge him. He told me he just wanted to marry me and went home a week after for formal introduction and made it clear to them that his intention was to marry me.

He paid my lobola in full and we moved in together but did not we’d because he said it would be better done after the baby is born and that would also give his relatives more time to secure tickets and visas to come for the wedding and later on move together to his country in the West.

I was so happy and honestly life was good for me. Our wedding was set for March this year as I was due early this month. He travelled late last year back to the USA and is scheduled to come back next week.

I went into labour three days ago and to my shock mwebantu, my baby is BLACK. I do not know what to do. I slept with the man I briefly dated whilst I was with the my now fiance however i was on my pill!!

And I certainly wasn’t aware because I only noticed a week after and that was after I had been with my fiance! I was so sure it was his. I don’t even know what to tell him.. his been video calling wanting to see his son but I have failed to show him.

I told him the baby is too small to be captured on camera, he seems so excited and has bought me alot of stuff and made a video call with his mother and siblings who all can’t wait to see the baby… my world is ending. I am hoping it’s just because his a new baby that his dark am praying he gets white. I know I sound insane but that’s my hope.

I know it’s the other man’s child but what do I? I want the ground to swallow me right now.. and my mother won’t let it slide telling me umusebanya naleta after eating a white man’s money.

I love him so much and dont want to lose him. What do I do?