By McDonald Chipenzi

THE withdrawal of Mr Francis Libanda from the parliamentary race scheduled for January 20, 2022 invokes the provision of Article 52 (6) which guides

Where a candidate dies, resigns [withdraws] or becomes disqualified in accordance with Article 70, 100 or 153 or a court disqualifies a candidate for corruption or malpractice, after the close of nominations and before the election date, the Electoral; Commission shall cancel the election and require the filing of fresh nominations by eligible candidates and elections shall be held within thirty days of the filing of the fresh nominations.

The act by the UPP candidate Francis Libanda to withdraw from the race is very irresponsible and inconveniencing to say the least to the other candidates, political parties and the ECZ.

ECZ is by law, by this mere act by Mr Libanda, calls for fresh nominations and fresh election date.

Therefore, the Kabwata parliamentary by-election has automatically been cancelled by the operation of the law and the new date to hold new nominations and the by-election in Kabwata will have to be set up by the ECZ.

Nonetheless, the ECZ must be cautious in setting another date not to set for a date which is outside the within 90 days required by the Constitution as it will be a breach of the Constitution.

According to Article 57(1), it demands from the ECZ that where a vacancy occurs in the office of Member of
Parliament, a by-election shall be held within ninety days of the occurrence of the vacancy

This means that ECZ must start its counting of the 90 days when parliament announced the vacancy in the Kabwata seat after the demise of late Levy Mkandawire.

Clause 3 mandates the Electoral Commission to among others, by regulation, to set the place where, and the date and time when, a by-election is to be held

Therefore, the nominatons done to candidates carruently campaigning in Kawbata has been invalidated by the withdrawal of Mr Libanda’s candidature.

The candidates and the political parties will have re-adopt the new candidates and those candidates will be made to pay new nomination fees of K15,000 per candidate and mobilise new numbers of supporters for their nominations.

ECZ, if it had already printed ballot papers for the by election, will have to cancelled the order and new ballot papers based on the New nominees will have to be made after the new nominations have been done.

However, this means that the local government by-elections which were sheduled to take place on 20 January, 2022 will have to proceed as scheduled unless one of the candidates decides to resigns or dies or decide as to withdraw or get disqualified by the courts before the January 20, 2022.

This is a very bad development esp after other candidates had already spent in the campaigns and in paying nomination fees.

Mr Libanda has conducted himself irresponsibly to have withdrawn and misbehaved by engaging in the electoral process just to withdraw midway.

It would have been better for him not to have indicated to be in the race and pay the nominations fees and then abruptly withdraws because the Act is costly and immeasurably a display of immaturity on his part.

To this end, constitutional reforms are a must to deal with such unprogressive clauses in the current constitution which comical politicians use to manipulate the process.

McDonald Chipenzi
Executive Director GEARS Initiative

07/01/2022

By Mwenya Mofya,

FORMER Lusaka Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu has urged the UPND government to be steady as it endeavours to restore the rule of law, saying two wrongs do not make a right.

In an interview, Archbishop Mpundu however said the PF should stop being cry babies and instead use the right channels to air out their grievances.

“First of all, two wrongs do not make one right. If someone does something wrong and in order to correct that, someone will do something wrong, it is two wrongs then. Now, part of it is that these PF people are cry babies. They are cry babies.

Why don’t they complain to the star loudly but they are complaining mu mbali (on the side)? No. They should do it. We have been assured, then we can find out why and how this present government is being faithful to what they said,” he explained.

“They said ‘if we are doing anything wrong, tell us’. It is not as [if] they said that it is the church that should be doing that. Now it is the church that is going to be fighting for everybody.

We were fighting for having the right to talk freely and straight. So let them come out in the open and say it and not going to the media, who should speak on their behalf. Certainly they should also not accuse the church of not speaking, no.”

Archbishop Mpundu said the PF had partly contributed to what was happening because their government used state institutions to oppress people.

“We were speaking for the people as the church but the PF were very angry and they isolated some of us and so on and so forth. But now they are crying. They should just come out and speak up and if anything they go to various law agencies where they can demonstrate to see if the present government is going to arrest people who are demonstrating.

Let them be grown ups and let them stop crying and act. They partly contributed to what is going on right now because their government was using state institutions to oppress people,” he said.

“They started it. But that does not justify that if what they say that the present government is doing is wrong, it is because they also did something wrong. Two wrongs do not make a right. They should be steady as they restore the rule of law. The PF should also not sit down and talk around but they should come out in public and speak for themselves not just [being] cry babies.”

Archbishop Mpundu said the PF must consider trying the UPND government by demonstrating to see if they would be arrested for speaking out.

“They should not be cry babies but speak so that they find out whether they are going to be in prison like they were doing with this young man Pilato. He is an artist expressing [the] truth but he was being hounded all the time. So try this government which has promised not to jail anybody who speaks.

Let them try them. Go out there and say this is what you are doing. Of course, they will be told ‘you were doing the same but now why are you crying’? However, two wrongs do not make one right. You are also wrong,” said Archbishop Mpundu.

“It is like one monkey laughing at another monkey when they look at each other’s side. So that is that. Tell them to stop being cry babies and speak out and demonstrate.

During the PF regime, civil rights activists like Laura Miti speaking on behalf of the people were arrested but now they are crying. Let them go and see lawyers and be guided by them to come and say ‘this is wrong and those doing wrongs must also answer before the law’. Period.”

NHIIMA’S LOSS OF K16M CRIMINAL

CIVIL SERVANTS AND ALLIED WORKERS UNION OF ZAMBIA (CSAWUZ)

PRESS STATEMENT BY MR. MAKAI MAKAI THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE CIVIL SERVANTS AND ALLIED WORKERS UNION OF ZAMBIA

FRIDAY 7TH JANUARY, 2022

WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THE ROLE OF THE PRESS IN A DEMOCRACY AND IN PARTICULAR, WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THE NEWS DIGGERS. THE NEWS DIGGERS IN THEIR TUESDAY 4TH JANUARY 2022 EDITION INFORMED THE NATION THAT IN THE AUDITOR GENERAL’S REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS OF PARASTATAL BODIES FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020, IT WAS REVEALED THAT THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (NHIMA) RECORDED WASTEFUL EXPENDITURE IN AMOUNTS TOTALING K16,369,812.

THE PAPER REPORTED THAT THE AUDITOR GENERAL’S REPORT REVEALED THAT NHIMA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTING SYSTEMS AND OTHER INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SOLUTIONS WITHOUT CLEARLY IDENTIFYING USER NEEDS AND COST-EFFECTIVE MEANS OF IMPLEMENTING ICT SERVICES, WHICH RESULTED IN THE NHIMA MOVING FROM ONE SYSTEM TO ANOTHER IN LESS THAN A YEAR. IT WAS REVEALED THAT IN OCTOBER 2019, NHIMA ENGAGED INFRATEL TO INSTALL AND IMPLEMENT AN INFORMATION SYSTEM THAT WAS USED FOR COLLECTION OF MEMBERSHIP COLLECTIONS. IN ADDITION, IN JUNE 2020, LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER USING THE INFRATEL SYSTEM, NHIMA MIGRATED FROM THE INFRATEL SYSTEM AFTER ENGAGING PROBASE LIMITED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY MEMBERSHIP AND CONTRIBUTION PORTAL AT A CONTRACT SUM OF K16,369,812. FURTHERMORE, IN 2020 NHIMA ENGAGED INFRATEL TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES OF WHICH AMOUNTS TOTALING K515,059 WERE PAID.

WHAT IS SO ANNOYING TO US THE UNION IS THAT NHIMA FAILED TO CLEARLY OUTLINE ITS USER REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATIONS BASED ON NHIMA’S NEEDS AND ASSESSMENT OF SEVERAL AVAILABLE SOLUTIONS SO AS TO IDENTIFY THE COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION. ANNOYINGLY, NHIMA HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTING SYSTEMS AND OTHER ICT SOLUTIONS WITHOUT CLEARLY IDENTIFYING USER NEEDS AND COST-EFFECTIVE MEANS OF IMPLEMENTING ICT SERVICES. THIS RESULTED IN THE NHIMA MOVING FROM ONE SYSTEM TO ANOTHER IN LESS THAN A YEAR, IMPLEMENTING SYSTEMS ON TEMPORAL BASIS. AS A RESULT OF SUCH IRRATIONAL MANAGEMENT DECISIONS, NHIMA RECORDED WASTEFUL EXPENDITURE IN AMOUNTS TOTALING K16,369,812.

AS A UNION, WE ARE OFTEN FRUSTRATED BY NHIMA’S REQUIREMENT WHEN CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS NEED TO ACCESS THE SERVICE. YOU TAKE YOUR SICK SPOUSE TO THE HOSPITAL, NHIMA WANTS TO SEE THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE BEFORE ATTENDING TO THE PATIENT. YOU TAKE YOUR CHILD TO THE HOSPITAL NHIMA WANTS THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE BEFORE ATTENDING TO THE PATIENT. IN THE MEAN TIME THEY ARE USELESSLY SPENDING THE MONEY THAT COULD BE USED TO SAVE LIVES ON TEMPORAL ICT SYSTEMS. HONESTLY NHIMA MANAGEMENT IS NOT FAR AWAY FROM MURDERERS. THERE IS SERIOUS NEED FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO CLOSELY LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. YOU MAY SOON LEAN THAT THOSE WHO WERE MAKING THESE WASTEFUL DECISIONS HAVE BUILT MANSIONS FROM THESE TEMPORAL BASIS SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTED AT NHIMA. AS A UNION WE ARE GREATLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE MANAGEMENT AT NHIMA. WHEN WE COMPLAIN THAT WE DON’T KNOW HOW SOME PEOPLE WERE EMPLOYED AT NHIMA BECAUSE WE NEVER SAW ANY ADVERTS ANYWHERE, YOU THINK WE JUST HATE SOME INDIVIDUAL. LOOK AT THE DECISION MAKING AT NHIMA. DO WE REALLY NEED SUCH MANAGEMENT AT NHIMA HONESTLY? WASTING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MEMBERS MEANT TO SERVE LIVES. HONESTLY, SOME PEOPLE JUST NEED TO LEAVE NHIMA.

THANK YOU!

By Dr Fred M’membe

On December 31, 2021, the Minister of Labour, Brenda Tambatamba, signed into law SI 93 of 2021 which repealed SI 106 of 2020. The repeal meant that truck drivers undertaking international trips will now receive K100 per night as subsistence allowance from K390 per night which was enshrined in the repealed SI if the truck has a sleeping cabin.

The new SI has also reduced allowances paid to drivers who undertake international trips with trucks without sleeping cabins from 50 dollars per night to 25 dollars per night.

This is really a government of businessmen, by businessmen for businessmen to increase their profits, their – in a word, to exploit the workers and the poor more thoroughly.

Only a workers party and government can truly protect the workers, the poor and all who toil.

Under this government of businessmen, by businessmen for businessmen benefits to the poor are a by the way – to calm down so that they don’t rebel and stop voting for them – ba misubafye tu batter pakuti mwibemina.

In truth, this is what the trickle down economics being pursued by this government entails. And Pope Francis was very right when he said that the “magic theories” of market capitalism have failed and that the world needs a new type of politics that promotes solidarity.

“The marketplace, by itself, cannot resolve every problem, however much we are asked to believe this dogma of neoliberal faith. Whatever the challenge, this impoverished and repetitive school of thought always offers the same recipes.

This dogma “simply reproduces itself by resorting to the magic theories of ‘spillover’ or ‘trickle’ as the only solution to societal problems,” the pope added.

He went on to say there is “little appreciation of the fact that the alleged ‘spillover’ does not resolve the inequality that gives rise to new forms of violence threatening the fabric of society.” The highest leader of the Catholic Church added that “trust” in the market system has “ceased to exist” as a result of these policies.

“The fragility of world systems in the face of the pandemic has demonstrated that not everything can be resolved by market freedom,” he said.

Trickle-down economic policies traditionally refer to tax breaks and financial assistance for the wealthy and for large corporations. The idea is that any savings will spill over to everyone else in society through investments, spending and more.

The pope called for more proactive economic policies that promote productive diversity and creativity and make it possible for “jobs to be created and not cut.” Ultimately, he said that “human dignity” must be put back at the centre of these policies, rather than financial speculation aimed at creating quick profits.

Workers of Zambia unite under the banner of your own political party – the Socialist Party – and liberate yourselves from yoke capital. What you can’t do for yourselves, nobody will do it for you.

Fred M’membe

Chief Government Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda has said that the government will pay a subsidy for user fees pegged at K600 per learner in all grant-aided schools.

Ms. Kasanda said that the government will also pay K205 for examination fees per grade 12 learner in all aided schools, but engage the education secretaries for all aided schools to agree on a reduced and affordable user fee that they will charge per learner in all aided schools as they apply for their aided status.

Ms Kasanda said that it is the government’s intention that pupils in grant-aided schools access education and learning at no cost, adding that this has started with the initial stage of giving subsidies to grant aided schools so that over time Government can move towards removing user fees in all these schools.

Speaking during a press briefing in Lusaka, Ms Kasanda, who is also the information and media Minister said that while Government is working to put such measures in place, parents and guardians have a choice to take their children to a government school where they will not pay any user fee or take them to a grant-aided school where they will pay a subsidized user fee.

She also said the Government will introduce a bursary scheme for vulnerable learners only regarding boarding fees for secondary school pupils.

Ms. Kasanda noted that the selection of such learners will not be the responsibility of the ministry of education but will be determined at the community level as funds will come from the constituency development fund which will apply to all vulnerable learners from the public and grant-aided schools.

She further stated that learners at secondary boarding schools who are not vulnerable will be required to pay 1-thousand kwacha for boarding fees per term.

And Ms. Kasanda said the Government has increased the traditional school grants twofold to uphold high-quality education standards.

She said the Government has abolished all user fees under the 2022 academic calendar for secondary and early childhood education levels.

Ms. Kasanda said all PTA fees have been abolished from childhood education to secondary schools, and they will be compensated for the loss of Revenue.

ABOUT THE ZAMBIAN JUDICIARY

By Sean Tembo – PeP President

1. To say that we need to reform our judiciary is an understatement. In fact, what we need is a total overhaul of the entire system so that it can better deliver on its mandate. When it comes to the Zambian judiciary, my biggest bone of contention is the slow pace at which it delivers justice. Over the years the criminal justice system at magistrate level has seen some very good improvements, but the same cannot be said at High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court level.

2. In my view, the Zambian judiciary is largely to blame for this country’s underdevelopment over the years, due to its failure to dispense justice on a timely basis thereby making Zambia less attractive as an investment destination. When compared to other jurisdictions in the region, the performance of our judiciary is extremely poor. Imagine, as we speak right now the Supreme Court of Zambia is sitting on appeals that are more than 10 years old such as that involving Mr Aaron Chungu and Mr Faustin Kabwe. How can an appeal take more than 10 years without being determined sure? Where is the justice in that? As a nation, courtesy of President Levy Mwanawasa, we have taken very good care of our men and women in lobes, but the question is; have these men and women really taken care of the country in return? Have they discharged their mandate in return for the really high perks we give them?

3. When you go to the High Court in Lusaka and you look at the multi-million Kwacha Landcruiser VXs parked there for judges, with their chauffeurs standing by and polishing the vehicles the whole day, you would think there is a high powered CEO business conference going on. You wouldn’t think those vehicles belong to judicial officers of one of the poorest countries in the world. At High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Constitutional Court level, our judicial officers there are the most well remunerated and yet they appear to be the most lazy. On the other hand, at Magistrates level, the judicial officers there are very poorly remunerated and yet they deliver justice with amazing efficiency. What a misnomer! Except for constitutional office holders, our judges are the only ones l know of who continue to get as much as 90% of their salary after their retirement, and when they die, their spouse continue to get 50% of the monthly salary until they also die. With such kind of extremely good conditions of service, one would expect our judiciary to be the most productive arm of the state. But no. To the contrary they have, over the years perfected the art of masking their incompetence and laziness with threats of contempt of court, if you question them. But these people get paid taxpayers’ money. Our money. So why shouldn’t we question their poor delivery of justice?

4. In other jurisdictions, an urgent matter is really urgent and if a judge has to be woken up from sleep or pulled out of another siting to consider it, they will. But here in Zambia it does not matter whether you attach a certificate of urgency to your matter at the High Court. It will take more than a week before it is even heard, and in the meantime it would have been superseded by events. And the court would not even be remorseful that it did not hear the matter on time. The judiciary has really made a joke of this country. Indeed, our peers in the region see us as jokers. But where did we really go wrong? As a nation we gave the best of whatever little that we have to our men and women in lobes but have not been repaid. What should we do next about it? Maybe we should revise their conditions of service to those of ordinary civil servants since they have failed to live up to the exceptional conditions of service. Maybe we should withdraw those chauffeured multi million Kwacha Toyota Landcruiser VXs so that they buy their own Toyota Allions and Vitz. Once they start taking their jobs seriously then we can reinstall their perks?

5. But the bigger question is; what has been the impact of the slow delivery of justice by the higher courts? To start with, total chaos across the country. Take for instance the confusion taking place in political parties such as Harry Kalaba’s Democratic Party. This confusion has been on-going for months and chances are that it will not be resolved for the next couple of years, if the MMD, UNIP and NDC confusion examples are anything to go by. As a result of the failure to resolve the DP wrangle which is currently in court, on a timely basis, the DP lost the opportunity to file in a candidate in the Kabwata by-election. That is undermining our democracy. Political dispute cases are supposed to be urgent and should be resolved with finality by the courts within a matter of days or weeks at the most. They should not be allowed to go on and on forever, as the case has been in this country so far. But our judiciary seems to be oblivious to the anarchy that is created by their laziness, incompetence and lack of sense of urgency. But now that we have a new President and a new Chief Justice, should we expect the performance of our judiciary to improve? Or perhaps appeals such as those of Aaron Chungu and Faustin Kabwe will still be taking more than 10 years to be decided upon? Well that remains to be seen, but am not optimistic about it. Our judiciary has indeed developed into a monolith of injustice that is ready to devour anyone who challenges it.

/// END

SET 07.01.2022

Hon. Given Katuta Mwelwa

HOW TO REMAIN POOR:

1. Never wake up early. Keep stretching and turning in bed until you get too hungry to continue dozing. If there are no bedbugs, why hurry to get up?

2. Never plan how to spend your money. Whenever you get money, start spending it right away and when it’s finished, you try to count and recall how you spent it.

3. Don’t think of saving until you have real big money. How can you save when you earn so little? Those telling you to save are not sympathetic to your burning needs.

4. Don’t engage in activities usually reserved for the “uneducated”.
How can you, a graduate, engage in petty trade, network marketing or homebased production? That’s for people who never went to school!

5. Don’t think of starting a business until an angel comes from heaven and gives you capital. How do they expect you to invest before you get millions? Even though more than half the businesses in your town were started with little capital, you as a smart person can only start with millions.

6. Complain about everything except your own attitude and laziness. Blame the system, the government and the banks that refused to lend you money. They are all bad and do not want you to get rich.

7. Spend more than you earn. To achieve this, buy consumer products on credit and keep borrowing from friends and employers.

8. Compete in dressing. Make sure you’re wearing the latest clothes. Intimidate the congregation with your trendy fashions every Sunday.

Whenever your neighbour buys a new phone, you get one that is more expensive.

9. Get yourself a nice second hand car that costs more than three times your yearly salary.

10. Give your children everything they ask for since you’re such a loving parent. They should not struggle for anything because you do not want them to suffer that way, they will grow up lazy and hence poor enough to ensure they can’t help you at old age.

Finally DEPEND on GOVERNMENT and wait for handouts..

Do you want to be prosperous? Look at your habit?

Have a Prosperous 2022

By Sishuwa Sishuwa

Andrew Ejimadu alias Seer 1

The flamboyant Nigerian self-styled prophet Andrew Ejimadu, popularly known as Seer 1, arrived in Zambia around 2010, grew his ministry over the next seven years and became part of the protestant Christian community.

As well as rooting himself in the country’s spiritual fabric, he also began to rub shoulders with the powerful political elites in president Lungu’s Cabinet.

Somehow, he fell out with the authorities, who deported him in April 2017. By that time, however, he had become a Zambian by faith and learnt three things about many of the people he was leaving behind: their gullibility, hypersensitivity to the occult and Christian fundamentalism.

Using South Africa as his base and Facebook as his organising platform, Seer1 held a series of online meetings in which he railed against the then ruling PF. Initially, many saw his antics as motivated by vendetta following his deportation.

As such, in the beginning, his live chats provided the much-needed comical relief in what was a highly polarised and depressing pre-election environment. Things changed in 2021 when Seer 1transformed himself into a well-informed analyst of Zambian politics, mixing the ultra-bizarre (claims that the PF would lose because he had withdrawn the black magic that he gave them to win power in 2015 and 2016) and the sensible (sound understanding and analysis of the country’s geopolitics, economic issues and how Lungu’s failure to tackle corruption made his electoral defeat an inevitable reality). At his peak, his online live rallies would attract as many as 30,000 viewers on a single platform – a feat that no Zambian influencer, artist, or media institution has ever achieved.

Whatever his intentions and motivations, Seer 1, through his persistent rantings against the governing elites, made two significant contributions to Zambians’ struggle to rid themselves of a repressive regime and achieve political change. First, he raised the levels of civic awareness in a population that is prone to clerical mobilisations and where political messages are sometimes more effective when delivered in a religious language.

Second, he exploited Zambians’ deep connection to faith to generate a national psyche of expectation that president Lungu would, regardless of whatever attempts he makes to stay in power, lose the election. In an environment in which the governing party had looked invincible insofar as their removal from office was concerned, the Nigerian prophet presented God as a proud partisan who was set to deliver a miracle: the destruction of the invincible via the ballot!”

Edgar Lungu

After many years of sliding into authoritarianism and acute economic decline, Zambia reclaimed its democracy and set itself on a possible path to economic recovery with the election of Hichilema in August 2021. Ironically, one person who deserves much credit for this change in direction is former president Edgar Lungu. So calamitous was his leadership that he inadvertently united most Zambians to register as voters and oust him via the ballot. Ordinarily, it takes many people and institutions to raise the collective civic consciousness of a population. Thanks to his incompetence, Lungu achieved this task almost single-handedly.

Then, despite all his anti-democratic machinations before the vote, after losing it, he gracefully conceded (though not before negotiating terms with his would-be successor), congratulated the president-elect, and presided over a smooth transition. It is worth noting that Lungu could have challenged Hichilema’s election in the Constitutional Court, an option that is available to any losing presidential candidate. Had he done so, it is not inconceivable that the court, which was widely seen as biased in his favour, would have invented reason to nullify the election of Hichilema. Such a decision may have triggered violent protests and plunged the country into turmoil. Democracy usually thrives on unwritten norms. In many cases, these turn out to be more important than the written rules. Although Lungu’s concession was strictly not necessary, it was crucial to paving the way for a smooth transition and consolidating Zambia’s culture of peaceful transfers of power whenever an incumbent is defeated.

Hakainde Hichilema

Hakainde Hichilema has stood in successive elections since 2006, but it was as if everything he did in the past was preparing him for 2021. At a critical moment, he emerged to carry the aspirations of a generation, serve as a symbol of what is possible, and inspire the hopes of so many millions of Zambians who, overwhelmed with a collective sense of hopelessness, were on the brink. These included the ordinary citizen weighed down by the high cost of living, the common man and woman eking out a living from the street, the impoverished parent who could no longer afford to send their child to school, the student whose living allowance was withdrawn at short notice by the Lungu administration, the restless graduate looking for a formal job, and the withered retiree whose benefits remained unpaid years after serving Zambia so diligently.

Others were the dismissed, dispirited or highly indebted public sector workers including the poorly paid teacher and health worker, the marginalised citizen in rural communities, the urbanite who longed for a return to law and order, the soldier living in deplorable conditions and barracks unrenovated since Kenneth Kaunda’s day, the professional police officer fed up of receiving instructions from the political elites in power, the small-scale entrepreneur whose concerns went unnoticed, the hardworking farmer whose yield went to waste or fetched a price that hardly met the cost of production, and the mineworker who sought a win-win solution to the challenges at Mopani and Konkola Copper Mines.

All these diverse interests and dreams were placed into the custody of Hichilema, an enormous load for one person to bear and which I suspect keeps him awake at night. Will he disappoint or will he deliver? Time will tell. Neighbouring countries scheduled to host elections over the course of the next few years, such as Zimbabwe in 2023, will likely look to Zambia for evidence of the effects of political change.

Source: Sishuwa Sishuwa, Class of 2021: Zambians who inspired last year, News Diggers, 6 January 2022

For immediate release

Lusaka – 6th January, 2022

DON’T DIVERT ATTENTION; ADDRESS THE CRITICAL ISSUES HON. LUBINDA HAS RAISED

The United Party for National Development (UPND) government must stop running away from the critical questions being asked on its failure to keep the head-spinning promises it made to the people of Zambia.

It is embarrassing that the Minister of Information and Media, Chushi Kasanda could issue a statement based on the malicious headlines being published by the UPND’s surrogate media outlets instead of responding to the serious issues that the PF Acting President, Given Lubinda raised in his press statement issued on Tuesday, this week.

We know that the government is under intense pressure to deflate the increasing public anger at the failure by President Hakainde Sammy Hichilema to deliver the promises he made to the people on which he rode into State House.

The issues in Hon. Lubinda’s statement which madam Kasanda and her government must respond to are:

1. President Hakainde Sammy Hichilema used to boast that his government would reduce the price of fuel from K15 to K12 but has increased it from K15 to K21. He has consistently accused the PF government of stealing K3 from every litre of fuel; is he telling us that the UPND Government is stealing the K9 difference following the recent price hike?

2. Why has government allocated K25.7 million to each constituency under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) without providing guidelines on how the money will be utilised?

3. Why is the Government failing to release the CDF money so that vulnerable children can access bursaries, women and youth can access empowerment resources when the 2022 National Budget is in effect?

4. We are disappointed that the K960 million released for the payment of farmers for the maize they sold to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has come so late in the season that the farmers will not be able to utilise it to invest in the 2021/2022 farming season. What is worse is that the amount falls short of paying all the farmers who have waited for so long for their money. Why has Government failed to pay thousands of farmers their money?

5. Since August 2021 the government has not been paying contractors and suppliers, which is having a spiral negative effect on households and the economy generally. Is the Government not aware that their failure to pay government contractors and suppliers is killing businesses and jobs and increasing poverty?

6.The attempt by Minister of Finance, Situmbeko Musokotwane to explain the road construction contract under the public private partnership (PPP) with the Southern African Business Forum, a de-registered South Africa based non-governmental organisation with no track record in construction does not make sense for the following reasons:
(a) When the PF government engaged in discussions with the NGO it was about human settlements and not construction of roads as alleged by the UPND Government.

(b) It is practically impossible for Government to recover the colossal amount of US$3.7 billion in 25 years as it will require a minimum of 13,000 trucks and paying a minimum of K500 toll fee per truck per day using these roads per for the Government to recover the money; this is simply not possible.

7.The K324 million released as the first quarter funding for public schools aimed at implementing the much talked about free education is too little to make any impact as it translates into K30,000 per school, which means K10,000 per school per month. Even if we were to follow their own calculations, the grant given to schools is K600 per student per year. This is a joke. This action by the UPND government is compromising the quality of education as the money allocated to schools is extremely insufficient.

These are the issues the UPND government must respond to instead of falling for the falsehoods of the yellow media.

The Patriotic Front (PF) party is disappointed with the yellow journalism being practised by some media houses to appease the UPND government by deliberately misinterpreting facts to suit their agenda.

Yellow journalism or yellow press refers to journalists and newspapers that throw to the wind legitimate, well-researched news while instead publishing misleading eye-catching headlines to increase sales.

In the case of Zambia, the deliberately misleading headlines are meant to appease the government and instigate hatred against the PF, which will not work.

It’s laughable that some media outlets could sink as low as to report that the PF admitted that it used to steal K3 from every litre of fuel when it was clear that Hon. Lubinda was using question and answer rhetoric to expose the lies by the UPND that fuel was expensive because according to them, PF was stealing a K3 per litre from each purchase of fuel.

The vice president used a rhetorical statement/question to draw attention to the harsh effects of the recent increase in the pump price of fuel. It was not a confession or admission of any wrong doing because the claim by UPND is nothing but lies. He was simply saying if the United Party for National Development (UPND) is saying that we were stealing K3 from every litre of fuel when we were in power does it mean it is also stealing the K9 difference?

Issued by:
Edwin Lifwekelo
PF Deputy Media Director

We are confident of retaining the vacant Kabwata Constituency Parliamentary seat in the forthcoming by-elections, UPND Lusaka Province Chairperson, obvious Mwaliteta has charged.

Addressing the Media at the UPND Lusaka District offices in Libala this morning, Mwaliteta stressed that it was gratifying to note that the message of hope from the ruling party had sat well with the people of Kabwata.

He was in the company of senior party officials including NMC Trustee, Grace Chivube, Lusaka District Chairperson, Savious Ndaba and Kabwata Constituency Chairperson, Isaac Sulwe, among others.

And Mwaliteta says the recent rantings and unfounded accusations notably by PF Acting President, Given Lubinda and other opposition figures against the Head of State was a sign that President Hichilema valued upholding democratic tenets such as freedom of speech and the Press.

Mwaliteta says he was happy for the overwhelming support that the ruling party was receiving from the people of Kabwata in the on-going parliamentary campaigns for that area.

Mwaliteta said the fulfilled campaign promises such as free education, disbursement of Equalization Fund to all the 116 districts, payment of retirees benefits and planned employment of 30, 000 teachers and 11, 000 health workers should motivate the people of Kabwata to elect UPND’s Andrew Tayengwa in the forthcoming by-election.

So far, the campaigns have been incident-free with all participating political parties conducting their campaigning without interference from either the ruling party or the Police.

Kabwata Constituency residents will on 20th of this month go to the polls to elect their area MP.

Mr Mkandawire met his fate on 18th November, 2021 when a BMW X5 registration number ALM 5955 which was being driven by Jane Mwale lost control and rammed into his stationary Toyota IST registration number ALX 2038 which then squeezed him against the perimeter of his wall fence, leading to the seat falling vacant.

The people of Kabwata are poised to benefit from a number of developmental projects that are being rolled out by the New Dawn administration especially with the hefty CDF allocation totalling K25.7 million which will help in alleviating poverty and other economic challenges facing the locals in the area.

Emmanuel Mwamba
A GOVERNMENT FOR THE RICH

“Government reduces subsistence allowances for a category of truck drivers from K390 per night to K100”

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Government has reduced subsistence allowances for a category of truck drivers from K390 per night to K100 per night.

Since 2020, truck drivers have been receiving K390 per night for local trips and $25 per night for international trips.

However, an amendment carried by Statutory No.93 of 2021 issued on 31st December 2021 made to the Minimum Wages and Conditions of Employment (Trucks and Bus Drivers) Amendment Order, 2021 has introduced categories.

Truck drivers driving a truck without a sleeping cabin will now receive K300.00 per night while the SI has introduced to the employer to pay K100 per night to the driver with a truck with a sleeping cabin.

This measure alone has disadvantaged a huge number of truck drivers who until now have been receiving the paltry K390 per night but to be greeted with a reduction of K300 per night and K100 in the new year.

And for truck drivers, they actually were expecting an increment of subsistence allowance from K300 to K600.

This measure to introduce categories is designed to favour truck owners who have sought measures to reduce the cost of running the haulage business.

Those with trucks with sleeping cabins contend that they should pay less to their drivers.

In 2020, Government set minimum wages for truck drivers at K3,000 per month and K2,200 per month for bus drivers.

The drivers fall in the category of protected workers.

The truck drivers also receive risk allowance of 8cents per Kilometre for international trips and 80 ngwee for per Kilometre for local trips.

GOVERNMENT FOR THE RICH

This Government has shown keeness to favour employers than employees.

In the 2022 National Budget, Government has reduced Corporate Tax from 35% to 30%.

It has also given tax concessions to the mining sector that favour mine owners.

It has also given tax concessions to those manufacturing, running or setting up ceramic tiles plants.

Despite the rise in cost of living, and general rise in food and transport prices,the worker has not received relief but suffered the brunt of the economic crisis.

Recently, civil servants received a salary increment of 12% while inflation rate is at over 19%.

Economist and Researcher Lubinda Haabazoka has called for a national indaba to discuss the unbundling of ZESCO Limited and INDENI Petroleum if reports going round about their purported unbundling is true.

Dr. Haabazoka said that such moves need national consensus before they are taken because the country and its people need to be well informed about the possible benefits and repercussions.

In a statement obtained by Q-News, Dr Habazooka recalled that the unbundling and privatization of ZCCM some years back has seen Zambia lose grip over its mineral resources.

Dr Habazooka said that the unbundling of INDENI will give Oil Marketing Companies an upper hand in the importation of finished stock and the government will be held at ransom with no room to maneuver around.

Dr. Habazooka said that the unbundling of ZESCO will produce duplicate positions with different people performing the same roles, hence a recipe for confusion.

Meanwhile, a Business and political Analyst, Francis Chipili, has said that the unbundling of ZESCO is most likely to hurt ordinary people and will further slow down the nationwide electrification.

Mr. Chipili said that Zambia doesn’t have the infrastructure to separate the operations of ZESCO as some parts of the country are way far away from the national grid infrastructure, adding that ZESCO is a strategic national asset whose unbundling must never be done in a hurry just to appease the IMF and or other interested imperialists.

Mr. Chipili argued that the larger part of Zambia has no ZESCO and or other hydropower infrastructure connectivity, meaning that the majority of the private sector that would be interested in acquiring commercial rights from ZESCO business units will be centered on those which are actually commercially viable, thereby disadvantaging the rural and far away places.

Mr. Chipili said that the country needs a Zambia that is 100 percent connected to the national grid infrastructure and that one of the reasons the agricultural settlement concept has not worked is the lack of electricity and good roads network.

The IDC released the following statement regarding on ZESCO

IDC ANNOUNCEMENT ON ZESCO

The Industrial Development Corporation has announced plans to restructure state power utility ZESCO.

Through a tender published in the Daily Mail of Tuesday, January 4th 2022, the IDC wants to engage a Consultant who will undertake financial and operational restructuring of ZESCO.

The IDC says the Consulant should also assess the possibility of segregating ZESCO’s main divisions such as generation, transmission and distribution into separate units.

IDC stated that the splitting of ZESCO should not only provide financial relief by disposing off loss making assets but will also enhance control of ZESCO’s efficiencies.

IDC also wants the Consultancy to improve ZESCO’s credit worthiness through a review of the current and contingency debts with a view to restructuring the outstanding debts as well as formulate loans restructuring plans and strategies.

The Consultant is also expected to provide plans on financial turn around of ZESCO and return the company to profitability through the review of all income streams, operating costs and expenses and balance sheet.

Bids for the consultancy should be sent through to the IDC not later than 28th January 2022.

Rev. Walter Mwambazi
Unreserved Apologies for Post That Took a Swipe at Mutale Mwanza over the Verbal Sparring Match with Esther Chungu

Over the last couple of days, most are aware that we have had an ongoing trending topic around these two ladies. Whilst I recognize this as very clever PR and marketing for entertainment purposes by the producers of the show (according to the motto “all publicity is good publicity”), the cleverly edited promo achieved what it wanted… a social media storm.

Unfortunately, I also got carried away and posted a status by my colleague in which Mutale was referred to by a not-so-endearing character in the Bible.

Now, here is why I apologize…

God has been speaking to me these last two days and today was the icing on the cake. One scripture specifically leapt out to me this morning…

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

My sister Mutale isn’t perfect, neither is Esther or even myself. And further, if we are to be ambassadors of Christ, we must put on love especially to those outside the household of faith.

It is on record that I have reached out to her at a time when she was going through a great challenge in her life. And we do get along. So, even as I apologize publicly, I have also reached out to her privately.

I believe ours is indeed to demonstrate the love of Christ in our works, especially in the marketplace. And this calls that we rise above our carnality which would include outbursts of wrath and anger, indignation and contentions.

As for whether Esther should leave the show – in the words of Dr Elias Munshya (Bakwetu) – we ought to be careful that we do not propagate the “evangelical theology of arrogance” which unfortunately without realizing we actually do.

In short she should remain in her assignment until such a time when the Lord (our Lord) leads her elsewhere. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her being on that platform. Her husband has been utilizing market place platforms very well and continues to be a great ambassador of the Master (and his colleagues Abel Chungu Musuka and Magg 44)

This arrogance is dangerous. No wonder many label us “judges”.

I wont speak much about judging because unlike what popular opinion may state, we all judge all the time and are right in doing so. Do not mix it with Jesus’ statement in Matthew “judge not, lest yea be judged”.

Meantime, I shall continue to pray for all who have been offended and also extend my hand to ask for forgiveness from all who got hurt.

The Christian thing to do here is “forgive one another” and let love lead.

Blessings!

Rev Walter Mwambazi
Thought Transformation and Cognitive Enhancement Coach

Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, Paul Kabuswe has said that the UPND Government will find a competent investor, to take over Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) on the Copperbelt once the liquidation process of the mine comes to an end.

Addressing KCM workers, who wrote a petition to President Hakainde Hichilema, Mr. Kabuswe said consultations are underway on which investor will take over the mining giant.

The Mines Minister said Government is aware of the operational challenges that resulted in ruining the welfare of thousands of workers and their families.

He added that the new Dawn government will not subject Zambians to suffer once a new investor takes over KCM.

Mr. KABUSWE assured KCM workers that Government will address their problems starting with the issue of salary increments.
Meanwhile, some KCM workers who took turns complaining to the Mines Minister about their problems appealed to Government to immediately conclude the liquidation process of KCM.

Jeremiah Konkola told the Minister that the liquidation process of KCM has taken too long to be completed.

Mr. Konkola said under the liquidation of KCM, workers have not had a pay rise adding that their salaries are not sufficient to meet their family needs.

Another employee, Sudden Chembe expressed confidence that the UPND Government will soon find an investor who will take over KCM.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kabuswe has urged mining companies to invest more in their operations and unlock the potential of their sites in the wake of favourable policies under the new dawn administration.

Mr. Kabuswe says mining companies in the country should step up mining activities and ramp up production.
The Minister says this is in tandem with the United Party for National Development -UPND’s aspirations to produce 3-million tonnes of copper in ten years.

Mr. Kabuswe who is also Chililabombwe Member of Parliament said this during a tour of Lubambe Copper Mines where he also met with management and staff of the mining firm.

He explained that ramping up production will help the country to earn more revenue which is critical to supporting the economy and communities.

Mr. Kabuswe has also urged mining companies to step up efforts to support the communities they operate in for residents to benefit from the mineral wealth.

He said government will continue supporting the mines for the benefit of Zambians.

Mr. Kabuswe urged management at Lubambe to help build housing units in Chililabombwe to stop the trend of ferrying workers to and from other nearby districts where they live.

The minister later held a meeting with workers who are concerned about short term contracts from some contractors, as well as disparities in salaries.

And in response, Mr. Kabuswe said government will resolve the issue of contracts with the contractors and urged management to harmonise salaries for Zambians and expatriates.

And Lubambe Mine Chief Executive Officer, Tim Duffy thanked Mr. Kabuswe for the advice and counsel.

Mr. Duffy said management is encouraged by the new dawn administration’s accessibility which he described as refreshing.

UPND IS RETAINING KABWATA, CHARGES MWALITETA

Lusaka
Wednesday, 5th January, 2022.

We are confident of retaining the vacant Kabwata Constituency Parliamentary seat in the forthcoming by-elections, UPND Lusaka Province Chairperson, obvious Mwaliteta has charged.

Addressing the Media at the UPND Lusaka District offices in Libala this morning, Mwaliteta stressed that it was gratifying to note that the message of hope from the ruling party had sat well with the people of Kabwata.

He was in the company of senior party officials including NMC Trustee, Grace Chivube, Lusaka District Chairperson, Savious Ndaba and Kabwata Constituency Chairperson, Isaac Sulwe, among others.

And Mwaliteta says the recent rantings and unfounded accusations notably by PF Acting President, Given Lubinda and other opposition figures against the Head of State was a sign that President Hichilema valued upholding democratic tenets such as freedom of speech and the Press.

Mwaliteta says he was happy for the overwhelming support that the ruling party was receiving from the people of Kabwata in the on-going parliamentary campaigns for that area.

Mwaliteta said the fulfilled campaign promises such as free education, disbursement of Equalization Fund to all the 116 districts, payment of retirees benefits and planned employment of 30, 000 teachers and 11, 000 health workers should motivate the people of Kabwata to elect UPND’s Andrew Tayengwa in the forthcoming by-election.

So far, the campaigns have been incident-free with all participating political parties conducting their campaigning without interference from either the ruling party or the Police.

Kabwata Constituency residents will on 20th of this month go to the polls to elect their area MP.

Mr Mkandawire met his fate on 18th November, 2021 when a BMW X5 registration number ALM 5955 which was being driven by Jane Mwale lost control and rammed into his stationary Toyota IST registration number ALX 2038 which then squeezed him against the perimeter of his wall fence, leading to the seat falling vacant.

The people of Kabwata are poised to benefit from a number of developmental projects that are being rolled out by the New Dawn administration especially with the hefty CDF allocation totalling K25.7 million which will help in alleviating poverty and other economic challenges facing the locals in the area- Munati Television

By Charles Tembo

FINANCE minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says all the workers at Indeni Petroleum Refinery will be paid their money once the transition period of the company is put in place.

And energy minister Peter Kapala says te government has not neglected the workers at Indeni.

Meanwhile, chief government spokesperson Chushi Kasanda said misinformation about Indeni had caused a lot of panic.

Last year, the government placed Indeni on care and maintenance.

The trio addressed workers at Indeni in Ndola yesterday.

Dr Musokotwane said the government could not send people on the street without paying them.

“As government we have heard. And in few months as possible, we will pay all the workers. Once the Ministry of Energy and the board tell us that they are ready, we will then pay the workers,” said Dr Musokotwane. “We are sent by the President that we will settle all the money to the workers. Everyone will be paid. We can’t send people on the streets without pay. Money will be given to you. I can assure you with my mouth, my ears, that you will be paid. This is a government where we don’t want to tell you lies, you will be paid.”

Earlier, at the office of Copperbelt minister Elisha Matambo, Kapala said Indeni would take a different route.

“Our mission is to come and formerly know what government will do with Indeni and to also hear from Indeni what proposals they have to make it viable once again. The position of government is that Indeni will take a different route from what it is and I’m sure that once we meet with Indeni, then we go together,” he said. “I have been joined by the Minister of Finance to explain the issues of redundancy. Whether people will be paid off immediately or they will stay on because it will be a new mode. People will be transitioned from where they are to what we will make.”

Kapala said the government had taken the interest of the people so seriously over Indeni.

“This will be done very soon. So people should not be concerned that government is not taking their interests. That is why we are here. This visit will remove all the doubts that people have about Indeni,” said Kapala.

And Kasanda said no worker would lose employment at Indeni.

“I think the issue of misinformation is what has caused panic among the workers. So, I want to assure you that the workers are safe as no one will lose their employment,” said Kasanda.
Earlier, Indeni managing director David Lungu said the situation at the company was not certain from the time it was placed on care and maintenance.

Lungu said workers did not know what the implication of care and maintenance was all about.

“The situation is not certain of the forms of care and maintenance. We don’t know what this is all about. We need to move on. What are we going to do under care and maintenance with the skills we have here?” asked Lungu.

For his part, Matambo said the transition should not be resisted.

Meanwhile, Bwana Mkubwa Independent member of parliament Warren Mwambazi said he was happy that the government had not sold Indeni.

“The livelihood is based on this company. Indeni has not been sold and today we have the right position. I will ensure that our people are taken care of first,” said Mwambazi.

By Pamela Bwembya

WHY DOES PF WANT TO COME BACK SO EARLY?

I listened attentively as grandpa read out a portion from his favorite newspaper loudly;
““Differences are a fact of life; but it is the management of those differences that distinguishes the disciplined from the undisciplined; the reasonable from the unreasonable; the wheat from the chaff. Universities are after all founded on reason and academic excellence. We therefore appeal to University and Tertiary education students to think twice before they resort to wanton destruction of property.”

“Grandpa, why was Hakainde addressing the students like that when there has neither been a record of destructive behavior from students nor fatal confrontation between police and students anywhere under the New Dawn government?” I asked.
“No dear! That was Davis Mwila, SG of the Patriotic Front on the 10th of April in 2019,” he replied.
“The beginning of the quote misled me into thinking the words came from someone that fully appreciated discipline,” I replied.

I remembered how this same man challenged his party members in Kabwe to grab most of the land made available by local authorities. The words “Mulefwaya nkamiletele commando” rang clearly in my head.
“I am convinced that if this same portion was read out by our current president, a well known former ambassador would waste little time to analyze each line and expose the apparent untruths in it. I can imagine the overzealous man telling us how violence is inevitable when the ruled feel uncared for. Examples would fly with names of forgotten pre-independence freedom fighters filling the air,” I said.

The PF in opposition are like a fly that will irritating buzz around even when the food in your hand is fresh and unimaginably delicious. These guys think all Zambians are idiots. The recent twists and turns on the Resettlement Infrastructure Investment and Enterprise Support (ARIISE) programme that was signed by Vice President Inonge Wina a day before losing power prove the point.

Grandpa had continued reading but something seemed to tell him my mind was in wonderland. Whatever it was, was not far from the truth because my mind kept on regurgitating some lines from the article and chewing them again like cud. The lines that followed grabbed my attention;
“It is for this reason that the vision of the Ministry of Education under the PF government is geared to provide Quality, Lifelong Education for all which is Accessible, Inclusive and Relevant to Individual, National and Global Needs value Systems. In achieving this aspiration, the PF government has taken practical steps to make education affordable to all eligible learners by reducing or completely doing away with school fees that were identified as one of the barriers to accessing education at various levels. A listening PF government is ‘minimising’ the cost of education for parents and guardians towards the education of their children,” grandpa read on with a smile.
The word ‘minimising’ had been possibly left that way by a cocky News Diggers editor to emphasize the audio nuances expected from the PF SG.

The smile that lingered on grandpa’s expressive face was a product of an earlier debate on the differences between the former PF government and the New Dawn government. What grandpa had just read clearly cemented his position. It became clear to me that governments always inherit the same civil service. That is precisely why the civil service is expected to be apolitical.

It is clear to me that the technocrats that pushed the PF to reduce school fees were still in their offices and calling for a well-researched topic of the benefits of free education for all. The 2011 article by Alice Mapenzi Kubo on the abolition of school fees in Africa is a perfect example.

PF introduced a terrible culture of placing their political cadres in strategic positions as required by the PF manifesto. It is surprising that the current government is expected to maintain such chaps when the UPND manifesto does not openly take that line.

I find it interesting to see the PF try hard to convince the majority of Zambians that we made a mistake by voting for their proven nemesis. PF had a chance to do what the current government is doing. They arbitrarily reduced school fees and proceeded to starve learning institutions of funding. They padded almost all known public contracts with all sorts of extras so that it will be practically impossible for the many that labor to count beyond one ‘sousand’ to take stock of what was being pocketed. That is the difference!

The PF government had a chance to pay farmers, release the small amounts of CDF to constituencies, pay a number of retirees, or even scrap off school fees totally BEFORE THE LAST ELECTIONS, and yet they failed miserably. I am not sure what to attribute those failures to. Could it be that various big guys were responsible from stealing from specific sectors of our economy in an arrangement that saw some ministers end up with exotic animals on their newly acquired properties?

I totally agree with Davis Mwila. “Differences are a fact of life; but it is the management of those differences that distinguishes the disciplined from the undisciplined; the reasonable from the unreasonable; the wheat from the chaff”.

I hope the people of Kabwata are smart enough to understand that every ngwee collected by the new government is finding its way to the treasury and is shortly afterwards coming out as the unbelievable releases of money towards various sectors of our economy. Hakainde and his team are not using their personal money to pay farmers, schools, retirees, and councils timely. They are using the same money that was previously available to a PF-led government. Of course over ten years, that money made the then president, his family, his ministers, influential political cadres, and compromised civil servants become rich enough to settle our national debt if they so wished.

People of Kabwata, when Clement Tembo asks you what needs to be done urgently in your area, tell him there is still some smelly garbage that needs to be either buried or recycled into something useful. The Patriotic front must be buried or transformed into something useful to all of us.

When I gathered myself to the present, I looked at the old man and his old paper and wondered how both survived the PF era. JUST WHY DOES THE PF WANT TO COME BACK?

PB …always in national interest.

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

PRIVATISATION PART II UNDERWAY

“ZESCO on the immediate Cards”

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Minister of Finance and National Planning Hon.Situmbeko Musokotwane accompanied by Energy Minister, Hon. Peter Kapala and Minister of Information and Media, Hon.Chushi Kasanda were in Ndola City to deliver the sombre news to the 327 Indeni Petroleum Refinery workers.

They will be declared redundant but will be promptly paid.

After the separation package is paid, some workers may be redeployed.

INDENI is being placed on the market for sale ( the term being used, like in the 1990s is; “to be restructured).

INDENI Petroluem Refinery is a national strategic industry constructed in 1973.

Crude oil or feedstock for the Refinery comes through Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and is delivered to the refinery through another national strategic asset, the 1,704 kilometres Tazama Pipeline.

Over the years, the Refinery has been modernized and expanded with five plants which comprises five main processing units:Topping, Hydrotreater, Reforming, Vacuum and Asphalt.

However, the refinery requires about $500million investment to make it into a fully-fledged refinery.

INDENI has not been operational since 2019 for various reasons including intricate forces of the cartel in the fuel sub-sector that benefit from importation of finished products.

ZESCO TARGETED

The Industrial Development Corporation( IDC) has announced plans to restructure one of Africa’s biggest utility power company- ZESCO.

The IDC has published a tender in newspapers including the Daily Mail of Tuesday, January 4th 2022.

In the advert, the IDC wants to engage a Consultant who will undertake financial and operational restructuring of ZESCO.

The IDC says the Consultant should also assess the proposal to unbundle ZESCO’s main divisions such as Generation, Transmission, distribution, and Retail into separate units.

ZESCO limited is an $11billion company and has recently scaled up its power generation capacity after investments in new power plants that have come online including Kafue Lower Gorge and Itezhi Itezhi.

It is a vertically integrated electricity utility, which generates, transmits, distributes and supplies electricity.

ZESCO’S TROUBLES

ZESCO limited has been.plaqued by poor management and regular political interference.

The Utility’s debts have reached $3.5bn ( Kafue Gorge Lower alone is $2.1billion) due to a combination of rising liabilities to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), long-running disputes with mining firms and the exchange rate fluctuations.

Of deep concern is the poorly structured contracts with Independent Power Producers which costs the company about $40million a month.

The private investments in the energy sector is shouldered by ZESCO which underpins long-term commitments, some lasting decades, to buy fixed amounts of power at dollar-denominated prices set via power purchase agreements (PPAs) with it.

This is because power is bought at high price while sold to consumers at far lower costs.

To meet the rising debt from IPP, Government has announced that it will increase the price of electricity to be cost reflective.

IMF/WORLD BANK THE PUPPETEER

The World Bank has called for the corporatisation and commercialisation of utilities such as ZESCO.

In the case of ZESCO, the World Bank recommends the unbundling of the different services elements (generation, transmission, distribution and retail supply) and the introduction of energy sector reforms that invite entry of the private sector, alongside the creation of independent regulators.

Zambia has done some of these reforms including the creation of the Energy Regulation Board and has allowed Independent Power Producers.

IMF DEAL, AND ECONOMIC REFORMS

On 3rd December 2021, the IMF announced that it had reached a staff-level agreement with the Zambian authorities on a new arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) for 2022-2025 in the amount of about $1.4 billion.

Before the IMF Board approval, Zambia committed to implement “bold and ambitious economic reforms” to address the severe economic and social challenges facing the country.

The terms and conditions of the “bold and ambitious economic reforms” have not been disclosed or made public to Zambians.

As in the 1990s, the IMF would not tolerate loss making state-owned entities subsisting from the Treasury.

Further as seen in the past, the IMF pushes liberal and free market principles and reforms that they are determined sees an economy run by the private sector.

There are no sacred cows, whether the industries are deemed strategic national assets, or key to the energy security of the country.

Although sovereign states may not implement the text book economic recommendations, the UPND Government being a social liberal party, may find nothing sinister about this direction.

CONCLUSION

Although the Government of President Hakainde Hichilema has been given a five-year mandate, that mandate didn’t include the privatisation policy.

Privatisation is the transfer of a business, industry, or service from public to private ownership and control.

It is imperative that a National Indaba gathering key stakeholders is held to atleast obtain consensus on these key national decisions that are being made for the lifetime of the country.

I have always argued that if our long-term national documents such as development and vision plans were done in a broad consultative manner, our country would enjoy policy stability as there would be no need to shift or make radical policy changes everytime we have a new government.

By KETRA KALUNGA

ONLY cabinet can decide whether or not the assets of former President Frederick Chiluba can be given back to his family because the matter was already by the courts, says Justice Minister, Malambo Haimbe.

Mr Haimbe said whether or not the government should consider the plea made by the Chiluba family to have the forfeited assets given back is a decision that should be made by the full cabinet.

Mr. Haimbe was responding to increased calls for the government to consider the plea from Dr. Chiluba’s family to have his assets given back to them.

He however said, Zambians should respect the decision of the court regarding the forfeiting of assets for the former President to the government.

Mr. Haimbe said in an interview that the court made its decision in line with the provisions of the law and that should be respected.

That not withstanding, he said, “Giving back the assets to the family of late President Chiluba is a decision that should be made by the high office but in my view, the law should be respected because this is the matter that has been before the courts.”

And Mr. Haimbe defended the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on concerns from the public that they delayed concluding the case that started in 2002.

He said it is normal for cases that are before the courts of law to take a long time to be concluded, therefore people should be patient if they see justice prevail.

“There is an adage that justice rushed is justice destroyed so people should be patient, cases take long and should not be rushed,” Mr. Haimbe said.

Dr. Chiluba’s children Darlington and Kaindu who are part of the administrators of the estate have said the move by the state was unfair and underhand because their father claimed the property while the state appealed to grab his property after he died.

They revealed that the ACC waited until Dr. Chiluba died before commencing legal proceedings on account that he had not claimed the property in good time, therefore, creating an impression that the property was acquired through proceeds of crime, when this was not the case.- Daily Nation

CONSTITUTION NOT CLEAR ON NULLIFIED ELECTIONS PENDING APPEAL, SUBMITS ATTORNEY GENERAL

By Mwaka Ndawa

ATTORNEY General Mulilo Kabesha has observed that the Constitution in its entirety has missing parts, as Article 72 is silent on cases where the High Court nullifies an election and there is no appeal pending before the Constitutional Court.

Kabesha says the Constitution has not clearly or indirectly authorised a person whose election has been nullified by the High Court to hold on to the seat pending determination of their appeal against the court’s decision.
This is according to the State’s list of authorities and skeleton arguments.

In this matter, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has asked the Constitutional Court to interpret provisions of the Constitution which Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti used to stop nine PF MPs whose election was declared invalid by the High Court from attending parliament proceedings.

The Attorney General said the nine former PF members of parliament did not obtain a stay of execution of the High Court’s judgement to declare their election void.

He said Speaker Mutti was lenient on them by not invoking Article 72(😎 of the Constitution declaring their seats vacant, but instead she directed them not to attend parliamentary sittings and draw allowances until their appeals were determined by the Constitutional Court.

“It is our submission that article 72 of the Constitution is the only provision that speaks to instances when a parliamentary seat can be declared vacant and none of the permissible provisions include the curious and topical case where the High Court has nullified an election of an MP pursuant to Article 73(1) and (2) of the Constitution,” Kabesha said. “We therefore note that there is a lacuna in the entire Constitution in general, and article 72 in particular is very silent in instances when the High Court nullified an election, particularly where there is no appeal pending before the Constitutional Court.”

Kabesha said in line with Article 73(4) of the Constitution a member of parliament could only hold on to the seat when their election was petitioned and awaiting determination.

“We submit that the privilege to holding a parliamentary seat comes to an end when the High Court has nullified the election of a member of parliament. More so, the law is the same even where there is an appeal lodged in the Constitutional Court given that the High Court judgement takes effect immediately after pronouncement unless and until it is stayed by the court itself or the Constitutional Court,” he said.

“The combined effect of Article 72(2) (H), article 72 (😎 and articles 73(4) of the Constitution, Section 108(4) of the Electoral Process Act and order XI Rule 7 of the Constitutional Court Rules SI No. 37 of 2016 entails that the members of parliament who have had their seats nullified by the High Court, can neither continue to sit in the National Assembly nor continue attending sittings since their election has been nullified by court of competent jurisdiction.”

He indicated that it was the duty of Lunte member of parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya and his colleagues to obtain a stay of the High Court judgements nullifying their election, failure to which Speaker Mutti had the right to declare their seats vacant under Section 108(4) of the Electoral Process Act.
“This places an urgent burden on the affected MPs to apply for a stay of the impugned judgements in default of which the Speaker is at liberty to invoke section 108(4) of the Electoral Process Act to declare the seats vacant.

Luckily for the affected MPs, this she did not do,” submitted Kabesha.
The State suggested that LAZ should have either joined the case in which Governance Elections Advocacy Research Services (GEARS) Initiative Zambia has petitioned Bowman Lusambo and eight others for impersonating as members of parliament, or requested that the two matters be consolidated.

It expressed concerned that there were several court cases relating to the same matter and that there was a danger of having conflicting judgements on the matter

Workers at Indeni Petroleum Refinery Plant in Ndola were on Tuesday left fuming after Energy Minister Peter Kapala failed to state a specific period in which the firm will be restructured after the Government placed it on care and maintenance late last year.

All workers at Indeni who include 327 permanent ones will be declared redundant and asked to reapply when the petroleum firm is restructured by the Government with the aim of making it more viable.

Mr. Kapala, who was accompanied by Finance Minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, Information Minister Chushi Kasanda and Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo, on Tuesday, addressed Indeni workers at the plant to officially inform them over the planned restructuring.

During the question and answer session of the meeting, Indeni workers continuously interjected Mr. Kapala when he said it is not possible to predict how long the transition of Indeni will last.

“We want to know what is going to happen to us during the transition period because we know that Indeni has no money at the moment. We also want to know when the transformation process will end. We are anxious as Indeni workers,” one employee said.

“They have come all the way from Lusaka with this huge delegation to come and tell us nothing. We are actually more confused than before because the ministers have not said anything new regarding Indeni. The other issue is that when they declare the 327 permanent workers redundant, how many from the 327 will be retained under the new structure,” a worker was heard passing comments after the meeting.

In his remarks, Mr. Kapala confirmed that at Indeni workers who include 327 permanent ones will be declared redundant and asked to reapply when the firm is restructured.

He said under the proposed new structure Indeni will stop petroleum refinery business and start operating like an oil marketing company.

Mr. Kapala said the Government has come up with a plan of making Indeni Petroleum Refinery in Ndola more viable after placing it on care and maintenance.

The Energy Minister said the transformation of Indeni will start with the appointment of a new board in the next two weeks.

“Our mission is to come and formally propose what the Government wants to do with Indeni as a way forward. Also come to learn from Indeni if they can get some tangible proposals to make Indeni viable once again. The Government’s position is that Indeni will take a difference mode from what it is,” Mr. Kapala said.

“I have been accompanied by the Minister of Finance because there is this issue of redundancy money; whether people will be paid off immediately or whether people will stay on and things like that. Because it will be a new mode so people will be.. I don’t want to use the word declared redundant, there will be a transition from where they are to what we are going to do and this should happen quite soon so people should not be very concerned that the Government is not taking their interest. We are very much concerned that’s why we came and I hope today’s visit will iron out all the doubts that are hanging over Indeni,” he said.

Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says the Government will pay all the 327 workers at Indeni Petroleum Refinery in Ndola when they are declared redundant.

Dr. Musokotwane said money is available to give Indeni workers during the transition period as the Government transforms the refinery into a more viable entity.

The Finance Minister assured Indeni workers that no one will be sent home without pay.

“We will settle all the financial obligations to you before we change to the new institute so you will be paid. No one is going to be pushed on the street without any payment that does not arise. The rest are technical issues which the Ministry of Energy and the management will work out. I have come to give you an assurance with my own mouth that you will be paid,” Dr Musokotwane said.

Mr. Matambo said he is hopeful that the visit by the three ministers will resolve the uncertainty surrounding Indeni Petroleum Refinery which has not been operational since August, 2021.

“If we see Honourable Ministers coming to the Copperbelt we know that issues which are hanging will be sorted out,” Mr. Matambo said.

Tue, Jan 4 2022.

Statement for immediate release .

A Luanshya based Economist and an aspring mayor has challenged the NEW DAWN GOVERNMENT to consider children and dependants of some civil servants vulnerable. Mr Silwamba has shown Concern and has urged the government to consider these people especially when conducting any selection be it in education loans or School bursaries.

In an interview with Afrozam Radio crew, Mr Silwamba a resident of Mpatamatu township said that some pupils and parents are Sad with the fact that schools are about to be opened but they are facing alot of Challenges in managing there families despise having a little source of income to sustain them. “This is owed to the fact that most parents and guiduians are in debt especially those working in the civil service” Mr Silwamba Narrated

“……the situation is a paradox as Many pupils are crying instead of celebrating. This impasse must be resolved as soon as possible. “

He further added that Universal Free Education and Healthcare care promised by the government should not select across social clusters but should Let those who can afford to speak for themselves. ” Let me also not forget to thank the government of the day for the introduction of free education at both primary and Secondary School level and also for improving on the health system in Zambia” Said Mr Silwamba.

Mr Silwamba also said that he is having a tough time speaking for the poor as his statements are considered Political especially that he is a strong Patriotic Front sympathizer.

“Shouldn’t it be that every Zambian has a right to freedom of expression?” he asked with remorse.

And in his remarks, Mr Silwamba bitterly complained that he doesn’t deny having links to the PF but fills that as a responsible citizen it is his duty to speak and contribute in issues of governance regardless of which political party is in power and also congratulated the grade sevens and nine for passing there exams.

This was in an interview with Field Silwamba an economist and aspiring Mayor For Luanshya District.

NORTH CHIEFS SUPPORT CHILUBA ASSETS CASE

BEMBA chiefs have called on the state to consider giving back second republican President Frederick Chiluba’s assets to his family because he was entitled and the grounds for forfeiture were not valid.

Chiefs Kaputa and Mpepo in separate interviews urged the government to consider the matter because the manner in which the state had dealt with the Chiluba issue was unfortunate and there was need to reconsider.
Chief Kaputa appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to look into the matter because the Chiluba family were left with nothing and are suffering yet their father led this country and deserved to be recognised.

He said from the look of things there were some people in the system who had vested interest in the matter and properties hence they wanted to play tricks.

“I feel there is a hand that is pushing for this because they waited for the former head of State to die before they re-appealed in the Supreme Court just to get his properties,” Chief Kaputa said.

He said there was need to practice what people preached because what was happening was very wrong and the state needed to come clean and inform the public on what the status quo was.
He said it was for this reason that the matter should be dealt with quickly because the family had continued to suffer.

And Chief Mpepo said the whole thing smacked of malice and that the former head of State was painted black in the eyes of the public.

He said there was prejudice in the manner the law enforcement agencies conducted themselves because they waited for Dr Chiluba to die before going back to court.

“For me I feel mwali ulufyengo (unfairness) in the manner Dr Chiluba and his family were treated because the issue of the assets was clear that they were not acquired through corrupt activities,” he said.

Chief Mpepo called on the family members to appeal and use all the necessary legal channels to get justice.

And Zambia Republican Party president Wright Musoma said Government must do the right thing in the name of justice and hand back the forfeited properties belonging to Dr Chiluba to his family.

Mr Musoma said in an interview in Lusaka that it was a well-known fact that the property belonged to the late President, thus it was unfair for the State to allege that he did not claim it.

“The nation is aware that those forfeited properties belonged to Dr Chiluba and as such they were supposed to be handed to his family. We are appealing to President Hichilema and his government to relook into the issue and give back the property to the family,” Mr Musoma said.

He said that justice was delayed until Dr Chiluba died and it should not be delayed further as the family had endured enough.- Daily Nation

By Ulande Nkomesha,

SHIWANG’ANDU PF member of parliament Stephen Kampyongo says PF members are ready to answer any allegations against them, but the actions taken by the UPND government should not be vindictive.

Giving an overview of 2021 in an interview, Monday, Kampyongo who is also Party Whip in Parliament, accused the UPND of trying to humiliate former ministers under the PF administration.

“So last year was of course a very interesting year, with mixed emotions and mixed challenges. I don’t mind that law enforcement agencies are doing their work as they are mandated to do but it also must be appreciated in as much as I can’t comment on matters that are before the courts, that actions that seem to be humiliating people that held critical offices of this country should not be ignored.

It is one thing to just humiliate an individual who was just minister of defence, who was Home Affairs minister for about five years. What precedence are you setting?” Kampyongo asked.

“Yes no one is above the law, but I think it is important that we appreciate the role of some of these offices that people get to occupy. For me, we are available to answer for anything that is alleged against us and through the processes, but we must be mindful to avoid actions that will be seen to be vindictive in nature or vengeance for unknown reasons.”

Kampyongo said the last months in 2021 were difficult for the party.

“I also feel as whip of the opposition Patriotic Front, it was a difficult time, we received a lot of new members who could have been settling down and getting to perform their mandate of offering checks and balances as elected representatives of the people from various constituencies.

What we saw is again something that is subtracting from our democracy. Yes it is good to allow people that could have lost to use the courts, but for the first time in history we saw petitions that even included councilors at that level.

Now the question is, were these so-called irregularities only recorded in the areas where PF won? Certainly, the answer is no!” he said.

“What was even much more of a concern for me was to see nine of our members whose petitions were not successful at the High Court and rightly they went to the Concourt but before their issue could be heard they were thrown out of Parliament, which had never happened before.

So we are patiently waiting to see how the Constitutional Court will look at these matters and we shall obviously as law abiding citizens appreciate the decisions of the court.”

On President Hakainde Hichilema’s New Year message that it would take hard work and concerted effort to rebuild the country and that some sacrifices would be hard to stomach, Kampyongo said the President should be truthful on whether the promises he made during the campaign period were attainable.

“Again we understand and we agree that it is not going to be easy and it wouldn’t be any easier for any government. Managing state affairs has never been easier. What I would have loved myself and speaking as a representation of the people of Shiwang’andu, I would have loved him to say ‘look, I promised people some of these good things, but with the current situation we are facing, we are not going to fulfill those promises, and people bear with us for not seemly beginning by fulfilling our promises’.

It could have been easier, that way people would have understood. If he ignores what he was promising personally, and no one will carry a cross for him,” said Kampyongo.

“There are so many people who are articulating issues of what is going to happen, his Ministers speaking on his behalf. He is the cross-carrier himself, he should have come back to the people of Zambia and said ‘yes I promised to remove cartels from the fuel supply chain, I promised to lower the price of fuel, I promised to lower the prices of input, I promised that Zesco tariffs were going to be lowered because it is a necessity, it is not a luxury but now that I have assumed office I do realise that there were challenges I couldn’t see when I was in the opposition.

But now I am here and I am able to see things differently. So people of Zambia bear with me’, then it would have been a message that was going to speak to the people. But to just say that it is going to be tough to build the economy, people will say ‘but sir, you had a catalog of promises, what has happened to those catalog of promises?’

Because it is not as if you were living outside Zambia, you didn’t know the challenges that Zambia was facing?”

By Alexander Nkosi

I just read an article written by Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba, where he is saying that the K324 million released for schools for term one is not enough to catter for their needs. He argued that K324 million for 9352 primary and secondary schools is not enough as it gives us an average of K34,644.

I will not dwell on whether it is accurate to add primary schools and secondary schools and simply get the average or whether to simply bunch up urban and rural schools that clearly have different needs, but I will focus more on why the step taken by government is the right one.

At some point in my career, I was M&E Lead for the biggest education projects in the country by then. I interacted with schools, both rural and urban across nine provinces. I got to appreciate some of the serious challenges they faced. While these schools received small grants from government, sometimes they could go for months without receiving these grants and when they did, it was mostly only part payment which wasn’t even enough to cover what they owed. We have all seen how grant aided institutions, including the few universities, have struggled the past years. The situation was worse at district level and worse still in schools.

The other thing is that while learners paid some fees, not everyone managed to pay while others only made part payments. Since these are public schools, they were instructed not to chase learners who hadn’t paid. At some point a well known senior government official even instructed schools to accept in-kind payment like goats, chicken maize etc.

So what has changed? Leaners from grade 1 to 12 in day schools no longer have to pay and those in boarding schools can access sponsorship under CDF. This is definitely a step in the right direction. We all understand the huge debt overhang and other serious economic challenges we face. With time, especially after debt restructuring and once the economy starts recovering, Zambia can extend free education to boarding schools and expand tertiary education scholarships.

The other positive is that whereas previously a term would end without these schools receiving money from government and significant payment from learners, the situation is now different as three weeks before schools open, funds have already been released. In most cases it might actually work better than when they used to charge some fees but struggled to get this money in full and on time.

In conclusion, like every project, there is learning to be done and we will definitely get better as we go. If not already addressed, I’m sure government will look into the issue of Daily Classified Workers. One immediate solution would be to cover them under CDF if a quick ammendment can be made. Pending release of CDF, they can be covered for a month or two under the grants they have received.

Thank you.

New book links Lungu statehouse to attempts to implicate HH to gassing saga

An investigative journalist, Prince Kaliza, has released a book narrating how he was ‘abducted’ by police and detained for 18 days and later offered ‘a deal’ by ‘Statehouse agents’ to implicate then opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema in the gassing saga, that rocked the country in 2020, in exchange for his freedom and other gifts including a job.

Kaliza reveals that his ‘friends in the system’ explained that those key to his perplexing detention inclunded; the President, presidential affairs minister, minister of home affairs, minister of justice, minister of communication and the police IG. The former Prime TV reporter narrates that his friends revealed to him that he was being held to give Statehouse time to finalise ways of convincing him to implicate Hichilema. Kaliza says the ‘Statehouse agents’ offered him a press job at Zambia’s UN embassy in New York, a brand new 4×4 Hilux and K500, 000 cash to say Hichilema and UPND agents were threatening his life over the gassing saga. According to the book, the ‘Statehouse agents’ assured Kaliza that ‘other UPND members had already started testifying against Hichilema’.

In his book ‘Implicating Hakainde Hichilema in gassing’, Kaliza reveals how during his detention he shared a cell with UPND 2021 MP candidate for Mandevu, Aaron Mulope, who had been dragged to police by lands minister Jean Kapata over forest 27, a Copperbelt man who was robbed of K170, 000 by police and accused of being a gassing mastermind and a ‘young guy’, also from Copperbelt, who was linked to Spax Mining’s case.

Through his ‘friends in the system’ Kaliza says he came to learn of Mukula illegal activities among senior govt officials and ‘a councillor who bought a bank for K300 million with all its assets’ .

The author says his ordeal became a huge burden on his mental and physical well-being to the extent that he attempted to commit suicide. He says he was saved by a text from his father just at the moment he was about to take Jik in the early hours of the morning on the fateful day that miraculously never was. His friends had sneaked ‘a small phone’ to him to keep each other updated. That secret phone and a text from his dad saved his life.

The Kaliza story runs similar to the Hatembos and Wilfred Hichilema & others sagas who were also being coerced to implicate Hichilema as a way of stopping him (Hichilema) from contesting the 2021 elections.

The book can be purchased from the author.

-Zambia Blog