Former finance minister Ng’andu Magande says the government has not told Zambians what is in the $1.4 billion IMF deal so that people can debate it.

And Magande said dishing out money to youths and women in cooperatives is not a sustainable way of utilising resources, saying the government should instead reward individual initiative.

Speaking with Daily Revelation, Magande was asked if the IMF deal was the only way out of the county’s malaise. Responding, Magande said: “But you see like I asked you at the beginning, has the government told us what the package is?”

“But for us with Mwanawasa I used to say we have now HIPC, the conditions under HIPC are 15 and the conditions are as follows. Even in my Book I have actually listed those 15 conditions. They should because then if one condition is going to be unpopular then they have to see how they can talk to the IMF and perhaps say can you modify this condition,” Magande said. “During Mwanawasa’s time if you remember we were supposed to privatize all those companies, but at the end we said no for Zesco because we wanted to put up all these big projects like Kafue Gorge. We said we can’t privatize Zesco, ‘we want to do this as government.’ So we went to them instead of privatising Zesco we called it commercialising.”

Magande said said conditions were not always cast in stone s they could always s change.

“The people must be able to debate the conditions. We had conditions like ‘you must now fill up the positions at the AIDS center’, we immediately said but this is a simple one so we advertised and recruited a director general. That’s how we got free money, $42 million for HIV AIDS,” Magande said. “I know that there is a deal but I don’t know the conditions. If they were told that for us to give you this $1.4 billion you must remove subsidies on fertilizer. The government can say if we remove subsidies on fertilizer the fertilizer will be very expensive. ‘Why don’t we use part of this $1.4 billion to start a fertilizer manufacturing plant?’

“Then instead of going to World Bank alone, they go to ADB, the ADB president is an agriculturist, he moved agriculture in Nigeria. They could go there and say can you help us to start a proper operating fertilizer plant? And with modern equipment we can get a state of the art equipment and the fertilizer will be cheaper. So even if you have removed subsidies on imported fertilizer in the next two, three years we could be giving our people the cheap fertilizer the President promised.”

Magande said just as the government was talking about a plan for tightening, they should also have a plan for the loosening once the conditions have been met to make Zambians aware of the direction the country was going to.

He said programmes such as the recent distribution of money to the youths on the Copperbelt were not sustainable.

“So in the end of all this tightening, what are the programmes and projects the government wants to release for the people to start again relaxing? And I heard two days ago they were dishing out some K30 million for youth and women but for me that is not a programme,” Magande said. “Money is there yes, it’s being given to these people but there is no return. What are they supposed to do? What is the project they are supposed to do? And if they only asked some of the people who have been in government for long.”

Magande said founding president Dr Kenneth Kaunda started with cooperatives in 1968 but the whole thing failed.

“By the time we realised what was happening the money was just being spent on useless projects. People were forming cooperatives in order to be given money. So even now I am sure that some young people who got some money over the weekend and were told form cooperatives, if they got that money it’s already finished,” Magande said. “And I want anybody in government now talking of cooperatives to take me to a cooperative of 10 people who have been successful. Nothing! Individual initiative is very important and that is what spurs any development. It’s the people who want to develop themselves to look after themselves.”

Magande suggested that the government should start lending money to individual young business people whose projects have been properly appraised and whose projects must be supervised.

“The cooperatives, let them show me one person who is a millionaire because he joined a cooperative. It doesn’t work. It failed because cooperatives haven’t got strict rules like a company. The President has already said ‘I am embracing everybody politically. I am embracing every body in terms of order’,” Magande said. “Why can’t he now say I am embracing everybody in terms of ideas. Let’s sit down and you tell me some of you who have never been allowed in government, what ideas they have. And then he should pick on those ideas and look after those people who would have brought those ideas so that he can help them with capital.

“If it is farmers we will have to look for land as government, subdivide the land and then give it to young people and then give them capital like tractors and irrigation equipment on loans.”

Asked if he has been in touch with the President and those in government to offer them such advice, Magande said he has always been around since he left government.

“If I get a consultant it’s a local consultant. I haven’t got a consultant which takes me even for two weeks out of the country. And I have said if the people who are in the government now, even people who are in the private sector now,” Magande said. “If they need to consult and they feel I am worthy consulting I am here. I am available.”

Magande said former president Frederick Chiluba asked Zambians to tighten their belts, something they willingly accepted but he did not have a programme on how to loosen the belt, that’s why Zambians started buying “tu pamela” in the process

He said when Mwanawasa succeeded Chiluba he talked about the same programme, but insisted on strictness on himself and the people who served under him in terms of financial prudence.

Magande said there was a striking resemblance in events during the time Mwanawasa took over and now when President Hichilema has taken over, saying during that time the country was beset with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, had insurmountable debt and was going through a HIPC pro… http://dailyrevelationzambia.com/tell-zambians-what-is-in-imf-deal-magande-tells-govt/

HH CONFERS WITH MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

He wrote …..

This afternoon we held a caucus meeting with Members of Parliament at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.

During our address, we advised all Members of Parliament to go back to their respective Constituencies and explain some of the success stories that have so far been achieved.

We stated that in the past, citizens have raised concerns that immediately one is elected to Parliament, they leave their Constituency and move to Lusaka but we stated that this should not be happening going forward and that all Members of Parliament must go back to their respective areas and hear and work on the challenges that citizens are facing.

Like it was during the struggle, MPs should join hands with the media to disseminate their messages and also handlle challenges that our people are facing daily.

During the same caucus, we stated that we understand the economic situation out there and that we are confident that together, we shall triumph and that you, citizens having placed your confidence and hope in us, we have embarked on robust and ambitious economic programmes that will help turn our Country into a functional economy.

We are alive to the fact that our country is indebted but this is not an excuse from us and this is why we are working hard and yes, some benefits will be getting noticed in a day, some in a month and so on and forth but ultimately, you will all get to see the benefits of voting for change.

We are confident that together after restructuring and all concerted efforts, we will definitely rebuild our economy and enjoy the fruits of your victory.

You, our people’s concerns are valid and we share your concerns as they affect us all but we are confident that together, we shall WIN and WIN Big.

May God bless you all.

Hakainde Hichilema
President of the Republic of Zambia

MCC’s Board Selects Belize, Zambia for Grant Assistance

For Immediate Release

December 15, 2021

Contact: 202-521-3880
Email: press@mcc.gov

WASHINGTON (Dec. 15, 2021) – The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting yesterday and selected Belize and Zambia as newly eligible to develop MCC compacts—the agency’s five-year grant program.

As part of its annual discussion on country selection, MCC’s Board also reviewed the policy performance of eligible and previously selected countries and received an update on the status of the $500 million MCC-Nepal Compact.

“I am excited to announce MCC’s new partnerships with Belize and Zambia,” said MCC’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Mahmoud Bah. “These governments have demonstrated a clear commitment to democratic governance, investing in people, and pursuing economic freedom. We look forward to working together to develop programs that reduce poverty and enable sustainable and inclusive economic growth.”

Selecting Belize for a compact allows MCC to partner with a country that has demonstrated a clear commitment to democratic governance, but that is facing rising poverty rates and significant challenges to economic growth. With this new partnership, MCC will support the Government of Belize’s efforts to build economic resilience and address its most binding constraints to growth.

Zambia completed a prior compact with MCC in 2018 and demonstrates strong performance on MCC’s scorecard. A subsequent compact will support the Government of Zambia’s efforts to address the country’s pressing development challenges and pursue critical economic and democratic governance reforms following its recent democratic transition.

MCC’s Board of Directors also reselected Indonesia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Timor-Leste for compact development; and Kenya and Kiribati for threshold program development. The Board reaffirmed its support for continuing compact development in Kosovo. In addition, the Board reselected Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Benin as eligible for concurrent compact programs for regional integration. However, due to Benin’s overall multi-year decline in its commitment to MCC’s eligibility criteria and the principles of democratic governance, the Board discussed and endorsed MCC’s determination to significantly reduce the portion of the planned regional investment that would be made in Benin through a concurrent compact.

MCC regularly reviews its partner countries’ policy performance throughout the development and implementation of a compact or threshold program. Following this year’s review, MCC’s Board of Directors discontinued MCC’s development of a proposed threshold program with Ethiopia while welcoming the opportunity to renew engagement with Ethiopia in the future if conditions permit.

Finally, MCC’s Board of Directors received an update and discussed the progress to date of the $500 million MCC-Nepal Compact. The Board of Directors made note of the commitment by the Government of Nepal to seek to ratify the compact in the near term.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an independent U.S. government agency working to reduce global poverty through economic growth. Created in 2004, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, fighting corruption and respecting democratic rights.

Reducing Poverty Through Growth

Credit: http://www.mcc.gov/news-and-events/release/press-release-121521-board-selects-belize-zambia

PF was warned on fuel subsidies by energy experts!

On 7th December, 2021, Former Rural Electrification Authority (REA) Board Chairperson in PRESIDENT Edgar Chagwa Lungu led Administration Johnson Chikwanda wrote this on Dynamic Analysis Zambia (DAZ) WhatsApp group;

Here was his explanation on the fuel pump prices adjustment..

MC
Last year Government passed a statutory instrument and waived 25% customs duty on fuel.

This was done in order to avoid fuel pump price increase. In January this year, Government further waived VAT@ 16% and Excise Duty on diesel and partially on petrol all to keep the pump prices stable as more pressure mounted to increase them.

So you can see that by January this year, a total of over 41% were waived just to try and contain the pressure and keep them stable.

So the current pump price structure does not have over 41% taxes. Simple calculations indicate that over K9 billion revenue may have been lost due to these tax waivers.

We warned previous government to avoid this path as it will lead to shifting money allocated for service delivery to fuel subsidy and failure to recruit, failure to buy drugs and medicines etc.

New Dawn Government inherited this subsidy structure which am told has blown to over K500m every month.

With crude oil prices continuous going up and a relatively weak kwacha, OMC are landing imported fuel at a loss despite all the tax waivers.

Currently Government is compensating about 3 major OMCs with reimbursement just to avoid complete failure to import fuel in the country but there are alot other OMCs who are not benefiting from this reimbursement thus suffering significant losses.

New Dawn Government is caught between a rock and hard place.

There is no option but to increase the pump prices either in a phased approach or single jump.

Pump prices in SA, Zim, Botswana, Malawi, DRC, Tanzania are now higher than in Zambia. That shows you there is something wrong. Countries with a coast line or nearer to the sea usually have cheaper pump prices.

By Emmanuel Chilekwa

17 December 21

The best HH is one who was in opposition. He spoke the truth. Defended the poor. And he stood up for the people. This Bally HH in government supports suffering of the poor, IMF and World Bank and removal of subsidies. This Bally in government lies day in day out and has no remorse at all. He’s supporting the rich, the Haves, the wealthy*

[ Throwback ]

WORLD BANK IS WRONG TO SUPPORT THE REMOVAL OF FUEL AND MAIZE SUBSIDIES – HH

June 6, 2013

United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema says the World Bank is wrong to support the removal of fuel and maize subsidies by the Zambian government.

Mr Hichilema has since challenged the World Bank Zambia office to prove him otherwise on the removal of subsidies by the government.

He says those praising the removal of subsidies including high commissioners and ambassadors accredited to Zambia are being misled by the PF government.

And Mr Hichilema says the high cost of mealie meal and the instability of the kwacha against major foreign currency since the PF Government in 2011 is an indication of failed PF economic policies.

He points out that when the PF government took over power in 2011 a bag of mealie me meals cost K36, 000 kwacha, while the current price stands at K70, 000.

Mr Hichilema adds that he is still waiting for a reply from President Michael Sata to his letter of 21st May 2013 in which he raised concerns over the removal of subsidies.

He was speaking on 5-FM’s the Burning Issue this morning.

He explains that subsidies are part of any society, pointing out that big economies including the United Kingdom and the United States of America all have subsidies in place.

Mr Hichilema says the issue is not whether or not there will be subsidies, but how and where to apply subsidies.

The UPND leader states that to debate that the subsidies are not necessary is a sign of ignorance which says obtains among most PF officials.

He adds that subsidies are the future of any society and would help preserve jobs in the country. (Lusaka Times)

RESIST THE TEMPTATION OF SLIDING BACK INTO SUBSIDIES, ENERGY EXPERT URGES GOVERNMENT.

….as he says the upward adjustment of fuel pump prices is a bitter pill but a necessary one especially that it is not a full pill…

Energy Forum Zambia Chairperson and Energy Expert Johnstone Chikwanda has encouraged the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) to resist the temptation of sliding the country back into subsidies.

ERB has announced and implemented new fuel pump prices of 20 percent and 30 percent on petrol and diesel respectively.

And in a statement this morning, Engineer Johnston Chikwanda said while these adjustments appear to be steep, they do not represent full removal of fuel subsidies.

He said the country is coming from an immediate past where over 41 percent taxes got waived in order to sustain price stability in an artificial position.

Engineer Chikwanda explained that if these taxes are added back, the pump prices are supposed to be far higher than even the new prices.

He has since stated that the new prices announced represent the commencement of a journey aimed at achieving cost reflective tariffs in the oil industry.

Meanwhile, engineer Chikwanda has commended the ERB for phasing the adjustment.

He says it is a bitter pill but a necessary pill especially that it is not a full pill.

The energy expert says the oil industry had become weak to the extent that Government had to start compensating some oil companies in order for them to keep on importing fuel into the country.

He says the extent of the fuel subsidies had become unsustainable and a major threat the national budget performance.

The Energy Forum Zambia Chairperson further stated that the removal of fuel subsidies is in line with Government portion as outlined in the Presidential speech to Parliament when he opened Parliament.

He says this position was also affirmed by the Minister of Finance during the Budget policy statement.

“They cause a lot of challenges and public sentiments when abolishing them causes is usually hostile.” Engineer Chikwanda said.

By Michael Kaluba

Government has justified its decision to increase fuel prices saying this is a necessary but short term measure that will facilitate for Zambia’s economic recovery and has hinted that fuel prices will reduce in the long run.

Speaking this morning during the Vice President’s Question Time in parliament, Vice President Mutale Nalumango says while there will be turbulence with the removal of subsidies in the energy sector, Zambians will appreciate long term results such as free education, better health care services and increased funding to constituencies among others.

Ms. Nalumango acknowledges that some taxes such as premium insurance for third party for motor vehicles will be increased but argues that this is meant to help government deal with the country’s indebtedness and ensure even distribution of the county’s resources as opposed to leaving it to the minority who have been benefiting 98 percent from fuel and electricity subsidies.

Meanwhile, Energy Expert has commended the Energy Regulation Board-ERB- for the price adjustment saying the extent of the fuel subsidies had become unsustainable and a major threat to the national budget performance.

Mr Chikwanda who is also Energy Forum Zambia Chairperson says the oil industry had become weak to the extent that government had to start compensating some oil companies in order for them to keep on importing fuel into the country.

But Operation Young Vote-OYV- has warned that the UPND Alliance administration risks losing the support of the majority Zambians who are now frustrated if it does not reverse the hike in the fuel pump price immediately.

OYV Executive Director Guess Nyirenda says not only is the hike in the fuel pump price shocking but also unprecedentedly too high especially coming from a political grouping that barely four months ago, promised citizens a better Zambia where the cost of living would be affordable for all.

Mr. Nyirenda says the UPND Alliance government generally and President Hakainde Hichilema in particular, knows too well that the economy has been a nightmare for an average citizen, the less privileged and the youth due to poor policies and decisions by the previous regime and that this increment on fuel prices is only condemning majority poor citizens to untold misery and destitution.

The Energy Regulation Board-ERB- yesterday announced an upward adjustment on fuel pump prices, effective midnight yesterday, with petrol increased from K17.62 to K21.16 while diesel is now at K20.15 from K15.

PHOENIX NEWS

TRUST HH, HE HAS MADE BOLD DECISIONS IN THE INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY – DAVID CHIKWANDA

We are not supporting fuel increment and we know for sure that there’s no father who would want to make his own children suffer. Hakainde Hichilema knows very well that increasing fuel will have a negative effect on the economy and indeed on his political popularity as a leader.

This is not the BEST DECISION but a BOLD DECISION. Sometimes you need to add salt to the wound for it to heal quickly. This decision is just revealing the depth of the damage on our economy by the previous regime. This is not a time for a blame game it’s time to mend the broken pieces.

Being aware of the impacts of removing subsidies on fuel and electricity will have on the citizens, the New Dawn has put in place measures to increase money in circulation and also making sure this money is actually available to the people on the ground. As fuel increases so is income for both civil servants and businessmen and women.

Some people have questioned: How can you promise to reduce the price of fuel by first increasing it? This is the same as asking: How can a painful injection reduce the pain in my body? The answer is obvious.

Having given the New Dawn government a five years mandate let us give them a benefit of doubt and see how they work out their economics. I strongly believe that Zambia is on the right course and as long as we continue moving forward in the right direction we shall overcome the challenges we are facing today.

Even in our personal lives sometimes we make tough decisions to achieve our goals. Sometimes we sacrifice personal pleasures and sometimes we choose not to eat (fasting) to get a breakthrough. Good things don’t come easily.

This time around we are not tightening our belts just to feed few individuals,we are tightening the belts for the benefit of all citizens. As we tighten the belts our Children will go to school, our retirees will be paid, our youths will get businesses through CDF and our workers will have a better pay.

As we tighten our belts our currency is gaining value and this will cushion the impact of fuel and electricity hike. Hakainde Hichilema is a responsible leader and we believe all savings from subsidies are in safe hands.

God bless the works of your hands and God bless our country Zambia.

David Chikwanda

Deputy national youth information and publicity secretary – UPND.

WHY IT WAS INEVITABLE TO INCREASE FUEL PRICES!
———————————————————

By Alexander Nkosi

1. INTRODUCTION

For us to appreciate the factors behind the hike in fuel prices, it is important to analyse this in the context of the economic crisis we face. This is not an isolated issue, the justification behind the move taken can only be understood in the context of wider economic challenges.

2. ECONOMIC CONTEXT

Zambia’s external debt is $12.9 billion, domestic debt is K189.7 billion and domestic arrears stand at K46.9 billion. Allocations to debt service in absolute terms have grown from K14.2 billion in 2018 to K78.6 billion in 2022. As a proportion of domestic revenue, allocations to debt service have grown from 29% in 2018 to 79% in 2022.

One would expect that since allocations to debt service have increased five times in just 4 years, the total debt stock should be reducing, however, this hasn’t been the case, we have been borrowing more than we are repaying. As of 2021, the domestic revenue we collect is not even enough to pay debt and salaries for civil servants. We are basically borrowing to pay salaries and borrow more to run all the sectors.

3. BACKGROUND TO THE FUEL HIKE

The previous government did not leave fuel prices where they found them, fuel prices kept increasing until months ago when prices were not increased not because government paid the difference but because government simply accrued more arrears.

This means government simply deferred the fuel increase without necessarily covering the cost (the differential between the price it was being bought and sold to clients). We ended up accumulating $506.1 million as at end of September 2021. Government is currently spending US$67.4 million every month in subsidising fuel. These subsidies are broken down as US$26 million on the price differential and US$41.4 million on foregone taxes. On an annual basis, this amounts to US$809 million.

I’m very hopeful the previous government will support this decision because even after leaving us with $12.9 billion external debt, K189.7 billion domestic debt and K46.9 billion domestic arrears, they still left us with $506.1 million arrears.

4. SHOULD GOVERNMENT BORROW MORE TO SUBSIDISE FUEL?

Should government borrow to keep this fuel subsidy? Government has to borrow $1.3 billion to clear $506.1 million arrears and $809 million annual subsidy. This would worsen our debt position. Which lender would accept our request for debt restructuring if we keep worsening our debt position? Also note that the $1.3 billion would have to be borrowed at commercial rates as it would be difficult to find anyone to lend us on concessional terms for this purpose.

5. WHAT IS THE STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD?

What is the strategy moving forward? The original plan as indicated during campaigns was to review the procurement process and reduce unnecessary costs. The challenge is that there are legally binding contracts still running and tempering with these would attract very huge costs which would make government spend even more.

The idea is therefore to let these contracts run their span and address these issues thereafter. It should also be noted that stabilising the exchange rate at around K16/$ will also help keep fuel prices low. Much as the kwacha is currently trading around K16.5/$, it has to stabilise at this rate for us to see tangible benefits.

6. WHY NOT SUBSIDISE AS WE WAIT FOR REVIEW OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS?

Why not subsidise until the current contracts have been concluded? As things stand, government has to find $506.1 million to pay for the arrears accrued, hence government would therefore need something like $1billion to clear arrears and pay for subsidies before these contracts are concluded and procurement is reviewed.

7. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, fuel is an important input in production, it affects the cost of production and cost of living. However, we are in a bad economic state such that we have to sacrifice even important things. Every decision has huge opportunity costs: Do we forego spending more on medicines to fund fuel subsidies? Do we scrap off FISP to fund fuel subsidies? Do we scrap off economic empowerment funds to finance fuel subsidies?

We also have to critically look at the following questions: To what extent does the increase in fuel prices affect citizens from different social economic clusters? To what extent does this increase in fuel prices negatively impact on cost of production? To what extent does it impact on cost of living?

If we borrow to keep subsidies, how does this impact on our already bad debt position and how do lenders view this as we step up debt restructuring negotiations? These are very tough questions that require deep analysis and not emotional reactions and motivational speeches.

My position is that let us allow fuel to be cost reflective, work on addressing procurement inefficiencies once current contracts expire and work on strengthening and stabilising our currency so as to positively impact on fuel prices in the medium term. The more we postpone taking a painful decision on this, the bigger the problem grows.

Thank you.

By Macphelsson Mutale

“When we pointed out that the systems had collapsed and the economy was dying, the same people who are crying the loudest today, insulted and mocked us.

The PF collapsed this country’s economy and made deliberate poor economic choices that only served their selfish interests.

The PF in their own Wisdom, because they were so desperate to win an election, they continued to sink this country into a deep and dark sinkhole that will take a long time for us to get out of.

When the global oil prices were going up and there was genuine need for a fuel price increase, the PF in collusion with the ERB board of the time, decided to play cheap politics and kick the cane down the road.

They decided to suspend VAT, Exercise Duty and even arm twisted the hands of the transporters to forego their transportation surcharge.

We have said time and again that the real price of fuel should have been above K26. The SADC region average price (without factoring in VAT and other taxes) is $1.1.

In Zimbabwe and South Africa petrol is going for $1.40 and $1.19 respectively while here in Zambia petrol has been trading at $0.98.

The cane that we have been kicking down the road has to be picked up. President HH and his team are biting the bullet and making a wise decision that we may not appreciate in the short term but is beneficial for the recovery of the economy.

Yes prices of commodities might go up, yes the cost of living in general might go up, but postponing the inevitable will only land us in bigger problems.

Consistently we have said that the mess that we had gotten our economy into, will take years to reverse. Even with the prudent policies of the UPND government won’t be a magic bullet.

It will take us another 8-10 years of steady policies to get back pre- PF growth rates averaging 7% per annum.

The 3 years of IMF will set a tone for our sustained economic recovery. The times will be tough, we need to be all disciplined and resilient, but I believe we will together pull through the storm.

We all need to embrace reality and start living the truth. Zambia currently owes fuel suppliers in excess of $400 million. If we continue on this trajectory, before long, we won’t even afford to bring in any fuel.

There is no better time to implement this increment than now. It will help us to get into the new year with straight priorities.

Only those who want to live a lie will blame the government for this move. The PF brought us here and left us stranded. It’s time to start rebuilding and this is one of the cornerstones of that rebuilding.

Maybe you need to ask yourself a question, had the PF won the elections, deep down your heart, do you think they were going to maintain the current fuel prices? The answer is a categorical NO.”

Written by: Kelvin Chisanga

The marginal increment poised on fuel or petroleum subsector will automatically result in the sharp changes, especially on the cost scales of production and on the delivery processes of goods, works and services, and this will also suddenly trigger an upward adjustment measure across all meaningful economic activities, sad reality is that principally during this season the production of both goods and services turn to slow down, coupled with expectations of fourth wave of the pandemic.

We are all aware by now that the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has hiked the fuel pump prices on petrol from K17.62 to K21.60 and on the diesel from K15.29 to K20.15, as new prices will now take effect midnight, however, it is commonly agreeable to state that this trend may eventually generate low patterns of economic growth contrary to the current economic directions, especially given the fact that we will be running on an expansionary budget, the fiscal policyholders have given so much on the table in this week (December pronouncements which includes increased wage bill) considering the shape of Zambia’s resource envelope, and to the contrary, we will be running the economy on a contractionary monetary policy stance pegged at 9% for accessibility to credit, in which we are projected to see the fiscal side anchoring macroeconomic stability, with variables regulating within the normal range of targets on fundamentals such as forex and inflation, where inflation is estimated with some good expectations to be within the acceptable forecasts by mid-year of 15%, as it takes edging towards 9% by 2023, and secondly we expect money market patterns to perform normally, also expectations are quite high on the foreign exchange market to contain just within the range of K18 to K19 for this 2022 budget to fully remains functional without seeing it running away from the fiscal target lines on the expenditure columns.

As much as we support the IMF’s cause to aid in stimulating economic process, it is strongly with the background that we should have completed the oil procurement audit so that we could avoided economic leakages, right before embarking on a direct removal of subsidies for fuel, and for the electricity in the wake of making market reflective pricing patterns, which is quite an ideal state of affair where the fuel price were anticipated to take this route, but rushing for it at this time may perceived as a deterrent factor in meeting up with the expected inflation targets all because the economy may slow down during January and February due to seasonal demands on foodstuff, given the situation that a number of critical policies have been given out much attention, practically at the same time for implementation to be done in the financial year 2022.

However, with the Zambian case, we all know that fuel and electricity strongly interplay in the market systems, and are critical component as factors of key production in the supply value chains, the worse scenario case is the anticipation of erratic supply of electricity if the weather for rain patterns does not change to favour us, therefore fostering an increase in energy sector at this particular time, should have been subjected to a case of wait and see method to gauge against certain effects, as the increase will definitely affect wider aggregate demand in the economy especially on both consumption and production areas, following the projection of seeing a steady growth which would have gradually allowed such changes during the course of budgetary function within the projected material year.

By Maiko Zulu

COST OF BAD LEADERSHIP – WE SUFFER WHILE THEY ENJOY FREE COFFEE AT OUR EXPENSE

When MMD took over power from UNIP with the help of foreign interests, Zambians were sold a lie and were told to tighten their belts. Many died from the tightness of the belt due to the Structural Adjustment Programme while a class of kleptomaniacs was created among leaders. President FTJ Chiluba, the darling of the IMF and the West ended up being charged for massive plunder of the country’s resources but he never died poor like the many Zambians who lost their dignity due to economic hardships. Despite stripping the councils and selling house for a song to some, the country simply never recovered from its downfall.

Then came Levy Mwanawasa who tried to turn the tables against corruption. Again, Zambians had to bear the brunt of HIPC (Highly Indebted Poor Countries) and again belts had to be tightened. We sacrificed and managed to steady the ship and the Kwacha gained some significant value against other world currencies. Unfortunately Levy passed on before completing his term.

RB came in and despite his charismatic and fatherly traits, he soon proved that he was not the leader Zambia needed despite having a certain cader of support. He lost to Michael Sata’s PF in 2011 after people bought into the ‘More Money in Your Pockets, Lower Taxes and Jobs’ rhetoric. Sata, like Levy died before completing his term but laid a foundation that crumbled the country even further. He chose a successor (seemingly).

Edgar Lungu took over and all hell broke loose. Zambia became a Mafia state and soon the country was looted, raped and plundered left, right and centre until we became an economic junk nation.
Now we are back on our knees begging seeking credibility from IMF. Whether this is the best solution or not, the fact remains that leaders who plunged the country into this mess will never suffer the consequences of high fuel and electricity costs. It is the poor citizens that always bear the cost. Lungu has free fuel, security and even a free house. We the people are always the guinea pigs and that is why the removal of subsidies on fuel is a bitter pill to swallow in any laguage.

Reality check: we are caught between a rock and a hard place and whichever way we choose, it’s going to be extremely tough before it can get any better (assuming it will) and the solutions lie in the fundamentals of good leadership. Zambia’s worst poverty has been leadership just like many countries on the continent and so bold and unpopular decisions will have to be made and running a cost reflective economy is one of them. When you have gangrene, you have to make the tough decision to live with the cancer or amputate your leg. That’s where we stand.

As you face the new fuel prices, listen to Economic Slavery by Mwiza Zulu

http://www.djshowstar.com/mwiza-zulu-economic-slavery-maiko-zulu-cover/

“ZAMBIANS SHOULD STOP THE PULL HIM DOWN SYNDROME & LEARN TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER; THE PHD SYNDROME MUST FALL”

The case of a young Zambian Business Man & Entrepreneur Jonathan Kays.

Lately, there has been an influx of ill intended articles throwing shade at many Zambian Business People here on social media.

Whether these malicious write ups are politically motivated or are coming from BUSINESS COMPETITORS is unknown. Whatever the motive behind the character assassination and malicious slander of innocent citizens who are doing their best to survive and breakthrough on the big stage, it should be known to the perpetrators that the consequences are as detrimental to the National economy as they are on the individuals that they are targeting.

ZAMBIANS should learn to support each other and at least learn to clap for others when one seems to be rising or winning. It is not healthy to hate on anybody that seems to be rising to the top at any given time.

If our economy is to grow and stabilize we are going to need as many Zambian Millionaires & Billionaires to invest in Zambia and to do business right here both with Government institutions and Private institutions. Like that whatever money that they get will remain in circulation within the Zambian economy. That’s what the Jewish, Indian, Asian and Chinese Communities have done. They allow business to run within themselves and ensure that the money remains within their communities. If we are to progress we need to emulate these communities.

That said, it makes sad reading to see articles scandalizing one of the most promising young entrepreneurs in the Country by the name of Jonathan Khondowe (Kays).

For those who might not know, Jonathan Kays (as he is fondly called), he has been in business for almost 14 years and he has built himself all the way to the top where he is now being noticed. Those of us who have lived in North Western Province know him as a hard working man who has big dreams and is not afraid to put them into action. In Kalumbila alone he has put up serious farming operations which have employed hundreds of people in that locality. The man is running 9 companies employing over 745 workers right here in Zambia.

As a serial entrepreneur Jonathan has got other businesses in which he holds shares and that should be something to applaud for any well meaning Zambian. On the contrary, instead of positive vibes, all we are seeing are negative narratives being championed by unknown persons. This is not good for anybody who wants to do business in Zambia.

For those who would wish to know, Jonathan Kays is a well learned and exposed person with two Masters degrees in Business and Entrepreneurship. He is currently pursuing his PHD and yet such busy schedule hasn’t deterred him from pursuing his farming and other businesses in general. Tell me, if this isn’t inspirational to all young people then what will be?

If the rumors that one of the companies in which he holds shares participated in a genuine tender procedure and was awarded a contract by the Zambian Government then we should be celebrating with him and not scandalizing him. Okay if not him then who? Isn’t he Zambian just as we all are? I see nothing wrong with that as long as everything was done in a proper manner and procedure was followed.

If the company to which he belongs has got capacity to participate and deliver any in any business with Government why not give the business to that company? Jonathan is a Zambian after all and we need more Zambians to be prioritized by Government.

I therefore urge you my fellow Zambians to see things differently and begin to support our fellow Zambians starting with Jonathan through to everyone who is doing their best to grow economically. It is the only sure way that we will grow and contribute to our Nation’s development.

As for me I choose to say Congratulations to Jonathan Kays and to every Zambian entrepreneur/Business person that’s trying to make it in these tough times.

Concerned Citizen
Tobias T. Banda

PEOPLE WILL BE FIGHTING FOR KANDOLO NEXT YEAR….BREAD, MEALIE MEAL PRICES WILL GO UP – MUKUPA

By Julia Malunga,

Former PF national chairman Samuel Mukupa at Southern Sun Hotel in Lusaka on November 20, 2017 – Picture by Tenson Mkhala
FORMER PF national chairperson Samuel Mukupa says people will be fighting for Kandolo (sweet potatoes) next year once commodity prices increase in view of the upward adjustment of fuel pump prices as well as dry spells.

And Mukupa says removing all members of the Central Committee will cause confusion in PF.

In an interview, Mukupa said people would remember Kandolo because the price of bread would most likely skyrocket next year.

“Next year, people should value traditional foods particularly, if there is not enough maize, and enough nshima to go round. If there won’t be enough maize, the price of bread will skyrocket which is most likely. If fuel becomes expensive, and electricity becomes expensive, you expect that the price of mealie meal will also go up.

The price of wheat or bread flour will also go up. That is what I am saying that next year people will remember Kandolo,” Mukupa said.

“That was even my argument this year, I said ‘why do we want to develop exotic lifestyles?’ We have traditional food, with a bit of peanut butter to get nourished, but everybody thought I had gone mad, people were questioning my sanity. Today, people are being asked to grow cassava and sorghum, those are crops that are resilient to drought.

Next year that is coming, we will be fighting for kandolo. We can only pretend, but we can’t pretend for long. We will find that we can only buy bread three times a week, what do we do with the four days? When you have Kandolo you only need peanut butter or only water, it’s a full meal.

How do you eat bread? You will need eggs, polony, find tomatoes and onions in order for you to make a sandwich.”

Mukupa claimed that there were people who were on payroll to cause havoc in the party.

“We have a Central Committee which adjudicates, removing all members of the Central Committee and simply saying it must be dissolved is anarchy, it is confusion. They should hand over to the next group.

That is what the constitution says because doing that at this moment will obviously be doing away with the constitution. If you remove the constitution what do you remain with?” questioned Mukupa.

“I have no interest in people who are on payroll to create havoc in the party. If they are members of the party, they will wait for the position of the party. If they have an agenda which doesn’t run in the party, they will be soon known for what they are.

What government programme is there that necessitates us as a matter of emergency to have a meeting? The party programme is not campaigning, it is rebranding. Some people want to start campaigning for what? We don’t know.”

» MORE @ Diggers.News

By Brian Mulenga

The essential ingredient for making petrol is crude oil When the price of petrol was last adjusted it was $65 per barrel. Today it’s is $75 per barrel.

When the price was adjusted in 2019 the dollar was trading at K13 per dollar today it is at 16.5.

Let us do some simple arithmetic here

$65 multiplied by 13 = K 845
$75 multiplied by 16.5 = K 1237.50

So the price of the raw material of producing petrol in kwacha terms has gone up 46.45 per cent.

If I increase K17. 62 by 46.45 per cent I get K 25.89.

That is the real cost of a litre of fuel today. Just this simple Maths tells me that even now the only way the price of fuel has not reached K 25.89 is because we have removed VAT and excise duty.

Whatever way we want to do these things we simply don’t have the money to subsidize fuel by K8.27 per litre.

According to ERB we consume 1. 2 million litres of petrol per day. So K8.27 multiplied 1.2 million gives K9.924 million a day.

That is just petrol. We consume even more diesel. 2.5 Million litres per day. That too is subidised. Plus kerosene. Plus HFO. Plus LPG.

In short for us to maintain the same fuel price we need more than K30 million per day or $1.9 million dollars per day or $ 693.5 million per year.

K 25.89 per litre. Keep that figure. That is the real cost reflective price for a litre of petrol. The price of fuel was going to go up whether we like it or not.

Just the depreciation of the kwacha was going to ensure that. Not the IMF not PF not UPND just the cost in kwacha terms for producing a litre of petrol.

In Economics they say there is no free lunch. This is a clear example of this.

OUR REPUTATION IS GROWING POSITIVELY ON THE WORLD STAGE

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a United States Government Agency, on 15 December, 2021, selected Zambia as being eligible to develop a five (5) year grant program (Compact). This will be Zambia’s second Compact, following the expiry of the first one in November, 2018.

The first Compact (see notes below) focused on rehabilitating Lusaka’s core water system, expanding water supply and sewage networks, and improving the City’s drainage backbone. Progress was made with 24.8km length of drainages completed, 330 km length of water distribution network completed, and 92km total length of core water pipes replaced.

Today, let me take this opportunity to join #President #Hakainde #Hichilema in thanking the Board of MCC for selecting Zambia for the development of a second grant (Compact). The new Compact will definitely supplement the Government’s efforts in delivering development to citizens.

Several weeks ago, I accompanied our President to the United States of America for the #UN General Assembly (UNGA). On the sidelines of the #UNGA, the President led us in talks with the Millennium Challenge Corporation at a meeting held in Washington, DC.

Wednesday’s positive decision by MCC is, therefore, an affirmation of the productive nature of our #Washington engagement. We will soon have a new Compact; a clear demonstration of the excellent partnership that exists between the Governments of the Republic of Zambia, and the United States of America. MCC’s decision to select #Zambia as being eligible to develop a new Compact, is also a great sign of Zambia’s growing positive reputation on the world stage. We will keep building on these positive sentiments, through partnerships based on trust, cordiality, and mutual interests.

We are aware that the governance standards of #MCC are rigorous. Often, the set yardsticks are also the basis on which MCC’s commitment to deliver sustainable economic growth, and help reduce poverty throughout the entire lifecycle of its #investments, is weighted. Therefore, it is encouraging that Zambia was selected for the second Compact because the new dawn Government has demonstrated commitment to #democratic #governance, investing in people, and pursuing #economic #freedom.

MCC investments are targeted at addressing constraints to economic #growth. Therefore, the Zambian Government will be expected to facilitate a constraints analysis process to identify factors hindering growth in the country. The outcome will form the basis for the selection of #projects and activities to be included in the second Compact agreement between the Government of Zambia and MCC.

We are looking forward to working with MCC to develop programs that will achieve our common developmental goals.

Dr. #Situmbeko #Musokotwane, MP
MINISTER OF #FINANCE AND NATIONAL #PLANNING

***

NOTES:

Recent compacts signed between MCC and other eligible countries have ranged from about US$330-$500 million.

Zambia’s first compact was for an amount of approximately US$350 million. The specific projects that were completed included:

 Rehabilitation of Kafue Water Works. Intake and high lift pumps were replaced;

 Rehabilitation of ten (10) water distribution centers;

 Construction of the Chelston reservoir, and sealing of old reservoirs;

 Rehabilitation of the Kaunda Square Waste Stabilisation Ponds;

 Water supply distribution network to Kwamwena/Ndeke/Vorna Valley Residential Areas;

 Improving and upgrading the bombay drainage; and,

 Construction of the Mazyopa drain at the tail end of the Bombay drain.

Laura Miti, Sishuwa Sishuwa in a social media spat over Nakacinda

ALLIANCE for Community Action executive director Laura Miti and University of Zambia academic Sishuwa Sishuwa were yesterday involved in a rare spat on Twitter over the detention of PF information and publicity chairperson Raphael Nakacinda.

Nakacinda was detained at Chelstone police station for alleged defamation of the President after the binoculars man claimed that Hakainde Hichilema has been meeting unnamed judges at Community House.

The detention of the PF official has drawn mixed reaction from the public.

Some people have argued that Nakacinda should be ignored because he is looking for political relevance.

Others have welcomed his arrest, saying his remarks were careless and have the potential to damage the integrity of the judiciary.

Following the detention of Nakacinda yesterday, celebrated human rights defender Laura Miti took to Twitter to demand for the repeal of the defamation law but not without taking a swipe at the opposition PF official.

“Defamation of the President is an archaic law that needs to be scrapped. The law is no less unpalatable when used on an obnoxious, annoying person like Raphael Nakachinda, who is clearly looking for trouble”, wrote the ACA director.

In response, Sishuwa criticised Miti for calling the suspect names.

The UNZA lecturer indirectly accused the civil society icon of double standards in how she was treating the failings of the New Dawn government compared to the administration of President Edgar Lungu.

“Could you not have made the point that the defamation of the President law is archaic without calling Nakacinda names? Under Lungu, you probably would have criticised the president in whose name the detention of Nakacinda is being carried out. Now you are criticising the victim?”, Sishuwa asked.

Some netizens criticised Miti as having become a UPND zealot since the election of President Hichileme while others took issue with Sishuwa’s characterisation of Nakacinda as a victim.

“…politics entanglement is when one utilised the opportunity to Express for boasting ….defaming others and ego hypertism..”, wrote Emmanuel Mwakyusa in a veiled criticism of Miti.

“Imagine, criticising the victim. Activism is not easy because you don’t have to take sides”, wrote Chileshe Soko while Phillip claimed that “Laura Miti is a sellout of the current regime. Her once upon time firebrand activism and patriotic citizen is gone. She’s now dancing to the regime music 4whatever reasons.”

Several of Miti’s supporters disagreed with Sishuwa’s characterisation of Nakacinda as a ‘victim’.

ES Lombe wrote “How is he a victim? Can he prove what he said? It puts the judicial system into disrepute and portrays them untrustworthy. He issued a statement of FACT he’s called upon to substantiate his statement with evidence. Victim no, irresponsible yes”.

Elijah Yamukani added “How is Nakachinda a victim here? did he defame the president? YES” while Katongo Mweshi expressed surprise with a meme that “Ine am shocked, ati Nakciinda is a victim”, to which Miti laughed in agreement.

In response, Sishuwa explained that Nakacinda “is a victim of the same law being acknowledged as archaic and one that should have no place in a democracy. While it is appropriate to criticise the defamation law, it is unfair and unjust to judge Nakacinda as guilty already because, it is said, he is “looking for trouble”.

Albin Njekwa, a supporter of the ACA director, defended Miti, saying “She’s stating a fact, Nakachinda is annoying and obnoxious. To her at least. And many others. It’s totally disingenuous of you to ignore her main point and make a meal of side note”

Sishuwa replied that “If I understood her point correctly, it is that the defamation of the president law is archaic and should have no place in a democracy. What was so difficult about stating this point without blaming the victim? Democracies are noisy and cantankerous by their very constitution”, he tweeted.

Njekwa advised Sishuwa to ignore Miti’s attacks on Nakacinda but instead focus on the archaic law.

“My point is that you’re straining at a gnat (Laura’s opinion of Nakachinda) while you swallow the camel (the archaic law). Priorities”, wrote Njekwa.

Another Twitter user, Given Chansa, disagreed with Njekwa, writing that “I am in support of
@ssishuwa
. We don’t need to practice tribal democracy of you are either with us or you are a very horrible human being. What democracy would it even be if all we did were things that sounded nice to each other? And who really gets to decide on who is obnoxious?”, Chanda asked.

“What I don’t get about madam Miti is that she appears to make a judgement call on which Zambians’ human rights & freedoms are deserving of her defence.Like how does that really work?”, tweeted Chansa.

Undone, Njekwa responded that “[The] Problem is the archaic law but Laura’s opinion of Nakachinda is all that draws your attention? Smh.”

Chansa stated that Miti was a human rights defender who should not choose whose rights to defend.

“To the extent that I am aware, Laura speaks on and for the freedoms & rights of the public, the Zambian public. Her opinion of the people she is meant to speak for matters perhaps more than anything else she does, the fact of that ought to be obvious”, tweeted Chansa.

Kalemba December 16, 2021

By Diamone Siulapwa

……..at stake, for both parties is the heart of their political party’s life, a loss for PF will no doubt mean the end of PF as a party and they will quickly go into extinction while a loss for UPND will mean the people have lost interest and it will even be more clear that, most people who voted for UPND where more interested in removing PF than voting UPND into power.

ECZ Having set the by-election for Kabwata constituency for January 20th, the opposition Patriotic Front hopes to put up a spirited fight for political survival using any means possible to prove to Zambians that they are still relevant, mind you; they are still loaded to the brim.

On the other hand, HH’s UPND will now stand the test of time, as to whether the support and revolutionary vote that ushered them into power is still in their favor.

At stake, for both parties is the heart of their political party’s life, a loss for PF will no doubt mean the end of PF as a party and they will quickly go into extinction

A loss for UPND will mean the people have lost interest and it will even be more clear that, most people who voted for UPND where more interested in removing PF than voting UPND into power.

But election opinion polls on the ground are different, as things currently stand in Kabwata constituency, both the UPND and the PF might be casualties to any formidable independent that will stand.

The reality of the matter is that Zambians have already made up their minds. The high cost and unpredictable cost of living brought about by PF and its runaway inflation, unemployment and unchecked corruption are still on Zambian minds, so PF MAY not stand a chance and on the other hand, the work and direction policy of UPND in the last 100 days will speak for itself on 20th of January, what will it be?

Added to these predicaments, each political party has a short space of time to convince its supporters to go and vote on January 20th. It is also anticipated that many registered voters are likely to stay away due to various reasons and the turnout is estimated to be below 40%.

While anything is possible, it will be naïve for UPND to underestimate PF. PF still has very strong grassroots numbers and mobilization teams in Kabwata constituency. UPND on the other hand may enjoy a bit of a sympathy vote, which may not be enough to score a win without massive grassroots mobilization.

For the record, the results for the last elections (top three) in August which had a turnout of 71% were as follows: UPND’s levy Mkandawire (late) 38,665 votes translating to 51.59%, PF’s Danny Yenga 31,675, translating to 41.99% and SP’s Mundia Mukubesa got 4,503, translating to 5.91%.

By Edward Chisha

Events of yesterday December 14, will forever live in the hearts of most senior UPND operatives as a bitter reminder that the PF and its leaders may have capsized at the polls but are still formidable in the Zambian game of political cat and mouse.

The UPND, which from its founding has sought to project themselves as the intellectual reservoir in Zambian politics, found themselves flatfooted and eating dust in spoonfuls after Bowman and the ‘clique’ pulled a quick smart move on them.

The UPND, as early as Monday, held protest and marched to police stations in a mischievous naive bid to coerce the police into arresting Raphael Nakachinda for defaming the Head of State. The UPND also simultaneously set the vicious quasi judicial-politico state machinery into action as they set the Attorney General on Nakachinda for serious case of contempt of court.

To all who analysed, the UPND had finally come of age as the ruling party and were setting the ground rules upon which lumpens like Nakachinda and moderates like Given Lubinda would engage with them.

However, the UPND’s celebrations were as temporal as an erection.

By afternoon, Nakachinda’s buddy since the MMD times, Bowman Lusambo came to his aid.

Political genius Lusambo went to the court and withdrew his and other PF MPs’ petition against the Speaker over being chased from Parliament.

With stroke of genius, the Attorney General remained with no case upon which to base his Contempt of Court proceedings which had posed a real risk to Nakachinda’s freedoms especially that the court previously kept the likes of Journalist Sinjela and other in jail for contempt of court.

Realising that all they were left with was a lousy and leaking case of Defamation of the President which is unlikely to see victory in court, the mood in the UPND camp turned from celebration to tears.

In frustration at being outsmarted on the political chess board and being left with their red pants down, some UPND cadres turned violent.

At their own volition, the Red Cadres rushed to Chelstone Police and caused some fake fracas so that they could be arrested and join Nakachinda in police cells; that they achieved and we can only imagine the massaging that the man with a binoculars has received from his Red cell mates.

Credit:Kalemba

NAKACINDA’S ARREST ON DEFAMATION OF THE PRESIDENT MAY BE GOOD FOR THE CHALLENGE OF THE CONTINIED EXISTENCE OF THE DEFAMATION LAWS IN ZAMBIA.

I have heard people demanding for the release of Nakacinda who is facing among other charges, the Defamation of President.

I don’t agree with those who want Nakacinda to be released without a charge or full trial on charge of defamation of the president, if it is the cause of his arrest.

However, he must be able to enjoy his right to a police bond or court bail then serve the full course of the trial.

This charge has been used before against critics of the President and may continue to be used in future if not challenged now.

The solution is not to condemn the complainants, arrest and or the arresting officers but the continued existing of this bad law and those who want to perpetuate the status quo by demanding the release of those who come into confrontation with this bad law.

This law is archaic and those that have fallen victim of it have just fought for their liberty and freedom and not for future of their brothers and sisters, in this case the Nakacindas.

Calling for the release of Pastor Nakacinda without trial is the start of lawlessness in any country and the support for the continued existing of this bad, draconian, archaic and colonial law.

The beginning to an end in the application and misapplication of such a bad law is not to Ignore the law but to amend it or repeal it all together and such arrests provide a good launch pad for such an action.

Law enforcement agencies must not be blamed for enforcing the existing laws whether good or bad whether they injure democracy or not.

We must condemn those who do not do anything to challenge these laws because waiting for the state to repeal such a law which benefits it at its own volition may be a nightmare.

This is why since colonial days, this law has been entertained onto our statute books yet society complains without taking action.

As democrats and human rights defenders, we must be weary of making existing bad laws redundant just because it injures society or democracy, no but must challenge their existence.

Police must apply it equally and then society should be able to see whether that law is necessary or not and call for its repeal and replacement if need be.

Defamation law is one of such laws which is not only old and archaic bad to exist in a democratic society which must be repealed forthwith.

Meanwhile, as it continues to exist in Zambia, it will be binding on all citizens and citizens must be law abiding or break the law and challenge its constitutionality in court.

This is what we did with section 57 of the Penal Code on publication of false news with intent to cause public fear and alarm.

For me, therefore, I would encourage Mr Nakacinda to use his arrest based on the defamation of the president law to challenge the continued existence of this law in court than pleading for being released or leniency.

This is an opportunity for Zambia through Mr Nakacinda’s arrest and if it is the charge he was going to be slapped with, to challenge the defamation law and Nakacinda may be our saviour not a victim of this law.

Let us all unite in systematically do away with bad laws which successive governments have failed to repeal and replace.

Let us desist from condemning the law enforcement agencies who are helping us open our eyes to see the bad laws which require repeal since themselves can’t have that mandate to change but to enforce bad or good law.

I submit

McDonald Chipenzi

By Ulande Nkomesha

LEADER of the opposition in Parliament Brian Mundubile says the premature arrests and announcements about perceived corruption cases have destroyed families.

Addressing the media at Parliament, Tuesday, Mundubile said the fight against corruption had turned into political persecution.

“There is no fight against corruption, there is just political persecution. You don’t fight corruption loudly. If you put systems in place, you have got institutions in place, if Mundubile is corrupt even without putting him on TV, the ACC will move in, investigate, take him to court and prosecute him. So what we are seeing is just drama, trying to hoodwink the people that something is being done. The worry that I have, normally we have seen this before, when you see that drama happening, just know that there is very little happening elsewhere. This is just to keep people busy and also to try to dent [PF’s image]. The major effort there is trying to dent the PF as a corrupt political party. But that would not work,” he said.

“PF is just a club with individual members belonging to that club. Even as you have UPND as a club, you have corrupt elements within that club. You could have corrupt elements within the PF. So as opposed to painting the entire party black or the entire political membership black, come up with credible evidence and follow individuals that may be corrupt so that the law takes its course. This wholesome shotgun approach where you want everybody shot at, everybody detained, so that in the minds of the Zambian people they believe that this is a corrupt party, that will not work. Sooner or later these cases have to be taken to court, people have to adduce evidence against these people that have been arrested.”

He said premature arrests and announcements about perceived corruption cases had just destroyed families for nothing.

“So they should also look at the backlash, what will happen when these cases go to court, these people are acquitted and so on? My argument on the fight against corruption has been the same that strengthen systems that fight corruption. First of all, strengthen systems that stop corruption from happening in the first place. The only statements that we should be hearing are that so and so has been convicted of some corrupt practices.

Premature arrests and announcements have just destroyed families for nothing. People that have been arrested on camera, publicized and later there is no evidence against these people, and there is no way of atoning the damage that you cause on these innocent individuals,” Mundubile said.

He said the UPND had failed to deliver many campaign promises despite being in government for three months.

“When the Zambian people voted for the UPND, they had certain expectations, if those have been met, then they will instill confidence in the people. So one of the things to look at when you are looking at leadership is integrity and when you talk about integrity, it is being able to sustain your position or fulfill promises that you make. Has the UPND done that? The Zambian people were of the view that President Hichilema knows what he is talking about, he is going to improve the economy.

Now we are three, four months in now, one would argue and say this is too soon to judge them. We want to judge them based on their policy statements that they are making. Is there a provision in the budget that points to a reduction in fuel prices? The answer is no! Is there anything in the budget that citizens will be paid K1,500 [increment]? The answer is no,” said Mundubile. “What has happened so far, the party manifesto, the President’s maiden speech, the budget and many other policy statements, we already had a picture of what 2022 is going to be. So you don’t have to wait until December 2022 to evaluate the performance of these people. So we have a general picture, it may even get worse, it can’t get better. I want to ask them one question, they have only been in government for three months, there are so many promises they haven’t fulfilled. Why is that UPND was in a hurry to implement the promises that they made to the mining companies and they are not in a hurry to implement the promises that they made to the Zambian voter?”
Credit: News Diggers

Journalist, Kennedy Limwanya writes:

CONGRATULATIONS TO COMRADE NICHOLAS PHIRI

ELEVEN days ago, on Sunday, 5 December 2021, Nicholas Phiri was due to give his farewell news analysis on Prime Tv following his presidential appointment as permanent secretary two days earlier.

He felt he could not analyse the news alone on his last day.

So, on the morning of that day, Nicholas phoned me and requested that I appear with him on the news analysis of that evening’s Prime Tv 19:30 hours main news.

I obliged, prepared for the evening and, for the first time ever, Prime TV had two news analysts on set.

The farewell was done!

I had waited to pen my congratulatory message for Nicholas until he had been sworn in.

Yesterday, Wednesday, 15 December 2021, it came to pass.

President Hakainde Hichilema swore in Mr Nicholas Phiri as permanent secretary in charge of special duties at Cabinet Office.

Following Nicholas’ swearing in, questions were being asked on why he had been given that position as there was already another permanent secretary for special duties at Cabinet Office, Patrick Mucheleka.

My take on this question is that there is nothing strange about having more than one permanent secretary in charge of special duties at Cabinet Office.

Sometime in 2015, there were three permanent secretaries for special duties at Cabinet Office in the names of Augustine Seyuba, Bert Mushala and a woman whose name I have since forgotten.

So, congratulations to my fellow news analyst, Nicholas, on his well deserved appointment in the public service.

As executive director of a civil society organisation, Zitukule Consortium, Nicholas was a fearless human rights activist who could not shy away from challenging even the highest office in the land.

That was the very reason why, in March 2021, he fled into exile where he remained for six months and only returned to Zambia after the 12 August general elections which brought a new government in office.

The Zambian government had wanted to arrest Nicholas whose Zitukule Consortium had helped the Hatembo siblings, Pheluna and Milton, hide from state operatives who wanted them captured and murdered.

The murder would then be blamed on a certain opposition leader, thus making it impossible for him to contest the Zambian presidency.

But our plans are not God’s plans.

Because Nicholas had fled Zambia, Pheluna and Milton are still alive and no opposition leader was barred from aspiring for the presidency.

The evil conspiracy failed to work.

I just wish to end by, once again, congratulating Comrade Nicholas Phiri on his appointment.

*In the picture, Nicholas’ farewell news analysis.

CONGOLESE SINGER KOFFI OLOMIDE SENTENCED IN FRANCE FOR KIDNAPPING

Summary:
The Congolese singer was, however, acquitted of sexual assault charges he had earlier on been charged with on the same dancers– the former members of his Quartier Latin band.

The sexual assault on the dancers had allegedly been perpetrated between 2002 and 2006 in the singer’s villa in Asnières, a town in the Paris region.
Koffi Olomide, 65, is a successful star of romantic rumba and has a stellar reputation.

More by this Author:

Congolese rhumba star Koffi Olomidé has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for the kidnapping of his former dancers.

The Versailles Court in France pronounced the verdict on December 13. The Congolese singer was, however, acquitted of sexual assault charges he had earlier on been charged with on the same dancers– the former members of his Quartier Latin band.

The sexual assault on the dancers had allegedly been perpetrated between 2002 and 2006 in the singer’s villa in Asnières, a town in the Paris region.

The acquittal on the sexual assaults is “given for the benefit of the doubt,” explained the president of the 7th Correctional Chamber of the Versailles Court of Appeal, referring in particular to the “evolving, sometimes contradictory statements” of the complainants.

The singer’s judicial record is heavy and includes a conviction in 2019 in France, for rape of a minor under 15 years old and sequestration of four of his dancers. At first instance, the Nanterre court gave him a two-year suspended sentence instead of the seven-year prison sentence requested by the prosecution.

The star had appealed against the sentence.

The Versailles court’s verdict on his 18-month sentence came after the Congolese star had left France.

The singer denied the accusations by his former dancers. He said that “the dream of the young women who accuse me was to live in France and obtain papers from associations.”

Koffi Olomide said that “women are very well protected, we must also listen to our point of view”.

Koffi Olomide has been performing live in different locations. Recently, the singer caused a buzz after going to the war-torn areas in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo dressed in military fatigue.

In early November, after he returned from Paris where he had gone to attend his first trial session, Koffi Olomide went to seek solace at the large Kimbanguiste church in Nkamba in the western province of Kongo-Central, where he confessed to the spiritual leader of the church that he was “overwhelmed by problems”.

Koffi Olomide, 65, is a successful star of romantic rumba and has a stellar reputation.

In 2016, he was expelled from Kenya following a public assault on one of his dancers. The singer apologised, acknowledging “a little moment of distraction”.

In 2018, Zambia issued a warrant of arrest against him for assaulting a photographer- being one of the incidences that have created a particularly heavy past for the boss of the Quartier Latin band.

Popular Congolese singer Koffi Olomide has been sentenced to 18 months in prison on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 by the Versailles Court in France.According to The Standard, the veteran singer was sentenced to jail for holding four women (his former dancers) against their will.

However, he was cleared of the rape charge levelled against him.

The court cleared him of the rape allegations because of the conflicting evidence presented.

The lawyers to the ladies said his clients are disappointed with the ruling after the rape charges were dropped.

“Obviously they will be disappointed with the sexual assault verdicts because for them it was the most important thing,” he said.

In 2014 while performing in Zambia the Congolese musician, Koffi Olomide, attacked Jean Ndayisenga at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel as the photographer attempted to take a picture of the musician. Olomide kicked him in the face and damaged the flash of his camera.

The music star was reportedly deported from Kenya in 2016 after he was caught on camera assaulting a young lady.

SOURCE: The EasternAfrican

POWER MUST BE CAGED BY THE SYSTEM

It is a well-known fact that throughout history, those who administer or control the criminal justice system hold the power with the potential for abuse and tyranny.

The statutory powers to arrest and prosecute those who commit crimes should be reasonably exercised and in good faith.

By allowing people to be unjustifiably arrested, detained and prosecuted, those in power are sending a dangerous signal that the criminal justice system can used to persecute and fix opponents of the regime.

I think we are quickly drifting back to the dark days of the PF Friday afternoon arrests and detentions to fix political opponents.

The way Davies Chama was arrested and detained for days raised serious concerns and we expressed them. He was arrested and detained for attempted murder but ended up with a charge of assault.

We witnessed a similar handling of Stephen Kampyongo. And now there’s the case of Raphael Nakacinda.

Can’t these arrests be done in a better and more humane way?

Power must be caged by the system. There’s need to administer justice impartiality. Impartial law enforcement should be guaranteed by institutions.

We should apply institutions to every aspect of law enforcement as a wall wired with high-tension electricity line.

The only antidote to the culture of venality is the readiness of our criminal justice system to apply the laws fairly and equally.

In Freedom under the Law, Lord Denning wisely remarked, “All power corrupts. Total power corrupts absolutely. And the trouble about it is that an official who is the possessor of power often does not realise when he is abusing it.

Its influence is so insidious that he may believe that he is acting for the public good when, in truth, all he is doing is to assert his own brief authority. The Jack-in-office never realises that he is being a little tyrant.

” We should at all times uphold the rule of law, integrity of the criminal justice system and the right to a fair trial.

Fred M’membe

OF VICTIMISATION

By Jonas Shakafuswa

I feel for the PF leadership and it’s followers. I feel for my elder brother Given Lubinda. Looks like he is being called every time PF member is “victimized”.

But then let us look back from where we are coming from. Zambia is poor today because of such leadership PF provided. I can also say the same of the RB regime. To be fair I feel we should revisit RB files. Pilfering from the State was rife with RBs regime. But it was perfected in the PF reign.

People look forward to Government to run their affairs. They entrust public resources in the hands of the people elected to run the affairs of State. What happens when these people corruptly use their authority to steal from the people through corrupt activities. We are in debt as a nation,while these so called leaders are super rich not from efficient running of their businesses, but from pilfering public resource.

Should they cry foul when the people demand accountability and punish those offenders. Let us be serious. There is no persecution. There is no tribe which is being harassed at the moment. It is those that have perpetuated peoples’ suffering who are being asked to account. PF used it position in Government to harass and dehumanise its perceived enemies.

Today they are asked to account. Some thief’s are calling on their tribes to rally behind them. A thief is a thief. Full stop. Only foolish tribesmen would call State Law Enforcement authorities effort to recover and punish those who abused their authority and trust of the people as persecution.

It looks like these people were very selfish as they used tribal cliques to share the National cake. Today the people are demanding justice. Let justice prevail. If it is only your region which supplied the offenders, just prepare for solidarity visits to the Police Stations and Prisons. The good news is that Home Affairs is not run by a lunatic anymore. They will be no Police to shoot you or stop you from solidarity visitation. Let the offenders face the music. It is Dununa reverse for real.

Am really looking forward for an audit at the Ministry of Finance of how debt contracted was being shared by the Chipani.

By Mwenya Mofya,

FORMER works and supply minister Sylvia Chalikosa says the PF may get sympathy votes in any of the upcoming elections owing to the continued persecution of senior party members.

In an interview, Chalikosa wondered why some atrocities perpetrated by the UPND in the past were not being followed up by law enforcement agencies.

“I would probably say that it is also selective persecution. We are aware that going back into time, there were some atrocities that were performed by members of the UPND. For instance the killing of Chanda in Southern Province, he was brutally killed and I think the perpetrators of that murder have not been taken to task.

Unless they are already in jail, I do not know. That is something that is not being talked about. There are other atrocities that have happened in the past that were performed by members of the UPND but we are not seeing that brought to the fore,” she said.

“This brings to mind that, is it just the prosecution of selective justice? Even if you are going to hunt for senior members of PF and trying to obliterate PF, [it] will not work. PF is a large opposition party now and its members are too many for you to go at each and every one of them.

Even if you touch a few big fishes here and there, the onus is on you to prove their wrongdoing. In an event that you fail to prove wrongdoings, then UPND stands to lose faith.”

And when asked whether the alleged persecution of PF members would affect the UPND’s performance in any upcoming election, Chalikosa said the PF could even get sympathy votes.

“It is possible because when people start forming an opinion about your organisation, they either support or not support you. So depending on how you are taking it, they may support or not. You know, we may even get a sympathy vote because we are being persecuted. But then again, we are not looking for sympathy but we are just saying the Zambian President must do the right thing,” she said.

“Justice must be justice and not vengeance. Even these nullifications of the PF seats, why is it only in PF? What is the status of the other cases that PF is following up? What has happened with that? Have there been any rulings on the cases that PF has appealed on? Nothing, we have not heard anything.”

Chalikosa said the UPND government wanted PF members to be bankrupt through the continued payment of legal fees.

“So if they will keep on with these arrests, five years will be up and before they know it, time would have run out. The idea being that they want PF to be bankrupt with law fees. You know, every time going to court and paying lawyers because of this and that.

So my thinking is that they want to bankrupt our members who could be constantly paying legal fees. However, we may come into an arrangement where we have lawyers who are doing work for us pro bono. So what would have the UPND achieved at the end of the day?” asked Chalikosa.

“I think the best thing that can happen here is for them to concentrate on what they can deliver to the people of Zambia rather than being sensational about saying ‘in 2015 or 2014 this happened’, really? Are we going to live our lives in the past? I think it is a waste of time.

These fights of corruption that are perceived to have been done in the past usually yield very little results. When you are outside you imagine that all sorts of things happened, when in truth those things were not even happening.”

By Peter Sinkamba

HE ARREST OF NAKACHINDA FOR ALLEGED CONTEMPT OF COURT: WHICH COURT? AND WHICH JUDGE? OR JUDGES?

The Supreme Court of Zambia, in the case of Chifire and other, elaborated in detail what constitutes contempt of court. Being a criminal matter, contempt of court must not be prosecuted merely on conjectures and speculation. Criminal cases must be must be prosecured based on evidence beyond any reasonable doubt.

I saw the clip where Nakachinda was captured talking about some judges meeting the President bla bla bla. He never made mention of any specific name of a judge or judges. And he made no specific mention of a court or courts.

Of course, there are several election-related cases before High Court judges across the country. And there are several court cases before the Concourt. Which one of the courts was Nakachinda talking about? High Court or Concourt?

I repeat what I said a couple of days ago: President Bally should be very careful with State Security agencies. They can deliberately do things to promote a government. And they can do things to deliberately undermine a government and thereby lead to its downfall. Knowing the difference is what most leaders fail to decipher in good time.

UPND and President Bally should be the last to talk about commentaries on the justice system. Do you recall Mr. Henry Chilombo of Lufwanyama who at one point appealled to former DPP to commemce contempt proceedings against Mr. Hichilema? Did the DPP commence those proceedings? Do you remember the allegations?

Mr. Hichilema, was on 10th October, 2017, or thereabout, alleged to have called three Constitutional Court Judges, namely, Her Ladyships Mungeni Mulenga, Anne M. Sitali and His Lordship, Palan Mulonda, as “agents of evil and three musketeers, a crop of judges Zambia has, (who are ) totally disgruntled and corrupt.” Did the Attorney General commence contempt proceedings against him? Did the police arrest him for that?

Do you recall that former Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) President, Linda Kasonde condemned Mr. Hichilema for accusing judges of corruption without valid evidence? Did she commence contempt proceedings against him or report him to Police to be arrested and charged for accusations? By the way, I am surprised that her Chapter One Foundation has lately, especially after elections, been remarkably quiet on constitutional issues! Whatever has happened!

And do you recall that in a separate letter to Judge Hilda Chibomba as President of the Constitutional Court, the said Mr. Chilombo argued that the failure by the Constitutional Court to prosecute Mr. Hichilema for contempt has given rise to continued issuance of contemptuous remarks against Constitutional Court Judges by members of the public? Did the court proceed to cite him for contempt? Do you recall what the Concourt said on contempt of court and the People’s Court?

Of course, the issuance of careless and unsubstantiated allegations of corruption against judges has the potential to create anarchy and eroding public confidence in the courts of law, which are key institutions of governance. However, UPND and President Bally should be the last to talk about it. And they should not be too overzealous on such commentaries. They need deep reflection on where we are coming from and where we are going as a Nation.

As the Head of State in a Christian Nation, we appeal to President Bally to always be guided by the Golden Rule of the Christian Doctrine: Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you. Before he was elected President he always complained of the 16 times he was arrested on flimsy grounds. His executive branch should always remember those complaints.

And President Bally knows too well how much support I rendered to him when he was incarcerated for the so called “treason”.

So, as the Supreme Court demonstrated in previous contempt cases before it, where a court thinks a person has crossed the red line, inside or outside court premises, the court doesn’t need a policeman to arrest that person or the Attorney General or any other person to make application for contempt. The court will surely move itself and cause the alleged offender to appear before it. So imwe Ba UPND, and the executive branch of Government, bola panshi.

The people of Zambia emphatically made it loud and clear they dont want a Police State. Read their lips.

Please focus on economic delivery, and we will whole heartedly support you all the way. Spend more energy in that regard. That is where it matters the most

LUSAMBO, 7 OTHERS DROP CASE AGAINST SPEAKER

By Enock Kademaunga

KABUSHI PF member of parliament Bowman Lusambo and seven others have discontinued the matter in which they challenged Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti’s decision to ban them from attending Parliament.

This is according to a notice of discontinuance filed in the Lusaka High Court on Wednesday.

“Take Notice that the applicants herein have forthwith discontinued the application for an order for leave to move for judicial review dated December 7, 2021,” the notice read.
In this matter, Lusambo and seven others namely Lukas Simumba (Nakonde), Kalalwe Mukosa (Chinsali Central), Mutotwe Kafwaya (Lunte), Taulo Chewe Lubanseshi, Chibuye Christopher (Mkushi North), Joseph Malanji (Kwacha), and Allen Banda (Chimwemwe) have cited the Attorney General.

On December 7, 2021, National Assembly Speaker Nelly Mutti ruled that Lusambo and others whose election was nullified by the High Court should not be allowed to continue sitting in parliament even if they had appealed to the Constitutional Court.

And according to an affidavit in support of ex parte summons for an order for leave to move for judicial review filed on December 7, 2021, Lusambo said in August 2021, he and the other applicants were duly elected as members of parliaments for their respective constituencies.

“Subsequently, the said seats were petitioned, and the High Court nullified them. Following the decision of the High Court, we appealed against the said decisions of the High Court and there is currently pending determination by the Constitutional Court,” he submitted.
Lusambo said on November 23, 2021, Solwezi East UPND member of parliament Alex Katakwe rose on a point of order to the Speaker of the National Assembly premised on Article 73 (94) of the Constitution.
“Dr Katakwe further raised a concern regarding the continued attendance of sittings of the House by the eight despite the nullification of their parliamentary seats,” Lusamabo submitted.

He said on December 7, 2021, Speaker Muti announced that all members of parliament whose election had been nullified shall forthwith not take part in parliamentary business.

He said they were ordered to vacate the National Assembly pending the determination of appeals before the Constitutional Court.
“This was after the Speaker took it upon herself to interpret the provisions of the Constitution,” he said.

Lusambo said at the time of the determination of the point of order, proceedings were and are subsisting before the Constitutional Court under cause no 2021/CC/0050, and was thus subjudice.

He said said until final determination of an election petition, an MP whose election was petitioned could continue to hold their seat in parliament pending determination of the Constitutional Court.

Lusambo said it was true that the decision by the Speaker was unconstitutional, thus making it illegal, irrational, and procedurally improper.
Earlier, the court reserved ruling to a date to be communicated in a case Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha sought permission to start contempt proceeding against PF member of the Central Committee Raphael Nakacinda.
This is according to an affidavit in support of summons for leave to commence contempt proceedings.

Kabesha said Nakachinda issued a contemptuous statement aimed at undermining the case in which Lusambo and others were challenging the Speakers.
He argued that the said words were malicious and suggested that there was interference in the judiciary by a member of the executive.
In a briefing on Monday, Nakacinda alleged that President Hakainde Hichilema had been summoning judges at his house with the view of influencing the outcome of the court process.

(CREDIT: The Mast

EVIDENCE WILL LIFT EDGAR’S IMMUNITY, SAYS PANJI … and that investigative wings must be strengthened to investigate sitting Presidents

Colonel Panji Kaunda says it is not President Hakainde Hichilema that will lift former president Edgar Lungu’s immunity but the evidence that will be established during the course of the investigations.

Speaking with Daily Revelation, Col Panji commended the investigative wings on the many cases they are investigating, saying when he and the others were warning over the swelling levels of corruption in president Lungu’s government, they were referred to as being stupid that they did not steal enough during the time their father Dr Kenneth Kaunda was in office.

He mentioned the several cases which were being investigated by the investigative wings, including investigations into Faith Musonda and the over 62 properties, including three malls restricted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and seizure of a motor vehicle from Sipande Mugala, who is said to be connected to a very senior politically exposed person hailing from Chawama in the former PF administration.

He said investigations should be extended to the others also who could be sitting comfortably somewhere.

Col Panji said in the event the investigations pointed towards president Lungu, the evidence is what would move the President to submit to its directive.

“He has told us that in bringing the money back no stone will be left unturned. So if the evidence is there, it’s not the President, it’s the law, it’s the evidence which will lift the immunity,” Col Panji said.

Besides that, Col Panji urged the UPND administration to seek the help of cooperating partners as some of the stolen wealth by former leaders could be stored overseas.

He further said it was the responsibility of the investigative wings to dig deeper and establish the real owners of the wealth, as some people were in the habit of hiding their wealth using proxies and third parties.

Col Panji said the investigative wings must be empowered to be proactive in their operations, by not merely focusing on the alleged offences which were committed in the past, but the offences which could be committed even now, saying even among the current crop of government leaders “there will be a few bad elements.”

“That’s why… http://dailyrevelationzambia.com/evidence-will-lift-edgars-immunity-says-panji-and-that-investigative-wings-must-be-strengthened-to-investigate-sitting-presidents/

ShowUsOurMoney! ECONOMIC HITMEN, STATE CAPTURE, HIGH COST OF LIVING AND GRZ FACILITATION OF MORE LOOTING BY MINES

Zambia lost US$7 billion in illegal emerald trading in 2017. This “black economy” continues to flourish and every year our nation loses US$8 billion. When you add the billions of dollars that cooper mining companies pocket every year through fraudulent accounting and price transferring, you will see that our nation can take a leap from a US$6.6 billion national budget to over US$50 billion, which can transform lives and pay off the debts in one year. It’s a clear lack of love of country to pay debt with debt which is not debt repayment at all!

The new economic hitmen in suits, under the New Stealth Government (NSG), know that mining companies contribute less than 20% to the revenues of the state yet copper mines contribute 77% to the export volume and only 2.4% to employment. Thus, the only paper-based benefit from our copper is computation of GDP, which does not translate into improved welfare because production and revenues are in foreign hands. In the end, it’s the Zambian workers (civil service and private sector) who fund 80% of the national budget through PAYE. Other citizens and workers continue to be victims of double taxation through Withholding Tax, VAT on goods they buy, toll fees, market levies, road tax, road levy on every litre of fuel, council service fees, borehole fees, excise duty on every unit of electricity bought, etc.

In one auction sale of emeralds in Singapore, Kagem made US$28.4 million (just one official sale) – think of the NSG holding a public media event to celebrate less than US$20 million donated to Zambia by the USA!! You leave billions of dollars in your country in favour of moving with a beggar’s bow overseas? In 2019, Kagem contributed US$80 million to revenues. Take note that Zambians only own a paltry 25% in Kagem though the IDC which is chaired by the President of Zambia.

Today, the trend in terms of revenues continue on the same path. The black market makes billions as Main street suffers. Economic hitmen are products of capitalistic systems which made them who they are today. Their allegiance is to international institutions that they have historically served in their careers. This is their religion.

In 2020, the Bank of Zambia bought 282.79 kgs of gold from Zambia Gold Mine Company (a subsidiary of ZCCM-IH) and Kansanshi at K345.6 million. At today’s price, 282.79kgs is over US$16 million. How much more gold has been mined today? How much more emeralds have been mined? How about manganese, nickel, beryl, etc?

The President of Zambia, who is fully in control of all the mining activities in Zambia through his/her role as chairperson of the IDC, which controls ZCCM-IH, has huge authority to change course for the good of the country. Remember that ZCCM-IH has a stake in all major mining companies in Zambia. Whose interests is the President serving between those of the Zambian citizens and foreign owned mining companies?

The economic hitmen under the NSG are facilitating more looting in the mines through policies that have entrenched more revenue losses to the Republic!

Saviour Chishimba
Leader
United Progressive People (UPP)

UPP: #Development of #Zambia for #Zambians!

VOTE for No PAYE; No Sales Tax; No Market & TV levies; No tolls on Public Roads; Land redistribution & decent houses for all Zambians.

28 COUNCIL WORKERS FIRED OVER FRAUD – NKOMBO

TWENTY-EIGHT council workers have been dismissed from their positions for various offences this year, Parliament learnt yesterday.And Matero Member of Parliament (MP) Miles Sampa called for disbandment of the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC).

The local authority employees were fired for fraud, misapplication of funds, forging documents, falsification and distortion. In a policy statement on LGSC, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Gary Nkombo said he expects council workers to execute their duties diligently without disgracing Government. “Employees are expected to fulfil their lawful obligation to Government with professionalism without bringing the service into disrepute,” he said.

Contributing to the debate, Mr Sampa was of the view that the commission should be disbanded because the United Party for National Development (UPND) can easily control councils without LGSC.

The former Lusaka mayor said currently councils have no powers because they receive instructions from the commission.“This money we are passing [in the budget] is just for their personal emoluments and allowances. “How do you expect a commission that sits in Lusaka to know what is happening at Kaputa Council and they take a trip there to fire someone?” Mr Sampa said.

He said some mayors who had good ideas like installing Wi-Fi in public places failed to perform because town clerks were instructed not to implement such pronouncements.Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo said it is unfortunate that the previous administration politicised and used the commission to employ cadres.

Ms Masebo, who is also former minister of Local Government and Housing, said the commission should be used to promote professionalism in local authorities.“Things are different now, we are employing doctors, professors and other people with papers not because of favours.

We can only hope that the commission will employ people on merit,” she said.Kamfinsa MP Christophe KANGOMBE PF who is former Kitwe mayor, wants the commission to employ right people to manage the K25.7 million Constituency Development Fund allocated to each constituency in next year’s national budget.

In winding up debate, Mr Nkombo pledged to normalise the relationship between LGSC and councils so that they are able to work in harmony.Meanwhile, appointment of cadres in public service was the centre of debate under the Civil Service Commission, with Mpika Central MP Francis Kapyanga (PF) urging the new dawn administration to stop appointing political party leaders in the civil service.

Mr Kapyanga said such people fail to perform professionally because of vested interests.Chama North MP Yotam Mutayachalo (PF) said politicians have destroyed the civil service because of appointing cadres in government.

Mr Mutayachalo said during former President Kenneth Kaunda’s administration, people were appointed on merit.“But now even cadres are appointed as permanent secretaries.

We will not stop having reports from the Auditor General because of the calibre of people who are being appointed into the civil service,” he said.But Vice-President W.K.

Mutale-Nalumango said: “It is wrong to appoint unqualified cadres just because they threw stones for you. We are all cadres because we belong to some political party. We have employed qualified people.

NAKACINDA’S BINOCULARS LENSES UNDER VISION TESTING

It might be today or maybe some other days in future but one thing for sure is that Patriotic Front chairperson for Information and Publicity, Raphael Nakacinda’s credibility is under the litmus test.

Probably it is not Mr Nakacinda’s credibility under scrutiny, but the lenses affixed to his binoculars.
He has zoomed either on the right target or he will have to proof that the lenses are working.

Mr Nakacinda is facing contempt of court charges for alleging that President Hakainde Hichilema is interfering with the operations of the judiciary.

Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha has filed an application in the High Court stating that Mr Nakacinda’s comments against the judges are contemptuous as the matter involving eight Members of Parliament is pending before court.

On Monday, Mr Nakacinda alleged that President Hichilema was summoning judges at his place in a bid to threaten and coerce them to make decisions favouring the UPND and thereby render the Parliamentary seats vacant.
This, he says, was seen through his binoculars as he zoomed into Mr Hichilema’s residence.
The eight Members of Parliament who include Kabushi legislator Bowman Lusambo had their elections nullified by the High Court last month.

They have however appealed against the High Court’s decision to the Constitutional court.
In the background of the legal battle is Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti who has ordered the MPs to stay away from the sitting of Parliament until the appeals are determined.

This is what has compelled the affected eight MPs to file judicial review proceedings in the High Court as the past order has had different outcomes.

In the past, MPs whose elections had been nullified in the High Court would sit in National Assembly endlessly enjoying the privileges which included allowances and salaries until the Constitutional Court made a ruling.
The order by the Speaker to ‘chase’ away the MPs on appeal means no more salaries and allowances until the Constitutional Court rules they were either elected legitimately or not.

This is what the judges are expected to rule on today.
But with the drama created by Mr Nakacinda, it remains to be seen whether the normal process of the legal process will evolve without preliminary legal matters.

Otherwise, Mr Nakacinda’s lenses in the binoculars are under a litmus test for a clear vision today. –DIAMOND TV

By Natasha Sakala,

CONSTITUTIONAL lawyer John Sangwa State Counsel has charged that the failure rate at ZIALE exposes the institution as a scam which is not serving its purpose.

Reacting to the recently announced ZIALE bar exams results where only one student passed out of 400, Sangwa wondered if the lecturers were teaching the right material.

“This is a serious indictment on ZIALE as an institution, not on the students. When you have results like that, it’s like you are running a scam. That’s a scam now. ZIALE is a scam. Find out how much money these guys are getting from students. They pay a lot of money to go to ZIALE that even when they re-sit, they still pay. Of course it’s a multi-faceted problem, but ZIALE is the one producing those results. So ZILAE is expected to do some soul searching and come up with a solution because all those courses, people pay money. Why would you pay money when you know what the outcome will be?” he wondered.

“Now, it is the usual kind of situation that we have in Zambia where we see a problem, we start laughing about it. We shouldn’t be laughing, we should be crying. What is happening is not normal, it doesn’t happen anywhere in the world. ZILAE as an institution should not even have announced those results, they should have canceled those results and invited the students to re-sit for the exams. What they are doing is that they are basically stealing money from people, ZIALE is stealing money from people. All what it tells you is that there is something fundamentally wrong with that institution. They are now threatening people to say you have to be mad to go to ZIALE if you know there is only one person who is going to pass. Why would you enroll in a school where you know that chances of passing are almost nil? It doesn’t make sense.”

Sangwa recalled that when he was a lecturer at UNZA, the failure rate in his course created a problem, stressing that he was reprimanded.

“I remember when I had 60 per cent failure rate in my course at UNZA, Senate said we cannot have these results. The dean who was there could not defend me. He tried to explain that the students are bad, and this lecturer is strict, but they said that’s why you are there as a lecturer to teach them. When you continue to have such results, it means there is something fundamentally wrong. It means lecturers are failing to teach. It’s something that requires serious interrogation. The focus should not just be the students,” Sangwa said.

“I taught at UNZA for 20 years, there is no way the senate could allow such results. There is absolutely no way. What is required now is that people need to look at this thing seriously. This problem has been going on for so long and nobody seems to care, nobody seems to address these issues. Yes, it may be an issue with students, but it could be a bigger problem with the lecturers. So in an institution like that, in a normal situation, you should have called a commission of inquiry to try and address the problem. You can’t have a situation like that.”

He said an institution that records such a failure rate is not fit to exist.

All that they are doing is that they are exploiting people who are desperate and believe that once they get there, they get admitted to the bar, they will start earning a living as lawyers. So they continue to pay them. You can’t have a situation like that, it’s abnormal,” said Sangwa.

“Any academic institution that provides those kinds of results is not fit to exist, it’s not fit, it can’t because then what are you doing? Out of 400 you have one person passing, then are you really teaching? That is zero point zero something per cent pass rate. Is that normal for an institution? When you have results like that, attention should shift away from the students to the lecturers.”-News Diggers