WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO ARREST INFLATION?

By Sean Tembo – PeP President

1. Last evening l wrote an article in which l condemned the decision by the central bank’s monetary policy committee to increase the monetary policy rate by 50 basis points from 8.5% to 9%, as a way of trying to arrest inflation. My argument was that such a measure was ill-advised because our inflation is largely cost-push and not demand-pull, and also that credit is not a major source of purchasing power in our economy as it accounts for less than 13% of GDP. I further went on to argue that increasing the MPR will have the detrimental effect of hindering economic growth as well as increasing the cost of living at household level. However, as l was going through some comments related to last evening’s article, l noticed a recurring theme in which readers requested that l provide alternative solutions of how to arrest inflation if not by increasing the MPR. This article seeks to do just that.
3. As argued yesterday, our inflation here in Zambia (both food and non-food) is largely cost-push and not demand-pull. We can further sub-categorize this cost-push inflation into imported and domestic, of which imported cost-push inflation accounts for more than 80% of all the cost-push inflation. Why is this the case? Well, because we are an import-dependent country as we import everything from fuel to toothpicks. Even for the little manufacturing that we do, a large portion of the raw materials are often imported. This largely exposes us to an increase in prices on the world market. For instance, when the prices of oil go up on the world market, the pump prices of fuel has to go up, and fuel being a key production input, it will have a ripple effect as it will increase the cost of transport and generally adversely impact the cost of all goods and services.
5. However, the larger component of our imported cost-push inflation arises from a depreciation of the local currency, the Kwacha. Since for us to import goods to this country, we cannot use the Kwacha but need to use hard currencies such as the US Dollar, when the exchange rate between the Kwacha and the US Dollar depreciates from say K16 to K17.5, as it has done in the past three months or so, then the cost of importing the same amount of goods will go up, even though the person from whom we are importing has not increased their prices. In this particular example, the cost of importing goods would have gone up by approximately 9% [(17.5-16)/16*100]. Suffice to mention that apart from the recent disruption to global supply chain systems due to the pandemic, prices of most goods are generally stable on the world market.
7. So for us to effectively arrest the imported cost-push inflation, we need to address the issue of the depreciation of the Kwacha against major convertible currencies. There are a number of factors that influence the exchange rate of the Kwacha to other currencies which include market confidence, but the most significant is the supply and demand of the hard currencies. For instance, if there is more supply than demand for US$ on the forex market, the Kwacha will appreciate against US$. Now, you may wish to note that our demand for US$ is pretty stable. We need US$ to service our external debt, to import fuel etcetera. In other words, we can easily project with reasonable certainty how much US$ we shall need at what point in time.
9. The supply side of US$ is also quite predictable. In as much as we have tried over the decades to promote non-traditional exports, we have not succeeded much and the mining sector still accounts for more than 90% of our forex supply. Every now and then, foreign direct investment (FDI) does compliment the mining sector, but the mining sector remains the backbone of forex supply. Now, the demand side of forex is largely cast in concrete and steel and we cannot really fiddle with it. I mean we have to service our external debt, whether we like it or not. Similarly, we need to import fuel whether we like it or not. So we cannot do much to manipulate the demand side of forex, but what about the supply side?
11. Well, as a matter of fact, there is a lot that we as a nation can do to increase the total supply of forex into the economy. I have argued before in almost all the PeP Alternative National Budgets that we have prepared since 2017, that the mines remit less than 30 percent of the gross proceeds of mineral exports back to the country. What happens is that let us say XYZ mine (no relation to Slap D) exports $100 million worth of copper to a customer in China, when that customer pays, the $100 million will not land in XYZ mine’s bank account here in Zambia, no. The $100 million will go to XYZ mine’s parent company in Canada, India, Brazil, South Africa or any such country. And then the parent company of XYZ mine will only remit back to Zambia a small amount such as $20 million out of the $100 million to meet local expenses such as salaries, Zesco bills, etcetera. Meanwhile theoretically we are recording an export of $100 million and when we calculate the balance of payment position, we record a surplus. But that surplus is just on paper, in reality we have a perpetual deficit because the $100 million did not enter the Zambian banking system, only $20 million did.
12. In order to address the problem outlined above, Government simply has to pass a regulation that will compel the mines to remit the gross proceeds of their mineral exports. If Slap D’s mine, XYZ exports $100 million worth or copper to China, then the customer has to remit the entire $100 million to XYZ mine’s bank account here in Zambia at Indo, Investrust, ZICB, Natsave or whichever commercial bank XYZ mine maintains an account with. Once the $100 million is remitted back to Zambia, XYZ mine can then make the payments that it needs to in order to sustain its operations, including foreign payments. At the end of the year, once XYZ mine prepares its financial statements, if it declares a profit, it can then proceed to declare a dividend and remit such a dividend to its parent company in Canada, India, Brazil, South Africa etcetera, of course after paying the requisite corporate tax on the profits and withholding tax on the dividends. The measure of compelling all mining companies to remit the gross proceeds of their mineral exports back to Zambia would not only be a game changer in terms of pushing down the exchange rate and addressing imported cost-push inflation, but it would also assist with addressing issues of tax compliance by the mines.
14. So the question then becomes; why hasn’t any administration implemented this measure? Well, as a matter of fact Bashikulu Ba Sata’s administration did attempt to enforce this measure through Statutory Instrument No.55 that was issued through gazette notice number 419 on 25th June 2013. But it was haphazardly conceived and implemented as it sought to achieve too many things at once. The key thing about reforms is that you keep them simple and make them gradual over time, so that you learn as you go. The other challenge was that SI 55 focused largely on outward remittances from Zambia to the outside world, but the larger problem is with regard to inward remittances from the outside world to Zambia for Zambia’s exports.
16. I actually envy most of Sata’s policies. I believe that he had a fair understanding of what the problem was in various sectors of the economy and perhaps his only challenge was that he wanted to achieve everything at once instead of having a gradual approach.
18. Anyway, back to the issue at hand, the question remains; why hasn’t anyone made a sincere effort to compel the mines to remit the gross proceeds of their mineral exports back to Zambia, both in previous and current administrations? I personally believe that it is not an issue of competence. But rather, it is an issue of having the backbone to do it. I mean, one does not need to be an economist to see that if copper prices are shooting up on the world market, having recently crossed the $11,000/tonne all-time record, then why should the Kwacha be depreciating? Isn’t the value of the Kwacha also supposed to be at an all-time high? Why the opposite? So the technocrats in Government know where the problem is, and the political leadership is also equally aware. But the problem is that no one has the backbone to implement the necessary reforms to compel the mines to remit the gross proceeds of their mineral exports back to Zambia. This is because you are talking about billions of dollars here. So for each administration that comes into office, the mining companies can afford to open a numbered offshore bank account for each member of Cabinet and deposit a ka $30 million in each account. Then the issue will simply die a natural death, until a new administration goes into office, then the cycle is repeated. And while all this happens, our economy is damaged and the common Zambian is suffering from the ravaging effects of a high cost of living that is largely brought about by imported cost-push inflation which can easily be addressed by compelling mining companies to remit the gross proceeds of their mineral exports back to Zambia. The solution is right before our eyes and yet not reachable.

/// END

SET 25.11.2021

By JOHN KOMBE

THE new dawn government should not gamble with the future of KCM and Mopani by prioritising interests of imperialists as they work to find a way forward on issues surrounding the two giant mines, Green Party president, Peter Sinkamba has said.

Director of Mines, Fred Banda, who could not comment further said the government would soon give its position on the matter.

Mr Sinkamba advised the new dawn government to give policy direction on the future of Mopani and KCM, stating that the lack of policy direction is a matter of great concern.

He said that it was worrying that the government has been quiet on the matter and yet it made several promises to revitalise KCM and Mopani.

Mr Sinkamba said that it was worrying that both the minister of Finance and the President did not give any hint on how it was going to ensure that the mining sector actualises the projected increased copper production.

He observed that during the presentation of the 2022 national budget the Minister of Finance projected an increase of copper production to about three million metric tonnes without stating how this was going to be attained.

Mr Sinkamba said that even the Republican President did not state government position on the matter during his inaugural speech to parliament, a thing he said was shocking.

He wondered why the government was mute on the matter and yet it had promised to ensure that the mines were revitalised.

Mr Sinkamba said that this was disappointing because it was supposed to be one of the first undertakings of the current government. He therefore advised the government to state its policy direction on the matter.

He hoped that the government would keep the two mines in government hands and pointed out that Mopani Copper Mine in particular was making profits and he saw no reason for the government to abandon a profitable entity.

According to Mr. Sinkamba, the fact that Mopani had made profit in the last one year and had managed to pay terminal benefits to its workers was proof that the company was viable and can be sustained.

He said that keeping the mines in government hands had far reaching benefits if well managed.

He also advised the government to consider revitalising other firms such as Chambishi Metals which was a key player in the mining sector.

ANDD OPPOSES BOZ POLICY MONETARY RATE INCREASE

..says small businesses will find it difficult to expand their businesses

Thursday…November 25 2021 (Smart Eagles)

The increase of the policy monitary rate by 50 basis points to 9.0% will impact negatively on the country’s economy, Advocates for National Democracy and Development (ANDD) has observed.

The Bank of Zambia announced yesterday that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at its November meeting decided to raise the Monetary Policy Rate ( MPR) by 50 basis points to 9.0 percent.

Bank of Zambia Governor Dr Denny Kalyalya said the decision was arrived at in a quest to help steer inflation to single digits in 2022 and to maintain it within the 6-8 percent target range by mid 2023 as staled in the 2022 budget address.

But ANDD executive director Samuel Banda has observed that the move is not only ill-timed but goes against the hopes and desires of small medium entrepreneurs who are already struggling to survive.

“Small businesses will find it difficult to expand their businesses because they will be afraid to aquire loans for business expansion due to high interest lending rates” Mr Banda has further observed.

He says some youths who are interested in doing business will not have access to business loans due to high lending business rates adding that this will lead to a rise in unemployment levels among the youths.

He has further forseen that banks, especially micro lending institutions will lose out business because very few business entities and individuals will have interest in aquiring loans for business expansion.

“In the interest of growing the economy, through the provision of access to financial capital for business expansion, trade financing or business start up , we as Advocates for National Development are appealing to the UPND administration to reduce the monitary policy rate” he said with a reminder to remind President Hakainde Hichilema that he promised the Zambian people that he will reduce the cost of doing business and that he will ensure he provides business opportunities for the youths.

Mr Banda has however wondered how President Hichilema intends to reduce the cost of doing business when he is implementing policies that will make it difficult for the business community to access loans at fair interest rates.

“We believe one of the effective ways to reduce the cost of doing business is to increase access to financial capital.We must mention that the majority of the youths have brilliant and innovative business ideas but lack access to funding, hence it is imperative that the UPND administration strives to reduce the lending rate to ease access to funding” he said.

Mr Banda notes that the country must invest quality time to learn from China and Singapore, who have grown their economy through implementing business initiatives and investments that empower their citizens through easy access to funding at a low lending rates.

By Mwenya Mofya,

MINES and Minerals Development Minister Paul Kabuswe says there will be transparency in the issuance of licenses to operate at the black mountain copper slug on the Copperbelt Province.

Kabuswe said the ‘black mountain’ would only be given to Zambians who have applied and have licenses.

Responding to allegations that government has secretly engaged a Chinese national to take over the black mountain copper slug, Kabuswe said people were just peddling lies to destroy his name.

“I have seen that and I am aware but there is no such thing as that. The black mountain will be given to Zambians who have applied and have licenses. There will be no Jerabos but there will only be small scale miners.

Whatever those allegations are, they are fake and are coming from enemies of progress. There is nothing like that. In fact, to prove those characters wrong, we have not yet even given licenses for those that have applied.

The License Committee has not even sat to discuss that. So that is just born out of malice and people who want to destroy other people’s names. Otherwise, there is no such thing. That is the position,” he said.

“There will be no one who will be sidelined as long as they deserve to be there. So the assurance is that there is transparency about the issue of small scale miners everywhere in the country and not just the black mountain. We are a transparent government and corruption is something we do not tolerate.

I think the people peddling such lies are those that want to call us corrupt otherwise there is no such thing as that. I do not even know that Chinese they are talking about. All I know is that we are supposed to give it to Zambians who deserve to be there and that is all.”

Kabuswe said the Licensing Committee would soon discuss the matter on how licenses would be issued.

“The Licensing Committee should have sat yesterday. The committee is drawn from members from various institutions and places. So they could not constitute a quorum and that is why they never met. They should have met on Monday but we are pushing that they meet this week so that this thing is done.

When it is done it will be very transparent and discussions will involve all interested parties and how the mining activities are going to be done. There is nothing hidden about it,” said Kabuswe.

The Candidates’ Comment

The ongoing noise being made by the Patriotic Front (PF) over the $50 million fertilizer contract given to Alfa Commodity is purely President Hakainde Hichilema’s fault. There is nothing wrong with giving Dr. Morris Jangulo a contract to supply fertilizer. Morris is a Zambian and regardless that his wife is a minister, he is qualified to get any business as long as he meets the criteria.

We must even appreciate the fact that this huge contract was awarded to a Zambian. When these PF corrupt bandits, criminals were in power, they awarded all contracts to foreigners who in return paid them cuts, kickbacks. They awarded huge contracts to foreigners at very inflated costs. Most of these PF thieves are stinking rich because they stole from Zambians thoroughly.

This noise they are busy making about the $50 million fertilizer contracts is all because President Hakainde’s administration has allowed them to behave in ways they are behaving. If anything, these thieves must be in court today over the monies they plundered. We put blame of Hakainde because he has shifted al investigative wings under his watch. When these policies were being made, we all thought there was going to be a change and improvements in the way things are done by the investigative wings. But as time goes on, there is nothing really that has changed. The recent arrests we have witnessed are petty and worthless. It is laughable that the entire Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is today in court trying to convict someone for allegedly insulting them when conducting a search at his house in relation to corruption. Is this what Hakainde meant when he spoke about fighting corruption?

This nonsense we keep witnessing about the so-called corruption fight is perhaps making the PF gang of crooks look like they are angels. It is less surprising that these bandits have today found reason to highlight a business given to a Zambian as corruption. Hakainde’s administration has not revealed or exposed anything serious which the PF did as such members of the former ruling party feel like they are champions and are clean. Of course this is not true. Most PF members and their associates are thieves and deserve to be in jail.

We all know that PF was run like a criminal enterprise. We have friends in PF but we have to be very honest with ourselves. We do not serve PF but the interest of Zambians. Our friendships, our relations with some of PF members do not mean we must support any nonsense of theirs. We find PF’s rule evil and regardless of our association with some of its members, we must not fail to admit that the former ruling party was run like a criminal enterprise.

This truth, perhaps, pushes us to believe that Hakainde is not doing enough to punish these criminals. The criminality which characterized the PF is there for all to see. It takes very little efforts to prove some of the thievery of these PF crooks but one wonders why it is taking ages for Hakainde’s administration to bring these bandits to book.

We are tempted to believe – and we think we are not far from truth that – Hakainde was basically pretending about fighting against corruption or maybe, he is a beneficially in some ways, of the criminality we saw in the PF administration.

Dear Mr. President, these PF crooks are now trying to turn tables to counter accuse you and your administration of corruption because you are too slow Sir. Minimize your trips and work on things that matter. When late John Pombe Magufuli first won elections, he did not go around Africa to introduce himself. Sometimes call Presidents in Africa and talk to them that way. Now is time to sit and deliver some of the things you promised like fighting corruption.

These bandits will slowly gain strength and fight you back in ways you won’t contain them. Of all media platforms, The Candidates is your staunch critique but when we come out in this way, we know what we are talking about and we mean well for you. Ignore these bandits calling the corruption fight a tribal war against Easterners and Bembas. If they employed only Easterners and Bembas, why should they expect people from other regions to be on the list of suspected criminals? Of course they will not go down without a fight. Focus and fight for the poor people whom these PF crooks stole from. We will not tell you about this again.

ABOUT THE INCREASE IN MONETARY POLICY RATE

By Sean Tembo – PeP President

1. The central bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) this morning increased the monetary policy rate (MPR) by 50 basis points from 8.5% to 9%, ostensibly in the quest to quell inflation by increasing the cost of borrowing.

2. I have argued before and l will argue again that the idea of increasing the cost of borrowing as a tool to arrest inflation is archaic and ineffective, for a number of reasons. Firstly, Zambia’s inflation is not demand-pull, but rather it is cost-push. The idea of increasing the cost of borrowing as a tool for addressing inflation is premised on the assumption that when the cost of borrowing is high, fewer economic players will borrow and therefore there will be reduced purchasing power which will reduce demand and therefore the prices.

3. Apart from assuming that the inflation that you have is demand-pull, there is also an assumption that credit constitutes a significant portion of the purchasing power of economic players, such that when you increase borrowing, the purchasing power of a significant number of economic players will be curtailed thereby reducing overall demand. However, the demand in Zambia’s economy is not driven by credit because total credit constitutes less than 13% of GDP.

4. So even if our inflation was demand-pull, the idea of increasing the Monetary Policy Rate and by extension increasing the cost of borrowing would simply not work. In other words, the decision by BOZ to arrest inflation by increasing the MPR is double wrong. Firstly it is wrong because Zambia’s inflation is cost-push and not demand-pull. And secondly it is wrong because credit constitutes an insignificant portion of overall purchasing power in Zambia.

5. But BOZ’s decision to increase the MPR today is not only wrong, it is also retrogressive to the overall welfare of the economy as it hinders economic growth and also increases the cost of living at domestic level. Businesses will need to spend more money to service their loans with lending institutions; money which could have been used for expansion activities and hence which could have contributed to overall economic growth. At household level, Zambians would have to spend more money to service their personal loans, unless they extend the tenure of their loans. This increases the cost of living of our people. So in essence, instead of fighting inflation, the new dawn administration is actually propelling inflation upwards. They are fighting fire using petrol.

6. Given the fact that we are coming from an era of economic contraction that was largely caused by the pandemic, one would expect the new dawn administration not to do anything that would hinder economic growth. Especially given the fact that job creation was one of their key promises to the Zambian people, and you need economic growth for you to create jobs. Also, given the really high cost of living that Zambians have been subjected to in the recent past, one would expect policymakers not to increase the cost of debt and by consequence the cost of living.

7. Overall the decision by the BOZ MPC to increase the MPR as a way of trying to fight inflation is ill-advised and based on a textbook theoretical concept that was developed in a near-perfect economic setting such as Europe or America where there is a near-perfect correlation between various key economic fundamentals. Unfortunately for a developing country like Zambia, those textbook concepts do not apply. A good policymaker would need to put down their textbook and look at the reality on the ground.

8. The most unfortunate thing about the Bank of Zambia is that it is the only Central Bank that l know in the whole wide world which does not have a Research Department. So they have no way of undertaking an impact assessment to determine the impact of their policy decisions, such as the inflation that they are trying to arrest vis-a-vis economic growth and the cost of living. Indeed, this country is being led by blind pilots who do not know where they are flying us to, and the aero plane is moving at full speed. They are just hoping that somehow they’ll land us in paradise.

/// END

SET 24.11.2021

By Isaac Mwanza

MPS WITH NULLIFIED SEATS CAN REMAIN IN PARLIAMENT AND LATER RECONTEST IN BY-ELECTION

Following a point of order raised against Hon. Bowman Lusambo remaining in the House, there is growing misinformation suggesting lawmakers whose seats are nullified by the High Court must vacate seats. Others has also suggested that MPs whose seats are nullified by the Courts or cited for malpractice, bribery or violence cannot recontest his seat in an event of by-election.

This above misinformation is going on because of lack of reading and understanding the new law. The law has changed and MPs whose seats are nullified or cited for malpractice can still contest election, regardless of the report issued by the Court.

The point of order raised by that UPND MP is simply meant to test the legal knowledge and impartiality of the Speaker when interpreting the law. Otherwise it serves no purpose other than wanting to embarass the Speaker if she overrules the Constitutional Court and the Constitution on when a vacancy is created in the House. I will not be surprised if she takes that route though

ON VACANCY
The Constitutional has two interesting articles on when the vacancy is created in the House. Article 72(2) (h) reads:

“The office of Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the member is disqualified as a result of a decision of the ConstitutionalCourt”

Article 73 (4) also reads:

“A Member of Parliament whose election is petitioned shallhold the seat in the National Assembly pending the determinationof the election petition.”

The question are:

(a) has the Constitutional Court disqualified the Kabushi lawmaker for the vacancy to be created? The answer is NO.

(b) Has the Constitutional Court, as the Court of final jurisdiction, determined the petition petition of the Kabushi seat? The answer is NO.

It may be argued that Article 73(4) does not talk about the Constitutional Court but it also does not talk about the High Court. What Article 73 talks about is the election petition as can be seen from marginal note. Both the High Court, as Court of first instance, and Constitutional Court, as an appellate Court are mentioned in the Article. The election petition is determined by the High Court where no appeal is made and where an appeal is made the Constitutional Court determines the petition.

The Mwanakatwe ruling by late Constitituonal Court Judge Mulembe was very solid on this matter. If the Speaker rules otherwise, it is because someone may have a game plan to have the matter go to Court again and get the Court to change its position. At least Judge Mulembe would not be part of the embarrassment at that point as he did his job very well.

ON RECONTESTING SEATS

Before 2016, the Constitution and the Electoral law had a provision which stopped MPs who are named, at conclusion of an election petition, for malpractice, bribery, violence, etc from contesting elections. This is no longer law.

The repealed Article 65 (6) read:

“Parliament may provide that a person…reported guilty of such offence by the court trying an election petition shall not be qualified to be elected as a member of the National Assembly for such period, not exceeding five years following…the report of the court, as the case may be, as may be so prescribed.”

The then section 22 (b) of the Electoral Act (now repealed) read as follows:

“22. In addition to the persons disqualified by the Constitution-

(b) any person who is convicted of any corrupt practice or illegal practice or who is reported guilty of any corrupt practice or illegal practice by the High Court upon trial of an election petition under this Act shall not be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly for a period of five years from the date of the conviction or of the report, as the case may be.

This was further consolidated by Section 104(6) of the repealed Electoral Act.

These provisions, except the provisions of Section 104(6) of the old Electoral Act, 2006, have been repealed are no longer law.

The duty of the Court now is never to pronounce that candidates named for forbidden acts under the law cannot recontest seats. The Court only renders a report, which transmitted to the Director of Public Prosecution for possible prosecution of a person named.

Nothing stops the named person from recontesting the seat and the DPP is not under an obligation to prosecute.

In a nutshell, MPs remain in the House until the election petition is determined by the the Constitutional Court, if appealed. MPs who have been named by the courts of committing breaches can still participate in an election, regardless of them having been named.

GROUNDS AND POSSIBLE MOTIVE FOR NULLIFICATION OF SEATS

There is very excellent precedent from the Constitutional Court and the firm provisions of the law on when to nullify or not nullify an election.

We have some High Courts nullifying seats on the basis of Circular by Secretary to the Cabinet requiring civil/public servants to resign by 30 November 2020 and a Judge deliberately disregarding Article 186 of Constitution which is the Supreme law of the land. Elections being nullified because of an omission to give candidates the GEN 21 Form and another election nullified because the Court has shifted the burden of proof to Respondent. Gaaaad!

In my view, the current nullifications are a way of sending the cases to the Constitutional Court as a means for cadres who don’t read to justify their appetite to abolish the Constitutional Court when the Court refuses to participate the nullification on grounds which ordinarily should not be used to nullify elections or when it determines the law was. Ot followed by the lower courts.

WHY HAKAINDE HICHILEMA 100 DAYS IN OFFICE ARE A WASTE Kasonde Mwenda C- EFF President

100 days in office is an indication of a President’s management style, priorities and speed in implementing campaign promises. It is the basis upon which social economic projections are made by Analysts, Journalists and other various stake holders with an interest in the future’s social-economic and political landscape. This practice is evident in most democracies like the USA whose first 100 days in office hallmark goes way back to 1933 during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In Zambia, the 100 days in office has been the rhetoric of political champions like Michael Sata with his famous 90 days in office work results when he was in opposition, ideally Hakainde Hichilema followed suit with his 100 days in office program when he was in opposition. However, it is the decisions that follow after inauguration such as appointments of the cabinet, budget presenting and economic performance that set the true trajectory of a regime’s attainable goals. Based on the failures by Hakainde Hichilema on the above mentioned decisions, it is projected that HH is going to be a one term president, and here is why;

One of the promises made by the new dawn government when they were in opposition was the employment and empowerment of the youth. As Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF, we understand that the UPND did not have a solid plan on how they were going to deliver this promise, so the issue of youth employment and empowerment will take sometime (if at all happens in this government). But for political survival, the UPND government should have at least given 65% of their cabinet and PS positions to the youths as way of reflecting the promise. Without the voice of the youths in key policy making coupled by the impending rising costs of living, the UPND will be a one term government.

The second reason is that he has inherited an erring economy. However, he has added salt to the injury. Instead of going for a very conservative budget, he has made a populist budget that requires a lot of spending on consumption rather than investing. Budget deficits are a common trend in most free economies, however, budget deficits that have no economic logic should never be entertained. We are going to have to borrow heavily to pay for this populist budget.

National debt impacts are analyzed through the lenses of economic reasoning, what economic reasoning is there for an import driven economy, with a depreciation currency and no reserves, to borrow merely for consumption? Self-sufficient economies like the USA can borrow excessively and still peg their currency higher because of their low level of trade (GDP ratio exports) with the rest of the world, and through the works of their Federal Reserve to balance fiscal and monetary policies that keep their prices stable and unemployment and inflation low.

Our situation is different, what the borrowing will do is put pressure on our financial institutions on leveraging over financial transactions across the border, primarily due to the growing risks of the Kwacha depreciation, this in turn will lead to high interest rates but will only favor financial investments of foreigners or those in the diaspora because our local people will not even have any money to save, local financial institutions will contract their lending to SMEs in the country due to the risks of defaults of payments by the volatile rising interest rate burden, as a matter of fact, our central bank will need to raise interest rates much higher to attract foreign financial investments and you can see the cycle that will be created. This will then escalate unemployment and further diminish youth empowerment leading to the eventual removal of the UPND Government in 2026. Furthermore, the projected 3% GDP growth does not move us from the roughly $27B into the next billion of $28B, however, the loan servicing each year will eclipse this projected GDP growth and defeat this approach to fixing and growing the economy before it even starts.

He had an opportunity for one year, 2022, a better excuse to the current circumstances, of investing in Mining, Agriculture and Energy. It’s better to be gaining economic strength towards 2026 than to start losing the momentum because of appeasing people in the preliminaries. It’s absolutely not necessary and lacking critical thinking. What needs sorting out is the issues of debt in 2022 and creating a stable macro economy first. Then afterwards, growth can be experienced in 2023 and beyond.

If HH is truly a leader, that is what he should have focused on. Biting the bullet!!

Macroeconomic stability is key to growth!!!

President Kasonde Mwenda c

Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF

WE WON’T ALLOW ONE PARTY STATE BY UPND – NAKACINDA

The Patriotic Front says the petitioning and now nullification of seats for its Members of Parliament are an undertaking of the ruling United Party for National Development to make Zambia a one party state, but the PF will not allow it to succeed.

Meanwhile, UPND Minister for Southern Province, Conerlius Mweetwa, last night chickened out from a live Programme on Diamond TV where he was supposed to feature with PF Member of Central Committee, Raphael Nakacinda.

Both Diamond TV and Mr. Nakacinda wondered why the now vocal UPND Minister failed to turn up dispite having promised and confirmed attendance, leaving the Presenter making endless statements of ‘waiting for Mr. Mweetwa’.

During the show Mr. Nakacinda stressed that the UPND was on a mission to turn the country into a one party state through many of its undemocratic practices such as petitioning of most Parliamentary seats held by the Patriotic Front.

He further described the action by the Courts to nullify some seats held by PF Member of Parliament as unfortunate because most grounds that led to nullify were illogical and not making sense.
“How can the Court say because your name was ‘Bulldozer’ then your name intimidated voters? When you go to Nakonde, the gentleman’s seat was nullified on grounds that the PF candidate didn’t go on Radio to condemn some said pocket violence in an area,” Mr. Nakacinda said.

The PF Member of the Central Committee in Charge of Information and Publicity has since appealed to the Courts to look at every case on merit so that justice can prevail.
He said the Court is the only place where all run to for arbitration and that it must be seen and taken as such without being seen as impartial.

On the complaints from citizens that President Hakainde Hichilema was travelling out of the country too much, especially in a short time of being in office, Mr. Nakacinda says the trips in the region are expected of a new Head of State but that people are agitated because President Hichilema had promised too much while in opposition and now Zambians that voted for his promises are getting tired of the many unfulfilled promises.
“The reason why the people are agitated about him is that he made a lot of many statements against the trips of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. He later made alarming statement that he found empty coffers. So people are talking because of those lies by President Hichilema,” Mr. Nakacinda said.

Mr. Nakacinda noted that Mr. Hakainde Hichilema has earned himself names likes Vasco Da Gama because voters are upset that he has failed to meet what he promised.

And the Patriotic Front MCC has said there’s grand Corruption in the UPND by some entrusted Ministers of Mr. Hichilema.

He wonders why the President was being blindfolded by a few individuals that are enriching themselves in a government that claims to be number one in fighting against corruption.

100 Days- Hesitant Slow or Careful Start?

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

President Hakainde Hichilema has clocked 100 days in office.

In politics, the 30, 60, 90 and 100 days are great milestone.

But there has been no major pronouncements and statements commemorating these periods and relating or marrying them to political campaign promises.

Infact after 100 days in office, government appears to be only settling, with key appointments yet to be made.

We know Rome was not built in a day, but the work must begin in earnest.

President Hakainde Hichilema has no reason to fail as he has six past presidents to learn from, their mistakes to avoid, challenges to overcome and hind-sight wisdom to help him avoid certain paths.

It appears that President Hichilema will pursue liberal economic policies that might have a bearing on the direction of state-owned enterprises and mining policy.

From his major statements made so far and discerning from the national budget presented in the National Asembly, he will rely heavily on the IMF, foreign direct investment and foreign debt to resolve the current economic crisis. Which may not be the ideal solution.

My concern is that we need to pick lessons from the 1990s where such policies were aggressively pursued with the supervision of the IMF, which left our industrial base decimated, companies liquidated and sold without recourse to national interests.

Todate, Zambia remains de-industrialised with ghost towns plaquing us.

Despite effecting deregulation and free market policies, this left Zambian investors and local businesses highly disadvantaged.

Despite setting base for future national economic prospects, the country is yet to recover from such policies.

Lastly there are issues that affected the last elections that include; high youth unemployment, poor state of the economy, foreign debt, heslth and education, cadrerism and political violence, rule of law and governance, and corruption and impunity.

Government must show demonstrable strides to resolving these issues beyond political rhetoric.

Wish you a happy 100 days in the new dawn government.

Whats your view of the last 100 days?

DO THE NOBLE THING, PF URGES THE JUDICIARY

….it beats logic that the High Court would nullify Hon Malanji’s seat saying he does not have a G12 Certificate and yet ECZ accepted his nomination having factored the same Certificate

LUSAKA, Tuesday, November 23, 2021 (SMART EAGLES)

The opposition Patriotic Front (PF) has urged the judiciary to do the right thing in handling various petitions following the 12 August elections this year.

PF Member of the Central Committee in charge of Information and Publicity Hon. Raphael Nakacinda described certain grounds upon which some seats have been nullified as an ultimate joke of the year.

Hon. Nakacinda said when he addressed the media in Lusaka today that for the Judge to suggest that Hon Malanji, the Kwacha Constituency Member of Parliament didn’t have a grade 12 certificate is laughable.

“For the judge to suggest that Hon Malanji didn’t have a certificate is laughable. We have the Nakonde Member of Parliament whose seat has been nullified because they want to place the entire responsibility, the court wanted to place the entire responsibility of condemning violence in that election on the Member of Parliament and say because he didn’t condemn the violence therefore we nullify the seat. That is a laughable ground for nullification,” he said.

“For Bowman Lusambo, to have a situation where a nickname was given to him by his own people in his own Constituency because of the workculture of being on the ground and pushing for development, and tthey therefore call him Buldozzer…and the judge says that name was intimidating to the electorates, and many other grounds used so far in the seats that have been nullified.”

The MCC said it is unfair for the Lunte Constituency Member of Parliament Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya to have his seat nullified because he had been “campaigning saying that he was one of those soliciting for money for the social cash transfer and he valued that and that he said if he didn’t win people may not continue receiving the social cash transfer” is unfair.

Hon Nakacinda questioned if the seats where going to be nullified even based on the promises made to the electorates prior to the polling day.

“I mean the gentleman was minister and he was one of the great debaters on the floor of the house advocating for an increase of the social cash transfer. How then could you nullify a seat like that? are we now going to an extent of examining the campaign messages, campaign promises made to the electorates? What of the fact that President Hakainde Hichilema promised to procure fertilizer at $400 per tone? And today we have a scandal at his laps of having given a contract to someone who used to supply fertilizer for more than $1000 per tone,” he said.

“A scandal which is not only a scandal because of the price but because one of his sponsors in the campaign who happens to be a husband to one of his ministers is actually at the center of that scandal.”

It’s time for Clement Tembo – Kabwata Residents.

Residents of Kabwata Constituency in Lusaka have declared that time has come for former Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund (PEIF) National Coordinator, Clement Tembo to be their parliamentary representative.

In a random interview, the residents talked to, say Mr. Tembo has demonstrated that he is a people-oriented and action- oriented leader.

A Kabwata resident, Ms. Monica Bwembya, told this interviewer that Mr. Tembo has been instrumental in the uplifting of lives of the people in the area way before he served as PEIF Coordinator.

Alex Luhila, another resident recalled how the former PEIF Coordinator, engaged in philanthropic activities which benefited most vulnerable people in Kabwata.

Mr. Luhila stated that Mr. Tembo went an extra mile in ensuring that people not only in Kabwata were lifted out of poverty.

“This man has done a lot not only for the people of Kabwata but also other constituencies. You may wish to recall that he did not only reach out to Kabwata residents but also other parts of the country,” recalled Mr. Luhila.

Following the demise of Kabwata Member of Parliament Levy M’kandawire, the constituents have already endorsed Clement Tembo as their preferred Candidate.

Mr. Tembo has been on the ground for some time eying the same Constituency.

Meanwhile, Constituents in the area believe that that the ground is fertile for Mr. Tembo adding that the voters have already indicated that he is right candidate to represent them in PARLIAMENT as he understands the plight of the majority voters in the Constituency.

And others say since the voters want Mr. Tembo to preside over the constituency as evidenced by the numerous calls for him to contest the seat, it is clear that any political party that will adopt him will carry the day.

Kabwata Constituency is expected to go for bye-elections within 90 days following the death of area Member of Parliament Levy M’kandawire who died in an Road Traffic accident just by the entrance of his house and was interred on Monday earlier this week. – Dynamic Analysis Zambia

HH ASCENDED TO POWER WITH THE YOUTHS SAYS LISWANISO

UPND National Youth Chairman Gilbert Liswaniso says President Hakainde Hichilema got the instrument of power on 12 th August 2021 with youths from all the ten provinces to rebuild and reunite Zambia.

And Mr Liswaniso is proud that the Zambian youths have become a mirror of democracy in Africa and beyond.

Addressing youths in Mkushi, Monday Mr Liswaniso fondly called aka General mosquito among the peers country wide, said the new administration under President Hichilema’s leadership is a must to benefit adding that Zambia is endowed with natural resources

“Don’t play with power,be serious and form cooperatives and local companies here in Mkushi District.

Partner with investors, get licence for mining.

lf you are a farmer also benefit from forming
cooperatives” he said.

Mr Liswaniso said with the fresh of breath in all the sectors of the economy, the young people must graduate from political handouts.

“You employed President Hakainde Hichilema as your servant for you to improve your livelihood l consider you as freedom fighters so promote peace with love and dignity” Mr Liswaniso said.

And losing UPND Mkushi Parliamentary candidate Tepson Kunda commended Mr Liswaniso for his influential leadership among the young people.

He said his message ignites morale in the youths of Mkushi.

“Mr Liswaniso your presence and interaction with the people on the ground has brought new dimension to the spirit of the youths here in Mkushi and l believe it is the same wherever you go” he said.

Speaking earlier, UPND Provincial Youth Coordinator Brian Mulenga said President Hakainde Hichilema is committed to reunite and rebuild Zambia.

He said his visionary leadership is commendable.

“The new dawn administration has brought freedom in this country and look President Hichilema has taken money from Lusaka to Mkushi so that every Zambian regardless of ethinic grouping benefits.

No fear to participate in development programs as far as l am concerned K25.7 million is allocated to CDF. We don’t want anyone from here to steal, Aikona Mani” Mr Mulenga said amidst jubilation from the audience.

He encouraged youths across the country to continue mobilising the party as they enjoy a touch in the new dawn administration.

And Mr Mulenga is optimist that with the free education policy the young generation will contribute to a well informed Zambia.

The Candidates’ Comment

Former State House press aid Amos Chanda says, the Patriotic Front (PF) Central Committee must be disband and allow the grassroots of the party to determine cause for the former ruling party. We agree.

The current composition of the Central Committee of the PF was singlehandedly appointed by Edgar Lungu at the last general conference. These are elements that presided over adoptions of party candidates at all levels and made decisions of the party. These are elements that are solemnly responsible for the downfall of PF in the previous election. If one examines the elements of PF Central Committee, it is hard to believe that there is any normal Zambian who will trust these characters, these culprits again, and vote for them.

Which Zambian can again trust in Stephen Kampyongo’s leadership? Which Zambian can again trust and believe in Ronald Chitotela, Chitalu Chilufya, Given Lubinda, Brian Mundubile and most of the elements in the PF Central Committee? Which Zambian will want to be led by Jean Kapata, Nkandu Luo and Sylvia Chalikosa? Which Zambian want Davis Mwila and Samuel Mukupa to continue leading them?

Of course – if there are any – there are very few Zambians who will trust these characters with the responsibility of running the affairs of this country.

We believe Edgar must find wisdom within himself to know better that Zambians detested his administration because of the conduct of his party and government senior members of which most of them are currently MCCs. We are saying this because it is not a difficult to tell that, Edgar has once again become victim of the defective counsel that a small clique of crooks are feeding him over the cause of the PF. Edgar is not a bad person. It is the very hyenas that he chooses to surround him with who have destroyed him and continue to do so. These are the bandits that engaged in the grandest corruption under the PF administration.

Why has Edgar chosen to entertain a small clique of crooks, jackals, those hyenas, political opportunists to manipulate him even after costing him an election?

The life span of the PF is highly dependent on immediate and urgent disbanding of the entire Central Committee so that new members occupy those positions and begin to drive the agenda of the party. All members of the Central Committee must be subjected to a vote by the delegates to the general assembly.
In the same spirit, there is urgent need for a leader in PF to offer guidance and direction of the party. At the moment, the general membership is in a state of confusion and we are seeing PF members hastily aligning themselves to Democratic Party and the Socialist Party because their party lacks a figure head. Before you know it, the only remaining thing in PF will be Members of Parliament – most of whom have already been compromised against their own party.

We know that it is not Edgar’s wish for the General Conference to be held next year in June but a feeling for a small clique of bandits who are misleading him. This small clique of bandits who are within the Central Committee are protecting their personal interest. They are not thinking and acting in the interest for the PF but in the interest of their personal needs. As they continue to act as captains of every other party member, they continue to access money from Edgar. They pay their rent from that money. They feed from that money and spend it on all sorts of prostitutes. Their goal is their personal comfort.

Why is Edgar allowing all this nonsense? Is Edgar short of friends and even relatives or children who can give him better counsel than what a few bandits are telling him? Where is Tasila Lungu in all this? Where is Mama Esther Lungu in all this? Where are those reliable relatives of Edgar, to help him realize that the elements that are busy visiting him at his house are only interest in his money?
An accurate and honest analysis of the situation on the ground is that, the majority supporters of the PF are not interested to be led by the current crop of leaders in the Central Committee. The majority people are not interested in the current elements that are leading and representing the party. The people want to see new members in the central committee. If you ask Zambians to choose between continuing to listen to Raphael Nakacinda and Stephen Kampyongo or to listen to Christopher Kang’ombe as well as Kelvin Kaunda and Tasila Lungu, they will choose the latter than the former. People can listen to Tasila than Kampyongo. People can listen to Kang’ombe than Nakacinda. This requires very little intelligence – if a little is all that one has – to figure out.

AMOS WITHDRAWS CHARGE…PRIME, CROWN TV APOLOGISE FOR DEFAMING AMOS

Former press aide Amos Chanda has withdrawn his intention to sue Prime and Crown television stations after the duo apologised to him for broadcasting defaming remarks.

In his demand letter, Mr Chanda wanted K5 million from each of the two stations for falsely accusing him of grabbing burial land from villagers in Njolwe.

“Prime TV wishes to unreservedly apologise to Mr Amos Chanda, a Lusaka businessman and former State House press aide, for broadcasting a totally false and malicious story that he illegally acquired land and confiscated a graveyard in Njolwe area of Chongwe,” a statement from the station read.

The alleged defamatory news item on Prime was aired on October 31, 2021 quoting a Ms Choolwe Shisholeka and three others who alleged that Mr Chanda illegally acquired land in Njolwe.

“The claims in the said article were totally fabricated, false and without any basis whatsoever.

Prime TV has since learnt that there is not a single grave on Mr Chanda’s farm, which he legally acquired through established procedures,” the statement further reads.

And Crown TV wrote: “Highly defamatory allegations have been brought to the attention of Crown TVmanagement concerning a news story we aired on 31 October, 2021 quoting Ms Choolwe Shisholeka, who alleged falsely that Mr Amos Chanda illegally acquired land in Njolwe area of Chongwe district and that he was [a] cruel man who has confiscated a graveyard, claims which are totally fabricated as there is not a single grave on his farm, which [he] legally acquired through established procedures.

”The station regrets contents of the news story which contained highly defamatory words as complained by Mr Chanda.In an interview yesterday, Mr Chanda said:”

In the interest of who I have been, my primary goal was to defend the truth, so the two television stations not only retracted the story, but apologised and put it in writing to my lawyers”.“I will not be proceeding with litigation.

It had become a pattern to lie for political expediency.”Mr Chanda advised the media and other sectors not to be used as lynch-mobs against innocent person

By Julia Malunga

MATERO PF member of parliament Miles Sampa says imposing a new PF president will result in the former ruling partly having an unpopular leader.

In an interview, Sampa said stopping those wishing to vie for the party presidency is tantamount to stifling democracy.

“At the end of the day, the best outcome is who the people want. How that is determined is what the question is. Imposing one on people will lead to somebody who is not loved or wanted by the majority people within and outside.

If anything, what is important is to make it available to the people out there, it should not be so much of a backroom decision or boardroom decision. That process has to go on but I don’t believe it has to be done hastily.

If June has been set, June is a good time for anybody who wants to participate to prepare. Because this entails going countrywide. But at a point you try to stop other people from standing, then they will be stifling democracy, and as long as there is an element of imposing, then we are headed nowhere,” Sampa said.

“What I call for is calm and respect to the current leadership whose role is to manage the process. If we have factions and pulling and pushing, that is what happened in 2014, then ultimately what we came up with was the best for the party.

Whoever can stand, should stand and they should not stop anyone. People should not speak on behalf of people. If one thinks that they are the best choice, they should let that person apply and make it clear. They should not stop somebody that ‘no it’s not you’ only the vote will tell.”

The Matero MP however said aspirants should weigh themselves before they contested for the leadership position.

“For now, everybody should be magnanimous and weigh themselves. I have seen a lot of names coming up, some are rabble rousers, they are noise makers, they have never won as a councilor or won as a member of parliament or mayor, they are coming from the blues.

They should not be stopped but they should weigh themselves. It is democracy, the moment you start stopping others, then it is not. We should learn from what happened in 2014, we should encourage democracy.

And not look down upon anyone who stands up that they want to stand, we should actually applaud them for being brave. The rules should be set and some rules relaxed in the spirit of allowing a lot of participants,” said Sampa.

“If it means 20 applying, let them apply. Everyone should be encouraged but it should be done with feasibility. There are some who are coming up, in my mind I know ‘this one should not be’ but I can’t stop them.”

During a press briefing last week, Shiwang’andu PF member of parliament Stephen Kampyongo said the party did not want wolves and opportunists to take over the leadership.

“We have noted with keen interest and obviously we all know that the value that PF has is different from other opposition political parties. It is the only political party with a large number, 60 is not a small number of members of parliament. So every chancer would like to jump on what they never produced. And we have seen them.

There are so many parties out there, one man party, if you want to be president, the easiest route is to just go and form a party and call yourself a president. Our priorities must be very clear, what is priority number one at this time?

It is to ensure that all these members and our colleagues who are in court today and our colleagues who will be in court next week including myself, go through these petitions. It is coming at a huge cost, huge millions of Kwacha for the legal teams to defend these seats,” said Kampyongo.

“So if someone wants to come and tell us [that] what is important is a conference other than the cream, the value of the party, then they are not really worthy to be considered for leadership.

Because what is attracting people to PF is the elected MPs and the councilors. And apart from the MPs, we had a large number of councilors who were also petitioned and mayors.

There were tribunals set, that is coming at a cost. So these wolves and opportunists were nowhere to be seen to make sure they help and those that were elected are protected.

So, we are watching them and here we shall help to decide who is going to be our next president, we shall help the party.”- News Diggers

EMMANUEL MWAMBA IS A LIAR

HE MUST LEARN TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT INDENI

By Shalala Oliver Sepiso

Emmanuel Mwamba you are being a liar here when you say the closing of Indeni goes against the security of the country and that “This is the danger of pursuing unabated liberal economic policies.”

I hate to do this because you are my big brother. I also know that you have serious connections in the energy sector and know a lot.

But how can you pretend that the PF government is not the one that came up with the plan to leave Indeni out and start importing finished product through OMCs and had to also add subsidies to boot?

The PF government granted oil marketing companies a waiver to import finished petroleum products at a cheaper price. The waiver was given to 81 companies to import a total of 1.9 billion litres of diesel and 934 million litres of petrol. Further government had to add other incentives to ensure fuel is cheaper that what would be the market price and all this meant government is losing a lot of cash in subsidies.

Why don’t you tell the nation that Indeni is currently closed and that it was closed by the PF government? And that the UPND government is working towards reopening Indeni this December?

The PF government shut down the ‘refinery’ situated in Ndola in April this year. This followed a period where Indeni reportedly had no crude for over 60 days – the longest period in the last decade.

Why don’t you tell everyone that Indeni’s future hangs in the balance unless a minimum of US$200 million is not sourced for equipment upgrade?

Why are you pretending that the recommendation to convert TAZAMA into a conveyor of diesel was not made by PF?

Does it mean you were so out of touch with the PF government that you don’t know these things but a person like me who is not – and has never been – in government knows these things?

Indeni is not even a refinery. Lets tell the truth, Indeni is a clarifier or separator. That is why we cant process sulphur laden crudes or pure crudes like those from Angola. Indeni has a capacity to ‘refine’ 24,000 bbp/d of ‘crude oil’ and process 1,200,000 tonnes of feedstock annually, but in reality it separates comingled stock into diesel and petrol and kerosene. But the cost is high and it means we end up having very expensive fuel at pump price.

Trying to save Indeni was only good in keeping the 329 or so employees at Indeni. However, it makes more sense to give those 329 their terminal benefits and close the Indeni. It doesn’t make sense to run it. Indeni won’t be the first to be close and wont be the last. Technology becomes obsolete. Indeni is 42 years old! Mulungushi Textiles closed. Nitrogen Chemicals closed. This is because sometimes its cheaper to buy clothes abroad and buy fertiliser outside due to economies of scale and expensive inputs in the process. Same applies to fuel.

There is no security issue with whether we run Indeni or not because we still source the crude or the finished product from outside. If someone was to sabotage tankers abroad, they can do the same to the pipeline. Stop being an alarmist.

Even if one wanted to make political sense, the numbers don’t do it. It wasn’t even a factor in the last elections.

Why don’t you release the report the PF made on Indeni we see who is telling the truth? Indeni Petroleum Refinery managing director David Lungu told ERB Board Chairperson ERB board chairperson Monde Kabwela just before the 2021 elections that his company had “constituted technical teams to make proposals aimed at improving operations at the company and create more jobs for Zambians.” You mean you, the mighty EM, Ambassador Extraordinaire, doesn’t have these plans and reports for us to intelligently look at?

THERE ARE NO COMPELLING REASONS TO REMOVE LUNGU’S IMMUNITY – AMOS CHANDA

Former State House press aide Amos Chanda says there is no compelling reason to remove the immunity of former Republican President Edgar Lungu to pave way for prosecution.

Featuring on Prime Television’s Oxygen for Democracy program, Chanda said the removal of immunity for former presidents had not drawn any success.

Chanda said second Republican President Frederick Chiluba was dragged to court on allegations of plunder of astronomical amounts of money but only USD42 million was recovered through a civil suit despite matters levelled against him by his predecessor Levy Mwanawasa touted as criminal transgressions.

“President Chiluba was dragged to court for something in excess of USD500 million a lot of time was spent on that, at the end of it USD42 million was the charge. It was not even a criminal settlement in the final analysis and a civil case settled for that. The acquittal came and the rest is history,” he said.

“President Banda came in, massive amounts came in, he was charged for a donation of fuel from Nigeria, an acquittal came, the restoration of immunity took place and that ignited the amendment to the law and strange provisions now exist to allow the lifting of the immunity of the president.”

Chanda said under the current set up, the immunity of the President can only be removed under clearly defined circumstances.

“There should be clearly defined charges labelled against the president and parliament must sit as a court in the US style where the President’s lawyers come there, and they present their case. So, there are two things, there has to be a vote, there has to be a trial and there has to be this lifting of that immunity. In the five-year political season, you can take away three years before that process succeeds.” he said.

“Another thing is you need 116 members of parliament. The tension that President Lungu spoke about at the funeral of Kungo (Jackson) to say that he was not petitioning because even the background of the tension he went through in 2016 when President Hakainde petitioned, he was letting it go. But he would allow MPs to petition.”

He said that removal of immunity should be on well founded grounds.

“I think that the removal of the immunity of the President has to be well founded. If a case exists for such a fundamental decision to be made, that is why we have that provision to remove. By my gut feeling says, unless the charges have been laid out, I have not seen anything, on what grounds has it been done?” Chanda said.

“The prosecution for himself (Edgar Lungu) or people around, of course himself you cannot do it with that immunity. Do circumstances warrant such a decision? My take now is that there is nothing that exists that I know of that warrants such a decision at the expense of national unity. if there is something so overwhelming, so compelling that investigative agencies have and they have given the President, wow that is why we lost that bill, but even what I know and what I have seen there is nothing compelling to warrant such a decision.”

PRESS STATEMENT

23 RD NOVEMBER 2021

PF MUST FOCUS ON HOLDING A CONVENTION NOT ANOTHER CIVIL WAR

Next year PF will be holding its extra ordinary convention to elect its party President and other officials. We hope that PF has repented its sins of stealing, cadrelism, arrogance and brutality as highlighted in its postmortem report on why PF lost the August election. We wish PF the best of luck to emerge a much stronger opposition party and offer credible checks and balances. PF in its current form is much more disorganized, hopeless and lacks credible leadership.

In 2015 PF conducted the most chaotic intra party election in the history of this Country. It’s this chaotic intra party “election” that ushered in Mr. Lungu as PF presidential candidate in 2015. Delegates to this chaotic conference voted by show of hands, legs and pangas instead of secret ballot. Because Mr. Lungu was a product of this chaotic intra party convention, even his leadership as Republican President was chaotic.

PF has continued exhibiting signs of hooliganism and lawlessness; this may be carried on to the next year’s convention. The way PF cadres behaved at the memorial service of the late President Sata (MHSRIP), goes to confirm that PF is not ready to reform. A Memorial service is a solemn event that calls for sober and orderly behavior. It’s likely that next year’s convention could be worse than the one they held in Kabwe in 2015.The PF warlords may again turn the convention into a civil war as the case was in 2015 and go back to show of hands, legs and pangas as a means of choosing their next President.

Bad habits die hard; we know it’s extremely difficult for some PF members to stop stealing, arrogance, brutality and lawlessness. This is the more reason why we feel that chances of PF ignoring the good tenets of democracy at next year’s convention are very high. PF should start focusing on organizing a convention instead of a civil war. This could to lead to a situation where PF could just remain on the paper. UPND does not want to kill PF, PF will be killed by its poor leadership. The convention will be a make or break for PF

Percy Chanda

UPND – Chairman for Mines and freedom fighters

PETITIONED, PETITIONERS AND ELECTORATE’S EYES, EARS FIXED ON CONCOURT.

With the High Court or tribunals done with their constitutional mandate of hearing and determining the election petitions in 90 days lodged before them, it is right to commend them.

In this regard, all the eyes, ears and attention of the petitioners, petitioned and electorate will this shifts to the court of final determination and jurisdiction whose decision is final and non appealable- the Constitutional Court .

In the meantime, after appeals are lodged, the petitioned who lost their seats will enjoy their uncertain stay in the National Assembly by getting their nullified seats back until the CONCOURT hears and determines their appeals.

After some of the petitioned lost the cases at the High Court level where there is a timeframe to determine the petitions, they celebrated arguing that in the Concourt, there is no timeframe so may be in court forever while enjoying their parliamentary seats with their trappings of benefits and privileges until dissolution of the National Assembly.

It hoped that the CONCOURT will not behave the way it behaved during the 2016 petition season where some petitions took 5 years.

It is hoped that the CONCOURT will not hide under no timeframe to deny its clients justice but reflect that electoral election petitions are time bond tied to a five year electoral cycle.

Any delay in dispensing electoral justice within 90 days of lodgement of the petition appeals will be injustice in itself to all.

It is prayed that the new Chief Justice, Mumba Malila will reign over any delay of determining the election petition appeals in the Concourt

The petitioned, petitioner, electorate and the country at large should not be held at ransom by the Constitutional Court delays in hearing the election petition appeals based on no-timeframe argument

Any delay creates unnecessary electoral anxieties among the petitioned and petitioners and suspicions on the court.

The demand is timely dispension of electoral justice for all and all eyes, EARS and attention are fixated on the Constitutional Court effective this week.

If the presidential petition which involve the whole country with 156 constituencies is allocated 14 days to be heard and determined by the ConCourt what about the ward, district and parliamentary petition which involve only one ward, district and constituency take years to determine?

I submit

McDonald Chipenzi

I HAVE A DREAM

That one day Zambia will be run by a competent President;

A President with a vision to make Zambia the greatest country in sub-saharan Africa;

A President that will be capable of converting our huge economic potential into actual wealth, for the benefit of Zambians;

A President who will make Zambia to become self-sufficient by funding our own national budget and not relying on foreigners to lend us money;

A President that will put the interests of Zambians above those of any foreigner;

A President that will create a conducive environment for hardworking Zambians to thrive and prosper;

A President that will focus on empowering poor and vulnerable citizens to become entrepreneurs and potential employers instead of giving them perpetual handouts in the name of Social Cash Transfer;

A President whose passion is to uplift every Zambian regardless of the region or corner of Zambia where they hail from;

A President who believes that the solutions to Zambia’s problems lie here in Zambia and not in Europe or America;

A President with a sober character and high levels of integrity and who will fight corruption across the board and not only when it involves political opponents;

A President who will appoint candidates to decision-making positions on the basis of merit only and not on the basis of patronage and/or misinformed affirmative action;

A President who will have a sense of urgency to develop Zambia and not a playboy who will get excited with riding across the globe in a Presidential jet like a modern day Vasco Da Gama;

A President with clearly SET goals of what to achieve during the 5 year term;

A President with clearly SET milestones of what to achieve at the end of each year of his tenure;

A President with clearly SET objectives of what to achieve at the end of every month of his presidency;

A President with clearly SET tasks of what to do every day of his presidency;

President SET.

///:

Good morning country men and women. Have a blessed and productive day. Let us all pray that Zambia gets a correct President in 2026 ✌️✌️✌️

(SmartEagles)

The New Congress Party has charged that the recent appointment of Permanent Secretaries by His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema is an indication that it is difficult to professionalize the civil service.

In an interview, party President Peter Chanda says the appointment of Permanent Secretaries and District Commissioners is contrary to what President Hichilema was saying when he was an opposition leader that he will professionalize the civil service once voted into power.

Pastor Chanda has since commended President Hichilema for upholding the principle of honoring people that have stood with him during the time he was in opposition.

“President Hakainde Hichilema’s appointment of even District Commissioners demonstrate the fact that he is one leader that stands by his people,” Pastor Chanda said.

“I want to put these facts on record which he stated before whilst PF was in government, contrary to what President Hakainde Hichilema was saying when he was in opposition. When he was in opposition he was saying he shall scrap off and professionalize the office of the district Commissioner which today he has done exactly what is supposed to be done rightly,” he added.

The New Congress Party leader further stated that a Permanent Secretary is supposed to be a person that is able to provide leadership in the ministry in making sure that public resources are properly accountable for and also ensure that government runs smoothly.

“Secondly, a District Commissioner is a civil servant who has political inclination at district level who is also there to provide leadership in addressing challenges that people are going through,” Pastor Chanda explained.

He noted that President Hichilema’s appointment of DCs and the subsequent appointment of Permanent Secretaries sends a strong signal to other senior government officials at directorate level that they should not sabotage government operations in an effort that they are also appointed as Permanent Secretaries.

Pastor Chanda has since appealed to government officials at directorate level to operate independently and professionally without any political inclination.

He has since commended President Hichilema for standing up for his people by appointing some of them as District Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries and for showing to the whole world that you cannot professionalize the civil service.

By Ngobola C Muyembe

What a load of rubbish! We built a wonderful party that was meant to serve the poor and put more money in people’s pockets but insincere people hijacked it.

I joined PF in 2002 even before I went to UK where most people think I started from. I campaigned in the Kasempa by-elections when Daniel Kafumukache died.

I still remember Guy Scot and Michael Sata in an old Land Rover 110 and part of the reasons I restore them now is to always remember that day.

They were eating ground nuts and dry cassava at the Mutanda Chavuma Road turn off to Kasempa during one of their campaign stops. At that time, the people you see in the party today were no where to be seen.

I am sure they used the route through the game Park from Lusaka to Kasempa because to get from Lusaka one must pass through Ndoka, Kitwe, Chingola, Solwezi, Mutanda and then Kasempa.

That is how much Dr Guy Scot and Michael Sata sacrificed for this party. Thus was just one of the many journeys they made across the country that by the time they won the elections, they where both old men.

Today, people that never even believed the party would rule are talking about rebranding?

Why not just hand back the party you stole to its last surviving founder to help find new leaders? He still has the original ideas. Don’t look at Guy Scot’s skin colour as he has shown to be more patriotic than all these buffoons put together.

The Infrastructure development and the money we borrowed was supposed to be for our small businesses so that in 5 to 10 years we would have our own AVIC.

These people went and got foreign firms to take what was meant for the Zambian people after getting kickbacks.

Somewhere along the way, even before Sata died, our party got hijacked by hyenas jackals and all sorts of money hungry pythons.

What we saw in the past 7 years of Chagwa is the result of the party that got hijacked.

Today people like Nakachinda can say they are PF?

Nakachinda is a pastor that betrayed his former boss Nevers Mumba in MMD when sided with Felix Mutati. Today this human being can claim to be PF?

All the MMD people we were supposed to hunt down regrouped and turned coats into what we are now calling the PF. Chana chabene ichi chintu this is a foreign substance we now have.

I can put up a list of the rest of the people and where they came from but I don’t have time for that.

Rupiah Banda is not at all blameless in what happened to our party.

No need to rebrand, what is needed is for these people to surrender the party back to the last surviving founder and the young recruits they hounded out like myself, Judge Ngoma, George M. Chellah e.t.c.

The party didn’t change but just got hijacked. I wouldn’t want to wish that on any party.

I am still PF but not the rotten PF of Edgar Chagwa Lungu but that of Michael Sata and Guy Scott.

FORMER KABUSHI Member of Parliament Bowman Lusambo says no one can win his seat as long as he is alive.

Mr Lusambo whose election as Kabushi Member of Parliament was last week nullified by the Ndola High Court said it is not easy for anyone to win in Kabushi.

Speaking on COSTA program on Diamond TV Sunday night, Lusambo bragged that he will be back in parliament in Tomorrow.

“No one can win Kabushi constituency as long as I live, anyone who will stand on Kabushi constituency will be embarrassed. I respect the judiciary and I know what they are going through. I have alot to do in my political career and I will save the people of Kabushi in many portfolios,” he said.

Mr Lusambo also disassociated himself from the Nato Forces who were accused of instilling fear in the electorates.

“The judgment is under the bridge, on Tuesday I will be in Parliament. We have pushed a notice of appeal. I don’t own Nato Forces, I am Bowman Lusambo and not Nato Forces.

Call me a former Member of Parliament on on Tuesday. Whatever has happened, I am Member of Parliament who managed to win twice, I got 18 thousand plus. My future in the political scene is very bright, I am not a politician from UNZA but from the grassroots,” Mr Lusambo said.

He also denied distributing any money to voters in Kabushi.

“A bulldozer will always be a bulldozer, this is a man made thing. I have been in politics for quite some time and understand politics, I know this is a man made thing. There are people who are fearing me to be in Parliament, and one day they will be exposed.”

He said he has confidence in the judiciary.

“I have confidence in the judiciary and they perform above board, I accept the outcome but definitely we have spotted alot of grey areas.The concourt will decide. I want other judges to look into the judgment,” he said.

Mr Lusambo said he is not interested in leading the Patriotic Front.

He said the PF has repented and ready to govern again.

“I can assure you that all of are sinner, we need to repent, we have accepted the mistakes and ready to govern. We have rebranded as a party,” Mr Lusambo said

UPND WILL BE WORSE THAN PF – WYNTER KABIMBA

Rainbow Party leader Wynter Kabimba says the UPND will be worse then PF.

Kabimba says the UPND won an election because people were fatigued, angered with this misrule of the PF.

He says the PF had pushed Zambians to the corner that out of anger Citizens decided to replace it with UPND.

Kabimba says the UPND lied it’s way into government. He says it’s leader Hakainde Hichilema (HH) had promised that the Kwacha would appreciate to K10 against the US dollar by 14:00 after he was sworn in at 10:00 hrs. He says this has not happened as the Kwacha is now K17 or K18 against the a dollar.

The former Justice Minister said even the promised free Education is flace. He says free Education promised from Primary to University is not what is being promised in the 2022 budget where people will be expected to apply for bursary.

He says President Hichilema promised to end loadsheeding but that the people were now going two days without power.

Kabimba who was speaking on a program dubbed Platform on Mellinum Television Sunday night monitored by Zambian Eye said Zambia needs a true leadership that understand the economic dynamics adding that soon people will come out to demand for such leaders.

A Caller from the Copperbelt said President Hichilema has gone to the West to seek for assistance to turn around the economy which he said would not work.

He said foreign nations or institutions are not the solution to Zambia’s economic problems. He said the problems for Zambia’s economic challenges were to be addressed by Zambians themselves.

And Kabimba said unfortunately all previous regimes who have won elections have become worse than those they defeat in an election. He said this is because they fail to understand what the people want and detest in the party they vote out.

He announced that his party was rebranding and mobilizing to soon launch under a new name.

Kabimba says once relaunched his party will present an alternative political platform with ideology and solutions to the country’s social and economic challenges.

MORE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS EMERGE IN MKANDAWIRE’S DEATH

Police are unaware of the whereabouts of a child who is believed to have been in the vehicle that bashed Kabwata Member of Parliament Levy Mkandawire, with President Hakainde Hichilema expecting a thorough investigation of the matter.

In an interview yesterday, police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said the police are aware that there was a child in the vehicle, but are yet to establish its location.

“After the accident, the man [a passenger in the vehicle] escorted the deceased (Mr Mkandawire) to the hospital, but we don’t know what really happened to the child,” he said.

Mr Mkandawire, 60, died on Thursday after a speeding vehicle careered off the road and hit him outside his Woodlands Extension residence.

Police identified the driver of the BMW X5 as Jane Mwale, 39, who was with her husband, Alick Kalengo.Earlier, Ms Mwale hit a cyclist, Shadreck Phiri, 21, of Bauleni Township who sustained minor injuries.

After the accident, Ms Mwale reportedly fled the scene and only reported herself to the police the following day.It is speculated that the child might have died or taken to a secret location.

This cannot be independently verified.A neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claims that the child’s funeral is being held at an unknown location and not where the couple resided.

Police have intensified investigations into Mr Mkandawire’s death.Mr Hamoonga said Ms Mwale and Mr Kalengo are in police custody.

And President Hichilema said Mr Mkandawire’s death was unusual, hence it needs detailed investigations.Speaking shortly after visiting the house of mourning yesterday, President Hichilema said Mr Mkandawire was not an opportunist because he joined the United Party for National Development (UPND) at a time it was not fashionable.

“This is so unfortunate and tragic. Mwana wa kwitu [son of the soil] is what I used to call him. He died in circumstances that are difficult to understand.“We are safest at our homes and one does not expect to meet death at their home, if you are not ill. This is not usual and rare situation,” the President said.

Mr Hichilema said he is not directing the police but that he expects them to do a good job in the matter to achieve justice for Mr Mkandawire.

He who gives us life, only He takes that life. When he takes it, we don’t know how He does it, it is a mystery.

We are going sooner or later but we don’t know when and how because only God knows,” Mr Hichilema said.A family representative, Akim Chirwa, thanked the UPND and other stakeholders for the support rendered.

Mr Chirwa, who is Mr Mkandawire’s brother-in-law, said the family has lost a pillar who was also looking after 26 other double-orphans.

Mr Mkandawire’s funeral programme today will start with a service at Parliament and later a church service before proceeding to Leopards Hill Memorial Park for burial.

Zambia Daily Mail

Lusaka Nov 21, 2021

Emmanuel Mwamba, Zambia´s immediate past Ambassador to Ethiopia and former Permanent Representative to the African Union, has called for a national economic indaba.

Speaking on Muvi Tv’s Assignment Programme, Mr. Mwamba expressed fear that early indications showed that the New Dawn Administration would take Zambia to extreme liberal policies similar to those implemented in the 90s.

He said listening to pronouncements by President Hakainde Hichilema and studying the national budget showed that the economic policies being pursued will rely heavily on the IMF prescribed programmes, accumulating foreign debt and giving free reign to foreign investments.

He said Zambia was de-industrialised by such policies that decimated the industrial and manufacturing capacity of the country.

“Those policies left in their wake, ghost towns, industries shut l, high unemployment but enriched investors”

He traced the current high levels of unemployment to the economic policies pursued in the 90s.

He said it was imperative for the New Dawn Administration to call for a National Economic Indaba where all stakeholders would help input into sustainable economic policies that will primarily serve the interest of Zambia and Zambians.

And Mr. Mwamba has called for an end to the purging of civil servants from the public service that served the previous government.

Mr Mwamba said the trend of calling civil servants as PF Permanent Secretaries or PF Civil Sevants of must come to an end because the pre-tags only bred contempt and neutralised the professional capabilities of the affected officers who were seen as party operatives instead of highly qualified individuals in various fields.

And Mr. Mwamba said he was transitioning to active politics.

“All I have known in my life is national service and all I want to do and all I know is work work work. I am capable of working well in any form and the truth is I have massive experience,” he said.

Ambassador Mwamba said in the past he was retrained to openly express interest in national politics but now that yoke has been lifted because “I am no longer a serving diplomat.”

Speaking on various issues starting from the loss of the polls by PF to the future of the party including his own future, Ambassador Mwamba commended the former ruling party for being realistic about its current predicament of having lost polls saying it’s a start to healing.

“It a good thing we (PF) have accepted loss and are willing to rebrand and see how we can rebuild the party, that’s the first step,” said Ambassador Mwamba.

Ambassador Mwamba, however, took strong exception yet again to name calling that he says has emerged in the PF party especially attributed to Shiwangandu MP Stephen Kampyongo who recently cautioned PF members to beware of unnamed ´chancers´ trying to hijack the party.

“I feel sad when I hear words like chancers, opportunists or wolves. Politicians called Michael Sata names saying he was incapable of ruling. Similarly President Hichilema was called names but has become President.

The name calling must end lets discuss policies.” Ambassador Mwamba said, “Its not good to call people names you might have to eat your own words.”

He also cautioned against the calling for the lifting of the immunity of President Edgar Lungu which he said could cause a threat to national security and divide the nation even further.

The former AU representative for Zambia, Mr Mwamba also raised concern that the new administration had already committed to borrow borrow 4.2 billion US dollars in its first budget in just one year, half of what the PF borrowed in 11 years.

On the past elections, Ambassador Mwamba said polls must be “a market place of ideas not a place of friction or war. But today it’s a contest for hate speech and threat to national security. The political temperature is too high in Zambia even after the polls. Lets shake hands after polls.”
Ambassador Mwamba also cautioned fellow PF flock to stop, “jostling for office…it is premature. Lets trace our members. The Presidency is at the end at the top lets see what we can contribute.”

Ambassador Mwamba is among other top leaders in the PF such as Hon Given Lubinda, Brian Mundubile and Steven Kampyongo that are being mentioned as the new faces of the former ruling party.

MEDIOCRE POLICE REPORTS

By Godfrey Chitalu

ALTHOUGH I grew up in a military establishment where “my friend you are not my friend” statements were common, I’m getting a bit ballistic about poor police reports.

Forget about factual and perpetuated inaccuracies but it seems our police have only one, albeit warped way of writing and orally communicating to the general public. Things must change!

For instance, we had reports about a businessman shot 22 times: I don’t know whether the police relied on bullet wounds or shell casings that littered the crime scene.

Small wonder popular bloggers like Chilufya Tayali, have started doubting the authenticity of some of the police reports. He posted his misgivings on Facebook and asked police some tough questions, that remain unanswered.

It is either the police overstated the 22 shots or the victim is one of a lucky few Zambians.

As for motor vehicle accidents, driving north to south and overspeeding are common features in police reports.

Telling our people that an accident occurred when a vehicle was moving from north to south is mediocrity. Since officers on a daily basis write accident, incident, arrest, occurrence, routine, and related reports, they should have honed their skills by now.

It is now evident that most reports released to the public have glaring inadequacies. Some of them fail to adequately describe the scenario.

How does the general populace interpret ill-prepared, non-descriptive police statements? What should the police do to gain public confidence in regard to reports?

Is it a crime to be street-specific in an accident report? Do our officers know the difference between speeding and reckless driving? Why don’t we have reports about faulty brakes, driving under the influence, bad weather, and visibility issues? Why are reports that specifically mention improperly inflated tires rare?

I’m neither a ballistic nor a legal expert and won’t say a lot – maybe it’s grapevine but I heard about a single bullet that killed two people in opposite directions! Perhaps someone needs to advise our officers on how to be descriptive, logical, orderly, and convincing in their written and oral reports.

Our officers should ensure that the five senses; hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell, come alive in their reports. In other countries, police reports are usually done by officers closest to the crime scene.

As long as all police reports are channeled to one spokesperson in Lusaka, the status quo of “my friend you are not my friend” reports might just continue ad Infinitum!

The author is a social commentator who writes for pleasure.

For reactions and feedback call: 0977466284| 0963013760, Email: goddychitty@gmail.com (@goddychitty) Twitter|Facebook)

State of Lusaka – Ndola road worries govt

Government has bemoaned the state of the Lusaka – Ndola (Great East) Road on which numerous road traffic accidents have occurred from.

Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali said it is extremely urgent that the construction of the Lusaka – Ndola Dual Carriageway starts in earnest.

Tayali said road traffic crashes cause considerable economic losses to individuals, their families and to the nation as a whole, due to the cost of treatment as well as loss of productivity.

He said this in Lusaka today during the commemoration of the World Day of Remembrance for the Road Traffic Accident Victims which is themed “Act for Low Speed/Act for Low Speed Streets.”

“We recently recorded fatal accidents with eight people dying in Kabwe involving a light truck late last month, nine people died in the Chingwere turn-off crash in Lusaka and another tragic accident occurred on the Lusaka – Kabwe road in which we lost two Correctional Officers,” he said.

“All these accidents along the Great North – the section between Lusaka and Ndola. Let me mention that government is concerned about the state of the Lusaka-Ndola road. We shall therefore need to attend to this section of the road as soon as possible since it poses a great risk to improving the country’s road safety profile. It is extremely urgent that construction of the Lusaka – Ndola Daul Carriageway starts in earnest.”

Tayali said government will employ a multi-sectoral approach in the implementation of road safety interventions and ensure that the country continuously improves its road safety profile.

Meanwhile, the Minister called on RTSA and the Zambia Police Service to accelerate interventions to dramatically reduce road traffic crashes.

He urged the two institutions to implement initiatives and strategies that seek to enhance co-ordination, integration, improved Law enforcement, road safety awareness and education for maximum results.

“As a country, we need to continue putting in place workable speed management strategies such as speed zoning, speed calming and speed limit measures including the installation of Global Position System (GPS) devices on long distance public transport vehicles such as buses and trucks,” he said.

“As I conclude, I wish to emphasize that we have to stand with those who have been left permanently injured and those that have lost their loved ones.”

ZR

COPPERBELT UPND GROWS AS HON ELISHA MATAMBO RECEIVES MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND DEFECTORS FROM PF IN MUFULIRA

The daily dwindling Patriotic Front has yet received another blow on the Copperbelt today as thousands joined the rulling UPND in Mufulira Central Constituency.

Today, Hon Elisha Matambo the Copperbelt Minister and Copperbelt UPND Chairman’s events calendar was full as he had to receive ambassadors of development from PF among other demanding duties.

The Copperbelt Chairman was delighted to receive former PF Members of Parliament who led thousands to join the mighty UPND in Mufulira.

Hon Matambo encouraged the new members to use their gifts and grow the UPND together with the current members.

The Copperbelt Chairman emphasized on the need to embrace each other and work together for a common goal which is development.

Hon Matambo further said Zambians especially Mufulira residents should work together so that a cruel political party like PF should never be allowed to govern this nation again.

The honorable Minister used this opportunity to spell out the planned Government developmental agenda for Mufulira which has started by securing funds to work on Mukambo Road whose contractor is soon going to be on site.

Hon Matambo added that the newly increased CDF is specifically allocated to be disbursed to locals through various projects within their Constituencies.

Mr Evans Chibanda and Mr Akufuna spoke on behalf of defectors and both cited good leadership and development plans in the UPND Government as reasons to join the rulling Party. The duo also reflected on segregation in PF and lack of leadership as reasons for not continuing in PF. They both asked all Mufulira residents to join UPND as the Party’s developmental agenda for the district was good and inclusive.

PF has been trying to regroup on the Copperbelt but the vibrance of the UPND leadership led by Hon Elisha Matambo and his vice Mr Kolala as well as the Youth and Women leadership has not given them space politically. The 2022 UPND Proposed budget and development agenda have also terribly affected PF’s regrouping dreams on the Copperbelt.

(C) UPND MEDIA TEAM

Dear Sean E. Tembo etc

HH’s OUTINGS ARE DIFFERENT FROM SOME OF HIS PREDECESSORS.

AND HERE’S HOW

Authored By Mupishi Jones

Before the PF government lost power in August this year,it was struggling in vain to hold bilateral discussions with most of the country’s creditors including bondholders.The PF couldn’t engage the IMF and the World Bank in any meaningful discussion regarding our unsustainable external debt which was adversely weighing heavily on our economic recovery plans.Planned meetings with the IMF and the World Bank kept on procrastinating.
Bondholders turned down PF’s proposals on debt restructuring on several times.
The question is why was the Edgar Lungu administration failing to hold successful bilateral and multilateral discussions with the global world?

In my view, the PF government led by Edgar Lungu lacked the intellectual boardroom capacity to engage in a meaningful way with internationally acclaimed figures.The Lungu led team didn’t have that kind of boardroom language that could resonate well with the global economic and business gurus.

Secondly,it is my held view that most of Edgar’s international engagements were shrouded into secrecy.This includes even those engagements which the citizens of Zambia had the right to know! Most of the details of their engagements were kept under Edgar and his innercircle’s armpits.

The net effect of these PF twin behaviors of the Edgar Lungus administration,was that it was perceived as being untrustworthy administration by both national citizens and from the global world.Eventually, Edgar was slowly being excluded from a club of distinguished world leaders of head of states.He had no notable head of state alleys apart from the ones from Eswatini and M7.

This untrustworthy tag made it difficult even to renegotiate let alone hold bilateral discussions with bondholders.Edgar had no choice but to hire the services of a French firm (Lizard) at a cost of $5m just to talk to our bondholders on behalf of Edgar and his team.

Remember HH during that time had offered himself to negotiate with these bondholders at no cost on behalf of the country,but as usual, arrogance clouded PF’s judgement.
How different are President Hakainde Hichilema’s outings from Edgar’s international trips?

1.EXCITEMENT

We all know the background were President Hakainde Hichilema is coming from,is he someone who can be excited just to jump on a plane to Europe,America or some other place? HH has global business connections and sits on several corporate boards in Europe,America including among African countries.President HH is extensively travelled and exposed to the point where he would rather rest and just work at home instead of being fatigued with jet lag on long trips.But because of the passion to connect Zambia the way he’s connected, he’s compelled to move soldier on.

2. NEGOTIATING SKILLS
3. 
   Most of the citizens came to know his negotiating skills during the Chipata airport episode during the campaigns.
   Even before he became President, HH was being invited to talk on several international foras on Zambias economic prospects in his individual capacity.At some point it was disclosed to the nation that he had received financial pledges in millions of dollars once he forms.If you don’t see the importance of making follow-ups to those pledges,then you must have you head re-examined.
4. 
   Whether you like President Hakainde Hichilema or not but at least everyone knows that he’s not only a skillful trade negotiator but a qualified and professional trade and economic negotiator.That is one of his expertise which the country must leverage on.To exploit this skill,HH has to travel where’s there’s money.
   HH has the intellectual boardroom capacity to engage anyone in the world in the same boardroom language you can get anywhere.He is perceived as one of the economic gurus who have their fingers on important global economic buttons.Instead of giving maximum support to your own son, that’s when you’ve a countable number of disgruntled chaps trying in vain pulling down his efforts.
6. SIDE MEETINGS
7. 
   More often than not,it is not those 5 minute speeches that you see President Hakainde Hichilema making at international foras that matters most,it is those side meetings alongside those international conferences with renowned global economic gurus and leaders, those shakers and movers of the global economy that are of paramount importance and beneficial to the country.
8. 
   Those that follow the sport of golf would tell you that it’s not the act of hitting and following a golf ball that matters in this game,but the discussion between these two competitors as they are walking following the golf ball.Thats were important deals are sealed, that’s where bilateral relationships are cemented and not the actual golf sport you see!
10. TRUSTWORTHNESS
11. 
    Remove your partisan spectacles and in your neutral state,ask yourself, between ECL and HH whom does the public “perceive” to be trustworthy? In an event that you’re being sent to jail for 10 years and you’re given an option to choose between ECL and HH who to leave your bag full of dollars until you come out after 10 years,who can you entrust it with?
    No doubt,our country lost that trustworthy during the PF regime which President Hakainde Hichilema is trying hard to regain.Remember, trust can’t just be given,it must be earned over time and HH is doing just that.
12. TRANSPARENCY
    In all his outings, President Hakainde Hichilema has been very transparent.Starting from his entourage,who he is meeting, his agenda for that meeting and how it’ll leverage the country.Contrast this with the PF government international trips.
13. ALWAYS ZAMBIANS FIRST
    In whatever speech President Hakainde Hichilema delivers, home or abroad and at whatever fora,he always reminds himself and the rest of his audience that they are in that privileged position through the courtesy of the people of Zambia and that they’ve a duty not to betray the people’s trust,he has always concluded by emphasizing the now house hold phrase “very important”.
    Do you think President Hakainde Hichilema can encourage his inner circle team with such language as ” ukulya mwibala but not uku lila kumo ne mbuto?”.
15. INCORRUPTIBLE
16. 
    President Hakainde Hichilema is not a person you can corrupt.
    If you disagree with my assertion, find a way to approach him with a ka inflated government tender to supply desks with the view of sharing the loot with him and see whether you’ll come out of that meeting as a free man!
    That’s how a leader worth his salt should be! Even his own children must know their fate in advance even before thinking of engaging into corrupt deals.
18. LAND LINKING ZAMBIA.
19. 
    President Hakainde Hichilema is trying to link this country to our neighbors through trade, investment and business opportunities.Instead of calling my international business as ” smuggling”,it will now be called international business trade!
    Go to the Copperbelt and witness how ba Kopala are excitedly positioning themselves to take advantage of the cross boarder trade without worrying about our own ZNS officers breathing on their necks,confiscating their mechandise just because they’re trading with their neighbors from Congo.
    Give it two or three years from now, Zambia will be a totally different country.Even those neighbors who were looking down upon us during the dark and wasted decade of the PF reign of terror will be flocking to us.
    I submit .

Mupishi Jones
+260977480386

DEATH OF MKANDAWIRE TRAGIC, UNFORTUNATE-HH

President Hakainde Hichilema has described the death of Kabwata MP, Levy Mkandawire as ‘unfortunate’ and ‘tragic’.

Speaking to journalists when he visited the funeral home for the late Kabwata lawmaker’s home this afternoon, the Head-of-State expressed sadness that Mr Mkandawire met his fatal end at his home.

The 7th President of the Republic, who says he fondly referred to Mr Mkandawire as ‘mwana wa kwithu’, a Ngoni term meaning ‘son of our soil’, stressed that Mkandawire would be remembered for championing the UPND cause at a time that “it was not fashionable to belong to UPND”.

And the President says he is optimistic that Law Enforcement Agencies-LEAs-will follow the matter to the latter to establish bizarre circumstances “behind the scenes of the death are established” without any undue interference.

President Hichilema has since wished the family to the late Good Speed and strength during this trying moment.

Mr Kandawire, in unexplained and bizarre circumstances, met his fate last Friday when a roaming BMW registration number ALM 5955 driven by a Jane Mwale lost control and rammed into his IST reg. Number ALM 2038 at his home in Chalata, Woodlands Extension.

Mkandawire’s remains, which lies in state at UTHs, will be put to rest at Lusaka’s Memorial park tomorrow.

The party has since appealed to members across the country to accord Mr Mkandawire a befitting send-off.

UPND MEDIA TEAM

Press Statement for Immediate Release,

Lusaka 21/11/21

PF CRIMINALS HIDING BEHIND THE TRIBAL CARD IS A GROSS MISCALCULATION

As National Democratic Congress [NDC] party, we wish to inform the nation that we have been closely monitoring some Patriotic Front (PF) members linked to criminal activities trying to hide behind the tribal card.

We write to advise these suspected PF criminals that there is no tribe in Zambia that supports crime. Each tribe has a word for criminals which include the following: Ba pompwe (Bemba); Kabwalala (Kaonde); Chiwanga (Luvale); Ikombi (Lunda); Vi-pondo (Chinyanja); Ma sholi (Lozi); mupupu (Mambwe) and Higwebenga (Tonga).

With such names, we therefore wish to advise these suspected PF criminals that it is gross miscalculation to hide behind the tribal card.

Fellow citizens, we regret to note that some PF leaders acted with impunity while they were in power. These leaders thought they had immunity and went on to commit crimes without thinking that the PF would one day lose power. Today the PF has lost power, and they want to accuse the innocent Police of tracking them on tribal lines.

No! “Kibuhata, mina masholi!” The Police could not arrest you while you were in power but now you are ku wire.

Remember, most of these dockets were opened as far back as 2015 when Zambia lost its rule of law. So, it’s payback time!

Fellow citizens, throughout the seven years of their tenure in office, we wrote numerous articles advising these suspected PF criminals that crime does not pay.

Unfortunately, they ignored us and went on to live in other people’s homes without paying rent;
Some unlawfully grabbed plots belonging to opposition members
some borrowed money from banks which they failed to service; some abused their authority while in office; some were filming themselves burning the Kwacha and others committed murder.

Today, they want sympathy from the same citizens that they disrespected. The citizens actually want these PF criminals to be arrested, taken to court and convicted. In short, the victims of these PF criminals want justice!

In closing, we wish to remind these suspected PF criminals that the Police will arrest you regardless of your tribe. And, be advised that your tribesmen will not support you but will applaud the Police for doing their work.

For with stashed stollen money, you have been offered amnesty to return that stollen money, act before it is too late.

Kennedy Siyanda
NDC CHAIRPERSON IN-CHARGE OF INFORMATION