THE FIXER IS FIXING ZAMBIANS…I pray and hope fuel doesn’t exceed K32 – Lusaka Lawyer

THE FIXER IS FIXING ZAMBIANS

…I pray and hope fuel doesn’t exceed K32 – Lusaka Lawyer

Lusaka, Tuesday, October 10, 2023 ( Smart Eagles)

Patriotic Front (PF) member and Lusaka Lawyer Celestine Mambula Mukandila has prayed that fuel prices should not exceed K30.

Speaking when he featured on Munati Television yesterday, Mr Mukandila agreed with President Hakainde Hichilema who said the monthly fuel price reviews are chocking Zambians.

He said one cannot plan when fuel is being reviewed every other month.

“Today we have seen the swearing in of the permanent secretary in the ministry of energy and the President is on record indicating that the citizens are now chocking with the reviews in the fuel prices on a monthly basis. Because it is literally impossible for us to plan as businessmen,” he said.

“You cannot plan when fuel is being reviewed every other month. This month you don’t know, as an oil trader for example, you don’t know whether you are going to make a loss or not. Because you don’t know whether government is going to increase the price of fuel…I have got colleagues that have made losses beyond understanding any business concept because today, if fuel is trading at K26, tomorrow, God forbid, it goes to K32…I hope and pray it doesn’t because from the way things are looking, it is highly possible.”

He said UPND does not understand how the process regarding fuel works.

“So, the swearing in of the PS in the ministry of energy today has shown to the Zambian people that clearly and truly, our colleagues did not know how the energy sector is run. They are on record, they told the Zambian people that the reason that the reason fuel is at K17 under PF, it is too expensive, it is because there are middlemen there and these middlemen are getting is K3 or K4,” he said.

“When we get into government we will ensure that fuel gets back to K10. Now, this is a complete 360 turn around where we are seeing fuel becoming almost double the amount it was in 2021. When you via for a position, you need to understand what it takes to be in that position. Firstly, the UPND gave us a scenario that the moment they get into government, they will reduce the cost of fuel.”

Mr Mukandila recalled that President Hichilema gave Zambians mathematical charts and graphs to say the reason fuel is at “this amount” is because there are middlemen.

“That is what they were telling us. At some point we told them there are global factors that have to be put in place because fuel, we do not produce that in Zambia. They literally refused, they said no, these guys are just stealing,” he said.

“Now the question that the Zambian people are asking today is if there was a middle man during the PF time and fuel was at K17, does it mean that we have three middlemen who are stealing money here? The cost of living is extremely high because of the ripple down effects on the cost of fuel. You cannot move a commodity at a price you expected from Muchinga farms to Lusaka or from Ngabwe to Kabwe, or from Dundumwezi to Lusaka. So the prices have started skyrocketing because of the fuel prices.”

He said Zambians have now seen that they are in trouble under UPND.

“The fixer is fixing the Zambians…Why are we here? The answer is very simple. Our colleagues wanted to fix what was not broken. You and I my brother are being fixed. The fuel we were using last month is different from the fuel we use this month,” he said.

“Four months ago we would at least afford getting from point A to B without worrying about where the fuel gage is. Today, fuel of K1000 will not even get you to destinations like…the budgeting process is not properly done and yet salaries are not increased every month. The Zambian people have now seen that we are in trouble.”