Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba wrote;
Zambia Sixth Poorest Country, One of the Most Unequal in the World-World Bank
Minister of Finance, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane has had serious trouble to run the economy.
He has relied on heavy borrowings, grants and loans, and supplementary budgets to sustain snd meet national budget commitments.
Musokotwane has accumulated both local and foreign loans.
The Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA) has called his fiscal indiscipline and raised concerns over the significant increase in Net Domestic Financing (NDF) that has risen from K15.4 billion to K30.2 billion, describing it as a substantial deviation from sound and fiscal discipline.
Zambia has faced the worst cost-of-living crisis, and is experiencing extended power cuts which have affected micro, small and medium enterprises adversely.
The World Bank local and home websites give Zambia a worrying country profile.
Zambia faces high income inequality and its poverty status ranking is recorded as the sixth poorest country and is also ranked as one of the most unequal in the world.
“In 2022, 64.3 percent of the population – about 12.6 million individuals – was living on less than US$2.15 a day.”
“This level is not only the 6th highest in the world but it is also misaligned with the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita level.”
Then Minister of Finance appointed the new board at the Zambia Statistics Agency.
Musokotwane appointed;
1) Mr. OLIVER CHINGANYA – Board Chairman ZAMSTATS;
2) Prof. EUSTARKIO KAZONGA, University of Lusaka;
3) Dr VESPER CHISUMPA, Head of Department (Population and Statistics) UNZA;
4) Mrs. ELIZABETH MUSUKWA, Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA);
5) Mr PETER ZGAMBO, Bank of Zambia;
6) Ms. BWALYA SALAMU, Ministry of Justice;
7) Dr JEREMIAH BANDA, Senior Lecturer, UNZA;
Dr CHITALU CHILIBA, Institute of Economic and Social Research, UNZA; and,
9) Mr SHILAMBWE MWAANGA.
Oliver Chinganya as new Board Chairperson was touted as one who would bring a wealth of experience, proven leadership, and a distinguished track record in advancing statistical development and data-driven policy-making across the African continent from his recent role at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa(ECA).
But we saw strange revised statistics especially those concerning key indicators, but clearly targeted to immediately improve Zambia’s standing against the poverty rankings!
And the new statistics were pushed hard and reported on Bloomberg and Reuters, news outlets relied upon by the Bretton Woods institutions.
For example Zambia’s life expectancy was revised to 67 years old.
According to Zambia Statistics Agency, Zambia also saw some key economic and social developments recently despite the hard facts such as the country experiencing the worst load-shedding, the worst drought in 100 years, the worst cost-of-living crisis in the last 60 years.
Despite having a national budget run on debts and deficits, ZAMSTATS gave alternative information.
It stated that depsite the challenges, the economy allegedly grew by 8.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
It has stated that inflation slowed down to 14.1% in June 2025.
It also stated that Zambia recorded a trade surplus in May 2025. The country also has a sufficient maize supply for the 2025/2026 season and was recording billions of dollars in foreign investment, statistics sometimes that sharply conflict with other reputable agencies such as the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
These clearly questionable statistics are now bearing fruit with Zambia jumping beyond the poorest ranking to an alleged low-middle-income country by June 2025.
But a check on all other rankings are holding fast to Zambia’s true standing as a poor, low income country stating that:
“Zambia attained lower middle-income country status in 2011”.
“However, in 2022 the World bank re-classified the country to low-income status. The country faces several challenges, among them high levels of poverty and inequality; food insecurity; high unemployment rates, particularly among the youth; a heavy debt burden; natural disasters; disease outbreaks; and the impacts of climate change.”
So you can believe the genuine and credible statistics or you can download a one sheet isolated document and claim that Zambia has left the clutches of a low, highly indebted poor country.
Zambia is poor because the likes of you Mwamba are enablers of klepomanics.
You were comfortable working for Chiluba. Explain to us how he was able to afford those suits and shoes?
You gravitate to theives that steal from the poor and now want to remind us how people like you work for the very people who cause us to be poor. Very intelligent of you Mr. Mwamba to expose yourself.
So while you are in America who is paying for your accomodation? Food and those flights that you are making to Ethopia and England and back to America? Mwamba you are married to the late Mainga’s daughter former GM life at Zambia State Insurance. How long have you worked and even in the diplomatic service how much did you amass to afford to live in American without working. These podcasts. How much do you make and do you even pay taxes? As now you are not a visitor in the US. You are in breach of your visa which is either a Business or Visitors. So as they say…noise has a habit of attracting attention. So now you have brought it on your self.
Tell us…we are waiting. You are always up in other people’s business and spreading lies. Tell us about who you are and how you can afford to live there…or is someone paying for you to spread these stories when they are the reason why Zambia was bankrupt in 2021? The Breakdancer failed to get repreive you as PF paid $US 5million to LiZARD. What did it get Zambia? So now you want to think that the mess you left can be cleared over night?
Ba kwala imwe
Demagogue…
Whats wrong with Musokotwane appointing people that have been vetted as competent and what is the connection between the appointment of people who are at the top of their field in the field of their expertise?
Mwamba clearly you have nothing better to do in your life but raise issues that show how dull you are.
This Mwamba is exposing his dullness in his supposed attacks on the current government. Which political party presided over this country and brought all the miseries Zambians have been enduring from 2011 to 2021? Now, in his warped brains, he thinks sane and level headed Zambians will smile at his farting (ifisushi). That’s why Bembas say ‘umwine wacisushi tomfwa kununka’ (he who farts doesn’t struggle with its smell). Anyway, it’s just a matter of a few months and Zambia will be rid of such noxious political pests, as it has done in the past.
They say he’s a failed Zambian politician