Friday, March 29, 2024

Govt. acts on Zambian Airways

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The Minister of Communication says Government is making efforts to contact shareholders of Zambian Airways to establish efforts being made to ensure the airline fulfills the International Air Transport Association regulations.

Dora Siliya said government is also making efforts to get in touch with Zambian embassies in South Africa and Tanzania to ascertain the number of Zambians stranded following the suspension of operations by Zambian Airways.

In a statement issued to ZNBC news in Lusaka, Monday, Ms. Siliya said Zambian Airways has not officially notified government why it has suspended its operations.

Ms. Siliya said government has learnt of the suspension of the airline’s operations from the press.

She said government wants to know what efforts the shareholders have made to ensure that all stranded passengers holding Zambian Airways tickets are safely transported to their destinations.

On Saturday Zambian Airways suspended its operations indefinitely.

Zambian Airways Chief Executive Officer Mutembo Nchito cited high fuel prices as one of the reasons for suspending operations.

[ZNBC]

149 COMMENTS

  1. LISA pa Zed they dont know what bailout is.. may if translated to some local language.ZA has asked for help many times but to a deaf amatwi

  2. #7 getting money from passengers and leaving them stranded in. That is common sense, even minibuses from Kulima Tower don’t do that. IKALUKA, they refund on the spot.

  3. # Anonymous but you know what happened here in nationwide, you dont plan to be insolvent or bankcrapt. each one for himself

  4. i think they should hav suspended the operations after making sure th@ all the people who had bought tickets were refunded or after flying them to their respective destinations,as it is now nibu pompwe ubu mu day light.why sale tickets and then suspend operations.

  5. Under IATA, shareholders and Directors can be held personally liable for leaving passengers stranded – they have to always have a contingency plan in place in such a situation for passengers and cargo. Even bankruptcy doesn’t protect them from this IATA regulation, ZA is a member of IATA!

  6. No bail out, at the very least ZA can sell the assets and swap the debt for equity to govt and let them make it a trully national airline. Ads should then go out for really qualified airline professionals to run the new airline, Zambia Airways reborn.

  7. Thank you Ba Minister, Dora, for being professional in your work. I once had an interaction with you when you were at ZNBC. You exhibited the same level of professionalism then. Keep it up and ensure the stranded passengers are brought to Zambia on Zambian Airways Expense. Also ensure that National Airports recover its US$2 million. No bail out. The law should also take its course on the Directors and shareholders for continue to trade when they knew that the company was bankrupt. Thank you sisters, God bless you.

  8. Dont bail them out… It will only benefit the two brothers and Fred Mmembe. It was very unZambian to get money from people and then leave there. If it was RB would had done that The Post would had a field day and be callin all sorts of names. So now i can call the directors of Zambian Airways including Fred Mmembe theives..

  9. No wonder Fred had campaigned so much for either Sata or Magande to succeed as they would have bailed him out with state funds.
    If the Nchitos & Co. are declared bankrupt,then they stop representing the Government in court.
    Fred can sell his Hammer to realise some of the money owed to NAC!!

  10. Fuel price is not the issue. The price of fuel has come down. The issue is poor management. the company was heavily supported by the late president.Since, he is not here, that’s why we have all these problems. This is purely the result of incompetent managers.
    Lawyers are not Business Managers. Leave business to us who are trained to run business. As lawyers, your job is to argue out cases especially cases of national plunder.
    Govt, do not lend the money. They will not pay back. No means to pay back.

  11. Its time our govt really looked at genuine business people in zambia and thieves. the govt should find the root cause of this and just take up the whole airline with the national emblem in the name of Zambia airways. Its very sad when going home one has to make connections that take up to 20hrs before reaching home, and besides kufika with other countries’ carriers like kenya airways. Imagine a country with with no airline of their own. Insoni sana but pa zed. RB should do something, but bailing out is not the answer, giving back the money to the thieves to continue and benefiting a few at the company’s helm. If an airline is born, no free flights please twapapata………..

  12. ITS HIGH TIME GOVERNMENT STEPED UP AND SHOW THERE MUSCLE IF AMERICA “MR WORLD” HAD TO FIND A BALL OUT PLAN FOR ITS ECONOMY + PLUS ON TOP OF THAT GAVE A LOAN TO GM, FORD, CHEVROLET THREE MAJOR ECONOMY CONTRIBUTORS BILLON OF DOLLARS TO SAVE THE COMPANIES INCLUDING THE ECONOMY MR NCHITO SHOULD NOT BLAME IT ON FUEL PRICES THEY SAW IT COMING WHY DIDNT THEY COME UP WITH A PLAN WITH GOVERNMENT? AFTER ALL THEY RUB SHOULDERS TOGETHER AT FUND RASIERS NO OFFENCE BUT ITS A FACT THIS APLLIES TO THE MINES LET THEM CLOSE WAS A BAD IDEA LET THE GOVERNMENT COME UP WITH A BAIL OUT PLAN FOR ZAMBIA OR LOAN OUT MONEY TO AS MANY COMPANIES AS POSSIBLE STARTING WITH THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTERS TO THE ECONOMY :-w

  13. HOW CAN YOU BAIL OUT THIEVES AND LEAVE THE HARDWORKING MINERS OF LUANSHYA SUFFERING. NEVER!!! MEMBE MUST PAY FOR HIS CRIMES AND LIES TO THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA

  14. this is good. its called survival of the fittest.zambians should learn how to make money. Zambian airways has failed because of greed. the owners where symphoning out money from the company into there personal accounts.so back to where we started. the biggest mistake MMD ever made was to let the real ZAMBIA airways collapse.so long !

  15. Come on guys use your medula oblagata. Why is it Copper Air is still flying? Even the new airline Zambezi Airlines is doing well and is owned by a Zambian Maurice Janugulo. So why should zambian airways get preferential treatment for running down an airline that was okay until nchito became mD and removed Macdonald a very good scotsman who managed it well before. NO BAIL OUT

  16. Life and death is in the tongue which can bring anything.Mau aakulu amakoma akagonela(chewa) and in Bemba “abakulu tabapusa ichebo”.Fred Mmembe is a shameless petty thief who has proved to contax payers and passangers to build an emperor.Chiluba said those who insult me daily for declaring Zambia a Christian are cursed and i will live to see them crashed with my eyes wide open by my God who has annointed me.KK who was insulted and accused by Fred Mmembe of externalising US $4 billion into off shore accounts said you have accused and called me ishilu fonko fonko,nimwebo mukafonkoka pamala.RB has said those insulting are insulting their senior citizen.These are curses.

  17. Guys.

    I can now say something since you have stopped attacking each other.To tell you the truth Iam so dissapointed with you,Why should you attack each others tribe.One thing you should know is when we start talking about tribes we will not understand each other,hence instead of contributing efficiently and effectively we keep on fighting.Iam sure wherever you are there’s nothing like ifyama tribes ifi come on KK has given us a very good lecture ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION,we are one WEATHER BEMBA,NYANJA,LOZI,TONGA,LUVALE,KAONDE ect we are all Zambian.Why should we quarrel sure? I want all of you who have been fighting over simple thing to read these scriptures.(contd)

  18. please read these two scritures.

    2 Timothy 2 vs 22-24,Romans 12 vs 9-21.Iam sure when you read these scriptures you will never attack each other.That is if you call yourselves christians.You know what sometimes you worry me you pipo who like exchanging strong words,does it mean that we are indispora to learn insults or what? If anything we have to love one other escpecilly that we are miles away from each other,LT has brought us together as One Nation.Good night guys I love you all,and please stay cool wherever you are Always remember your Lord God who took you there.Amen

    Naleka Nine

    Matworld.(Peace and Love)

  19. LETS NOT USE CREDIT CRUNCH AS AN EXCUSE AND DRIVING THE LATEST CARS WE SEE ON TOP GEAR MTV AND ALL ZAMBIANS WHO ARE OUT THERE NOT HERE IN ZED WITH US YABA YOU SHOULD SEE THE CARS THESE GUYS DRIVE THEY MAKE PIMP MY RIDE LOOK LIKE YESTERDAYS TRASH WE HAVE YET FUEL PRICES ARE EXPENSIVE V12’s V8 ENGINES GOD DAMN AND THEY COULDNT KEPT A BOEING 737 200 IN THE AIR TO WHICH WAS BEING PAID FOR BY CUSTOMERS SO WHERE DID THE MONE GO IS IT TO GET THE NEW MERC G55 AMG SPORT 2009 OH ITS A BEAST BUT I BELIEVE WE HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS WE HAVE SURVIVED SO MUCH THROUGH TIME LOOK CERTAIN ANIMALS EXTINCT SUCH AS THE DODO BUT WE ARE STILL STANDING AND SUM ARE FACING EXTINCTION

  20. I just don’t know what to say of some ministers. Dora Knew what was happening with Zambia airways, so why she coming out like saint. Kudabwa boza ati.

  21. Mr Nchito what kind of CEO are you. You have to exhaust you options
    including asking the govt. for help before you just quit!!
    Ati ba CEO, bwafwa!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  22. Martworld-Nice guy!
    muntu wandi kwena walasa,wat u hav said is very true..its jst very sad th@ somepeople want to pretend nw and forgeting where they come frm,thinking nomba basungu,jst because they are overseas.someone today passed wat i can call silly comments abt me jst because i used the local language,bt i hav forgiven this person,i hope nxt tym he will behave him/her self,or else nkatutumya ifingi elyo takasekelemo.

  23. We should stop demonizing the Nchito brothers.Their only gaffe was to partner with Mmembe a cursed man driven by anger and convulsions from his dysfunctional family upbring.Everything Mmembe has interset in will never prosper because his works and hands are cursed.

  24. NO BAIL-OUT.

    Why is it that it has taken so long for the company to realize that they where unable to meet their cost obligations. What is a lawyer and newspaper editor doing running an airline anyway. I am pretty sure there is someone who is well experienced in the airline industry who ZA can hire to run their day to day activities. This is as a result of poor business management.

    If anything should happen to the company, it should be BUY-OUT. In short,NATIONALIZATION of the company. NOT A BAIL-OUT.

    How come PROFLIGHT and ZAMBEZI AIRLINES are still operational??

  25. If anything, Mmembe has been the biggest liability to our country ever.his hate crusades always cost the tax payers big dollars.Out of his lies the “Scotland yard” was brought in at a cost of US $10 million to investigate KK over the US $4 billion claim.As a country we got zero retun from that lie.The Nchitos have been paid now over US $8 miilion on his exaggerated lies against the so called plunders.The same money they used to crookedly buy Roan Air from ZCCM no different to Francis Kaunda now in jail for equally buying Ndola Trust school.He Risked the country with claims of KK having weapon cache at Panji’s Sindamisa and Sadam at state lodge when that country was at war with the USA.

  26. #28, I would support Chiluba because he is a thief. There is nothing wrong in calling a thief a thief. No matter how much Chiluba talks, nobody has ever insulted him because he is a worthless thief. I would sympathise with KK and RB because the insults the post were levelling at them were unjustified.

  27. I am just sad that poeple are celebrating the collapsing of a zambian company despite the ownership. What about all those hardworking employees who are now facing uncertain futures.

  28. #40, those are all Sata’s lies and not Mmembe. It is Sata who was telling all those lies with the hope of pleasing Zambians and yet that was an injustice on a man who has cared for Zambia more than anyone I know. KK is our father, our grandfather, and our guardian. Have you ever read a book by Dr. Sam Chipungu – Guardians in their Time? Worth reading your history and you will see why KK deserves respect. It is Sata and Chiluba who are real liabilities to Zambia.

  29. #27(Realist)

    The medulla oblangata is not used for thinking or is it decision makinking,rather its the cerebrum.The medulla oblongata controls such involuntary actions like eye-blinking,breathing(respiration)etc.

    no hard feelings bro and stay blessed

  30. What is the actions that GRZ is alleged to have done over this issue as the title is misleading me?

    ====
    LT 2008 Award Winner.

  31. Get it right,it is not commercially viable to start up or take over operations of an airline at the moment,the govt would not be daft to ”bail out” ZA which we also hear was financially mismanaged.
    The least the govt can do is ensure ZA sorts out those stranded etc because ZA should have ensured that is sorted before suspending operations now they will be in trouble with IATA.
    Dora Siliya is quite an educated person & made the right decision to refuse to bail out ZA when it first asked for help.ZA is a private entity whose contribution to national resources & labour force is minimal so it would not be in order for the govt to save it especially looking at the amount of debts it has.

  32. No one is celebrating the collapse of this airline,it’s collapse was inevitable when most major airlines started folding up after a sharp rise in cost of oil,the recession has even made it worse.I would also say how did the other shareholders expect a Lawyer as CEO to make strategic decisions for the survival of the company or is Nchito just a part time lawyer,maybe he’s more experienced in Business Management?
    ZA did not employ thousands so it would be illogical for the govt to save it just because of the few employees that are there or because we want ”a national flag carrier”,that flag carrier should be something we should be proud of not one that is even failing to break even.

  33. i hope the goverment sets up a national airline because it’s a necessity not a luxury.as long as we don’t have a national airline we’re a bush country. >:)>:)>:)

  34. They need a bailout, with conditions. Most zambians do not know the implications of losing flag carrying airlines. Put tabs on the Board though [-(

  35. No one is concerned about the big picture for aviation. Everyone is concerned more about Nchito. The times are hard for aviation and everyone is facing the same rough conditions. Has anyone on this blog run an Airline before?

  36. Don’t worry about the title, thats how they lie to the masses. Dora Siliya’s message is that ZA can go. Its of no significanace to the country.

  37. # 43.The Intelligentia,
    Collectively Chiluba, Sata and Mmembe are certified liabilities without a place in Zambia’s future.They have no dignity to influence any public policy in view of the fact that the trio have thrived on lies and sabotage to our statehood.Mmembe has been the devil incarnate of hatred, uncultural war conduct and lies plenty in him. On mismanaged ZA I say big “NO BAILOUT” PERIOD.Government should instead approach this quagmire with a strategy of punishing management and shareholders, force them into receivership managed by a receiver continuing operations with a game plan of paying off accumulated liabilities. Objective be conversion into an immediate “National carrier”

  38. I am disappointed with the lack of support for local entrepreneurs exhibited on this forum. The problem is, armchair criticism is easy, solution finding – not so much. I would suggest that clueless people on this forum just shut up already! No wonder Zambia remains a poor nation.

  39. # 55,
    It is not ingenous to risk tax payers money on heavily mismanaged entreprises.How do you start lavish expansions without stabilization and capacity building when you are operating passed your debt ratio for over two years? ZA had no strategy or capacity of boosting its capital instead has had more risks.Its clear you are a theorist too clueless on the real world business dynamics other than being familiar with a Junk yard scrap mentals business.You bail out entreprises that have redemable risk value.Look at GM, Ford or American Airlines.Despite their problems these have valuables worth risking tax payers money.You don’t understand the books of ZA.

  40. ZA has being exponentially sinking into deep debts for the past two years.Under Mwanawasa it become a replica of Binani mine (Luanshya) under Chiluba where more than 350 million tax payers money burned in.ZA went with Levy to Embassy park but Zambians have been the winners because their money has been spared.

  41. The future of the ZA workers remains uncertain unless pracctical measures and not just mere talk are put in place

  42. #45, Maestro Hhehhehhehhe,

    I enjoyed your level-headed debates on this thread: Will Zambian airways directors face the music. Please continue with the same spirit. You have matured to another level.

  43. Bail themout for the sake of Development. The situation is global GRZ remember that. We need a national carrier, there is no argument. It is time we faced up like Ghana and move forward. Zambians arise, for the earth shall not exist forever, tizakashimika chani ku heaven after Rapture. :d

  44. #56 and #57, Observer, there might be a lot of truth in what you have said but my point still stands. I don’t know what qualifications and skills you have but I can tell that you are a proper armchair critic. Just make sure that when you criticize, you also advance solutions for the sake of progress. I would rather have a person who has tried to run a business than one that who only points fingers after the fact.

  45. EVELYN KING.

    MATWORLD-NICE GUY.
    INE NINE ULEBA AT IWE NAMAYO, ULEKWATA UMUSHINSHI WEMWANA IWE. IAM A MOTHER OF TWO.

    Iam sure you remember these words.Iam so sorry that I offended you yeterday,but to tell you the truth I was not reffering to you as iwe namayo,my comment was based on what the director of tourism said about how ZA will affect tourism.I couldnt sleep coz I was troubled not because you told me that Nshakwata mucinshi,but coz of making you utter those words. though my comment was not for you,but The lady(Director of tourism) if she saw my comment would have used the same words as yours.please get it from me and God is my witness that comment was not for you.Iam sorry.

  46. how come the paper that diggs dipper is not telling us what is happenning.Bailout cant work with ZA those aircrafts are leased planes, the owners need money national airports needs money, suppliers also need money.A bailout will just pay these debts then what next? Besides RB has no power of injecting tax payers money into a private company, the only institution with that popwer is parliament but at what benefit to the tax payer and in that case parliament would have to appoint people to run the airline in other words a GRZ buy out of a clearly sinking boat.Even LUSE can not get involved with such because no sane mind buys shares in a company to rescue it from bancrapcy.#28 has the ANS

  47. well put Engines and the LUSE is suffering anyways. Great listed companies like ZANACO, Zain, Zambeef, Breweries, Sugar, etc have all lost their share value – why would any sane person invest in a dog?

  48. Ama Paseengers balabekofye. In Zambia, no passenger gets refunded when a bus, plane or whatever gets ground and cant get them to their destination. Look, Zambian Airways management has not even come out in the open to talk to anyone including govt, employees and the union. How do you expect them to even think about those refunds. Please dont forget we are in Zambia and anything is possible. Watch the space for more Zambian airways drama

  49. African Business operates like this; 1 plane = 100 employees, 2 planes = 200 employees etc. Most of these employees would be direct relatives, wife’s relatives, relatives of girlfriends etc ot the directors. Can u wonder how ZA had to close? McDonald was doing fine @ ZA, even took on some street kids under his wing, took them to school etc. The Nchito’s r just into prestige. So the downfall was expected, we r not surprised!!! RIP ZA

  50. Dora siliya has shares in Zambezi airways a competitor to Zambian airways… she wants nothing more than to see zambian airways to fail..

  51. The demise of Zambian Airways aught never be a surprise. Sad as it may be for employees, the problem was that Zambian Airways was run like a family affair. I mean, whatelse would you expect if sentimentality is mixed with business? A flop of course. If only hard lessons should be had from this. Personalities aside, Zambian Airways should have consolidated its gains before venturing to expand. That was the cardinal mistake they made.

  52. LT

    The Government has NOT acted on the Zambian Airways saga. They rae just asking questions which in my opinion should be very easy to answer by asking Zambian Airways’ sales department to provide answers to the questions that have been posed.

    The best thing for the Zambian Government is to get the strategic plan of Zambian Airways and have it analyzed by DCA staff so that public funds are not wasted into the private pockets of the directors of the company. It could be also that some directors of this company may have been diverting funds from the company to themselves thus rendering the ops of the company unsustainable. It is easy to blame the fuel costs, but could be ill-founded.

  53. **==**==**==

    moning pipo

    Let these directors dance to this tune, they think they own the whole zambia!! poor management…

  54. It is never wise to rejoice over the downfall of your friends, even that of your enemies. The whole issue with ZA is the matrix of players involved.

  55. Just from the last behaviour the have portrayed it is very difficult to have trust for Zambian Airways management.
    Nowhere in the world will any business behave like ZA has done. You know you are stoping operations the following day, but you go ahead and sell tickets. After you stop operations people want to aks you for refund but you refuse to talk them. You dont care in what position they are, what appointments they had on their trips; some wre school appointments, others medical, etc but you chose to simply pocket the money. You collect passengers fees for NAC for more than 2 years, but instead remitting these fees you just pocket the money.
    Ladies and gentlemen, what bailout?

  56. Virgin Nigeria has suspended its 5 weekly flights to South Africa and 4 weekly flights to London. Air Mauritiaus is in financial problems and has suspended all its flights to South Africa and a number of destinations leaving thousands of booked passengers to look for alternative flights. Most Zambian analysts have attributed these events to gross mismanagement and thieving by the directors of these respective airlines. The Zambian analyst have cited the same reasons for the demise of Zambian airlines. In a surprise announcement a Zambian Minister Ms Dora Siliya has accused Zambian Airlines of breaking IATA rules. One wonders which rule this is.

  57. # 8 Supergal, do you want to hear this in local language? pantu ZA is a private company (company ya bantu, Nchitos, Rossi, Mmembe and another person). Since when did you ever hear about Government bailing out ka ntemba which benefits just one or two individuals? This is the reason anyone is entitled to a loan from the bank if they have the capacity to obtain one. On his ears did you want their messages to fall on to? bafwile fye ba lipile inkongole. Other Ntembas also need to be protected, ie ba Supplier, NACL, stranded passengers, etc. Zambia for Zambians not for two brothers, a friend and two partners.

  58. Those thinking that bailout is meant to be done wherever a company fails to function must rethink.
    Every process has got a procedure, and a criteria to meet. If ZA cant meet the criteria for bailout forget it.
    You must remember that if you keep dealing with results without paying attention to the causes your problem is perpetual.
    Whatever the government is doing today they have to look at its implications tomorrow.
    There is no way Zambians would want to create a business culture where taxpayers’ funds become normal running capital for private firms; where will funds to provide the much needed services and the development of infrastructure come from?

  59. Many airlines in both developing and developed countries before the affore mentioned Airlines have suspend their operations or simply gone out of business. No Airline has ever been cited for breaking this mysterious IATA rule. It seems Dora and the anarchist commentators on Lusaka Times are clutching at straws.

  60. # 70, you big liar! get your facts right before you give bloggers wrong information. Zambezi Airways belongs to Nyiombo Investment Directors the Jangulos and another one or two partners and Dora is not one of them. **==

  61. #78 Tau Tou wa Lealui
    what a misplaced example. those suspensions are for specific flights that may not be profitable to the airlines probably due to competition in those destinations. what we are talking about is an indefinate suspension of all operations by ZA due to liquidity problems. BANCRAPCY MY FRIEND. Why is the post talkin about Sata when the issue is ZA. if it was Luanshya mines they could have been giving valuable advise, we need the same advise for ZA

  62. The fact of the matter is that the problems have not suddenly sprout out. The Debt with NACL has accumulated over a period. The issue still is, how come other local Airlines are not experiencing the same problems? This clearly points to mis-management. It would be gross irresponsibillity for a bailout package for ZA when other, if not more promising Enterprises have been let to sink without GRZ intervention. The issues coming out about ZA are mere symptoms of greater internal problems within. There is no guarantee whatsoever that, a bailout would deal with the root problems.

  63. #78. Tau Tou wa Lealui
    According to the IATA rules whenever there is rescheduling, cancelling or suspension of flight, every booked passenger has to be refunded and/or with compensated where necessary.
    Has ZA done this?
    And we dont know whether or not the airlines from the countries you have mentioned have not compensated the passengers. If the other airlines outside Zambian have not done this you cant take that as a standard for your country.
    I would never like to have an inspector general (IG) of police who will tell the nation that “even in other countries theives are there so people should not complain because we are not the only ones. Everywhere people steal, so it is OK.”

  64. Fine
    For once i totally agree with your comments.
    We actually need to take this to a higher level. All those who were on the board of ZA should be made to face the music. The owners or shareholders of ZA should be made in one way or the other to pay NAC the money that ZA owes this corporation. It is a well known fact that the airline company collects the airport depature fees on behalf of the airports so as to avoid inconviniencing the travellers who used to be asked to pay the fee when checking in. So the money should not in any way become a debt under the sun never. It was deliberate, thinking they will get away with it. They must pay and do so quickly.

  65. # 81 and anyway, the Government the same MMD Government failed to bailout Zambia Airways, so why should they bail out a private enterprise. Zambia Airways had a million and one assets, Aircrew and Ndeke Hotel in Longacres, offices in every town of Zambia, houses for staff all over the place and in all towns, flats in Avondale, Ndeke House (Now Ministry of Health) the electrol commission offices, offices in so many contries which up to now its not known what has happened to them. The Zambia Airways offices in Jburg which where being used by Zambian Airways? Imwe bantu, what is Zambian Airways to cry for? Let the Government come up with a National airline.

  66. Economic Tsunami Govt please do not give them a bailout, They never paid their taxes this Company needs to be accountable.These were bad managers who failed to plan accordingly. Let other airlines fill the gap.No handouts too many hands wanting help sorry ZA move over your time is up.

  67. Just on the surface of things, how do you suppose that a fully engaged lawyer in practice would at the same time operate as Chief Executive of an Airline which is experiencing major turbulance? Logic will not allow such an arrangement. Alas a likely scenario is that no one is fit enough than the chief shareholders! One gets a feeling that It must be a very difficult thing to get ideas across in such an enterprise even with the sincerest intentions in mind. Wit and courage may not suffice when pride dominates I guess.

  68. # 87 waiona ka! so why should the Government bail out ZA? Just how? :o. the same ZA has already chewed the Departure fee which belongs to a Government enterprise and the same Government must put some more?:o. This same ZA which belongs to 4 individuals that have taken away peoples airfares and left them stranded? They saw it coming so why did the continue selling their tickets and taking people where they new they were not going to bring back or whatever! its not about fuel here, its poor mismanagement and they must be taught a lesson. These are the Lawyers that are representing the Government cases on Corruption. I think the must be made to stop forthwith to keep the integrity.**==

  69. I commend the govt and the minister in particular for the stand they have taken.
    There is no need to interfere with the operations of private firms unless where it is clearly necessary. Under the circumstances it is not necessary to move in with Taxpayers money.
    And for those of you who think that peole who are condemning ZA management are dsplaying hatrade and jealous, you are totally mistaken.
    If a person commits suicide we will condemn the act the way it deserves. That does not mean we hated the person, No.
    In fact, those who will praise that act saying he has done well are actually the ones who hated the man.
    You dont want Zambian to ecourage this business calture, No.

  70. The POST have suggested that GRZ gives ZA a long term bond to clear their dues. This coming from THE POST sounds more like an POW suggesting to his captor how to treat him well.

  71. I remember sometime back how Mmembe boasted about how much he could man handle the late Remmy Mushota. An enraged, visibily ailing Mushota lost his cool and threatened to fight Mmembe. Mmembe fully took advantage of the ailing status of Mushota to openely challenge and taunt the visibily ailing Mushota. That was live in court and recorded in his tabloid news paper. I wonder if the late Dr. Remmy Mushotas ghost has come to haunt him. The last thing that a dying man needs is the taunting of those that aught to sympathise with him. Alas Mmembe is void of any such feeling.

  72. #93. Anonymous,
    Thanks for that info and the view you have put up.
    You see, the POST has been very instrumental on informing the public about issues of corruption and plunder.
    I feel it is time for the POST, if at all there is any slight moral in them, to start calling on the goverment to probe the Directors and Management of ZA for any malpractice or plunder of resources.
    We are talking about resources that not only belong ZA as a company, but monies belonging to NACL, GRZ (through tax), Banks, suppliers, and now the travelling public.
    Plunder of these resources must be followed up and investigated by the appropriate law inforcement agencies, I believe including the Task Force.

  73. You know Mmembe fully takes advantage when a stage is set for him. He forced the court audience to laugh at the proceedings in court. Mushota was completely confounded and perplexed. Bedeviled by a ruthless antagonist who given a advantage would boast about his ruthlessness towards his enemies. Bulaya, that old man. FTJ whose relapses into seemingly concocted cardiac arreast albet fully capable of ferrying himself in the midst thereof, Richard Sakala who has tested the internals of the dungeon amidst much perplexity, need I continue? I would not be surprised that someone has gone to the ends of the earth looking for that one bitter portion to baptise Mmembe with, by passing my Kamcape.

  74. #84 Engines. I do not want to get into uninformed arguments with you. Please compare the capacities of the suspended services by Air Mauritius and Virgin Nigeria. Respectively they are far large than those of Zambian Airways. Air Mauritius alone had 4 daily flights to South Africa. For Virgin Nigeria 70% of their income was derived from the suspended routes to Joburg and London. The Nigerian and Mauritian company’s have both cited financial problems for their suspention. The same is true for Zambian Airlines. Indefinate suspension my dear just means that they cannot put a precise date when the airline will resume operations.

  75. The late Remmy Mushotas ‘s Ghost will be the first to petition against any attempts to bailout ZA.

    FTJ must already been fasting against Mmembe and he can only intesify his resolve. Perhaps he has cut off to drink any water in his seriousness of pursuit. These guys are terribly bitter and hoping against hope that their arch enemy is punished.

  76. #97. Tau Tou wa Lealui,
    I hear you well and your points are well understood and they are valid.
    But much as these airlines may raise the same problem, ‘financial problems’ the causes of such financial problems could be totally different.
    The management styles of these airlines are definetely different.
    Levels of accountability in these individual airlines are different.
    We have not been told that these airlines were not remiting passenger fees to the airports, we have no heard that these guys were not paying their operational charges, again there is no indication that these airlines have not refunded the stranded travelling public.
    Therefore the premises are different.

  77. “High fuel prices” my foot. Before even the high fuel prices they where already experiencing problems. I work for an Airline and when the fuel started tumbling down, that was the time Zambian Airways, just like all the other Airlines that experienced the fuel turbulence should have held back on and picked themselves up. Its purely poor strategies and management.

  78. #97 Tau Tou wa Lealui
    Indefinate suspension- polite phrase for bancrapcy.no need 4 uninformed arguments,lets look at the buissness model for ZA.Those guys aquired ZA through legal fees that where due to them after providing a service,in short they dint inject any money.Those planes are leased planes and they own non of them. They borrowed money at whetever interest and run the airline as the cheapest.Fired a competent managing director and replaced him with a lawyer who appears in court everyday.entererd into a verbal deal with GOVNT for officials to only use the airline on all official trips.almost got into a deal with NAPSA(pensioners money)to take up some equity and share the risks.

  79. The other thing that I really do not and will never like the our attitude toward issues.
    Look at these two people, Mr Duck and Mr Dove. Both Mr Duck and Mr Dove have the same problem.
    After Mr Duck realises he has a problem he looks for friends who have a similar problem and justifies it because afterall he is not alone, other people are also in it.
    On the other hand, after Mr Dove realises he has the problem he looks for friends who have avoided the problem with the view to learn something so that he can come up with remedy to resolve and come out of his issues.
    I want to state that it is sad that Mr Dove is not in the majority of Zambians, but his collegue Mr Duck.

  80. The birds have come back to roost, this was bound to happen, Mutembo Nchito wanted to run the company like the way he runs his lwa firm.

  81. Contld from #102

    From the model in #102 i think no company can survive even during the best of economic times.so #97 Tau Tou wa Lealui iam not aware about the exact details in terms of strategy for the airlines you mentioned but iam sure its nothing similar to the one i have described above.when you run a firm get into a legitimate deal with Govnt all not at all otherwise this is what happens when you dont have a plan and want to rely on GOVNt soft loans. Magande almost dragged NAPSA into this sinking boat just to dilute risks iam glad national airports workers blew the whisle after they went unpaid for a while when their money was with some friends of the Govnt.

  82. This is the same moron who stopped the bail-out when it was still early.Just look how Africa tackles problems.Magande saw this coming and wanted to intervene then.Now we are talking a possible full bail-out maybe triple amount.GRZ should buy-in about 51% with this bail-out so that capital cannot be a problem when the airline want to expand.How can we pride ourselves as top tourist attraction without a national carrier? The next to a national carrier has only two planes, come RB stand up and be a leader.Not entertaining your extended family in Mfuwe …. Yaba.

  83. #106. Miyoba
    Magande was going to make a big mistake on behalf of the Zambians.
    The ZA business is now more costly than when it started.
    ZA does not own any planes, meaning that their assets are by far, too, too far less than their liabilities.
    This means that for anyone wanting to buy ZA off, is buy far, too, too far better off sarting a new one than get ZA.
    Doing business is not about how you feel and what your emotions dictate, it is about reality and about what works.
    If I had money, i would not buy ZA in any way, but rather start a new airline and may be try as much as possible to absorb most of the workers under new workable and sustainable conditions of service.

  84. #105 Since your rambling is basically a diatribe against Mmembe and the Nchitos it would be of interest to you to look at a piece in today’s South African Business daily. It goes by the name of Business Day. Look at the article titled “Global slowdown and record fuel prices hit air travel to South Africa”. It pays to read widely otherwise you endup recycling cheap and uninformed allegations formed mainly by your animosity to specific individuals. Zambia will never develop if we continue mixing politics with business. I do not think Obama will work to bankrupt Donald Trump for not supporting him in both the primary and general elections.

  85. #106 Miyoba

    you are mistaken,all what Magande did was to keep it out of the public eye.The boat was already leaking, the debt was already above $20m more than the value of the holding company.What Magande wanted was to drug NAPSA a parastatal into this so that the holding company looks bigger and they can borrow more.If NAPSAs money went in there knowing the company would not declare devidents but would instead borrow more to settle debts,then the Fund managers where going to be in trouble while magande and nchito remain insulated.It is because of such deals that our pensions in Zambia dont graw how do you use pension fund to pay debts for 4 people and starve a multitude of retirees

  86. #109. Anonymous
    You seem not to know what we know, so you try to look for justification. Below is information from ‘executive issues’:
    The biggest debt is with Finance Bank Zambia Limited, which has been proving funds to keep the airline floating. But we hear Finance Bank chairman Rajan Mahtani‘s patience with the airline is running dry and may pull the plug. However, he is equally constrained to make any moves without the consent of other creditors who includes the Investrust Bank Plc, Intermarket Banking Corporation and the state-run Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ), which by implications is supposed to be a shareholder in the airline.

  87. #106 fine
    Thanks for your help, insuarance companies are different from banks. It is an offence for fund managers to invest insuarance money in a company they no has no liquidity, no collateral and with more liabilities than assets. The accountants call this a negative balance sheet. The whole idea is that the fund must grow so that your contributions to NAPSA also grows, it is therefore mondatory for fund managers to invest only in low risk companies not where the storm is past the horizon. This is why the credit cruch has only hit pension funds through parent companies and not directly as with Banks that take up risks. Imagine Banks saw the risks in ZA what more NAPSA.

  88. #111 cont’d..

    I would not like to show you what is behind the veil, but because people’s zeal to talk even when they know nothing, I thought a little content from ‘excutive issues’ may help for now:
    “There are credible speculations that the airline has not been servicing the taxes with the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), which complicates the creditor’s positions. Legally, the payment of taxes will take precedence of any creditor if the airline wound up even though jurists still differ on this position in Zambia.”

  89. So what was Zambian Airways Management thinking, honestly?
    You pocket passenger departure fees,
    you pocket operational and landing fees,
    you pocket ZRA tax, including PAYE,
    and finally you pocket passengers money, and when they ask for their refund you dont want to talk to them.
    Is this the culture you want business in Zambia to take?
    Come on guys, Magande was clearly misguided in his views.
    It is this same Magande who told the nation that the global financial crisis would not have any significant effect on Zambia.
    This is the lack of foresight we want to avoid at all costs.
    Govt supporting such bussiness practices will never sustain them; all you do is create a time bomb.

  90. i WONDER WHY NACL CAN NOT CONTINUE WITH ZAMBIAN AIRWAYS…..THEY ARE BUSY CHARGING HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY FOR RENTALS FOR THEIR SPARE I.E WAREHOUSES, OFFICES ETC…. IT IS REALLY SAD.WHEN WILL THEY GOVERNMENT REALISE THAT WE NEED OUR OWN AIRLINE????? HUNDREDS OF PIPO HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS AND YOU EXPECT THE CRIME RATE TO DECREASE!!
    ARE WE EVER GOING TO LEARN??? :-?:-?:-?:-\”:-\”:-w:-w

  91. Actually ZA has not writen formally to GRZ as to why they have decided to suspend operations. The formal reasons to GRZ will explain what is thier view point. Suffice to say, even with the excuse of higher fuel costs, ZA non the less been unable to service its debts over a PERIOD of time, accrueing well before the fuel price crisis. I have been wondering why this credit crunch has hit them harder than other local Airlines?

  92. #144 Fine and then you want to pocket money for retirees!!! you see one rule of thumb that Membe Broke during the elections is “HONOR AMOUNG THIEVES” he went on to insult Rajan Mahtani for contributing money to MMD instead of PF after Magande lost to RB, what he forgot was that Mahtani through finance bank was keeping Zambian airways afloat at the expence of his bank.they probably got into a deal with PF unfortunately Mahtani as an experienced business man as proved when backlays closed branches had a better judgement. His bank is intact and he might strip some assets out of these Guys

  93. Credit must be given where it is due. The idea of coming up with Zambian Airways was brilliant and commendable. It is an indeginous grown company which has given a level of pride to Zambia! If only it was run professionaly knowing the pride at stake. The level of commitment by share holders has been to say the least commendable. The manner of running the business is what has been their downfall and this has placed them at such a dicey situation. The only right step, only alternative, is to call for bankruptcy!

  94. But the implications of declaring bankruptcy are heavy. How do you prove to GRZ if you are bankrupt that you will not abusive your engagement to make money. Thus the LAW wont allow you to engage in certain specific PROFESSIONAL activities on that account. I doubt if you can even engage as a journalist with the label of Bankruptcy on your back. Hard staff.

  95. Engines,Fine,Tau Tou Wa lealui and both Anonymous’ses u pipo u rock i like yo comments i wont write anything on this topic i hav appreciated yo comments guys thumbs up u hav summarazd every thing ^:)^

  96. “government is also making efforts to get in touch with Zambian embassies in South Africa and Tanzania” – you mean they lost the number, or they don’t have talktime? :))

  97. #122. Sony Ericsson Phiri,
    I totally agree with you, that is a must; we need a national airline.
    But not one which will be run like Zambian Airways because that is like joking.
    We need to be serious and not to run an airline like a newspaper or a law firm.

  98. Shocking News
    They decided that with new technology abounding,only 20% of the world’s labour force would be needed.The remaing 80% sinply would not be required to keep te world’s economy going.The middle class as we know it ,would shrink dramatically in the rich countries.

  99. the rule is simple,it may not be written. its ‘ find a way to get your customers to their destination.’
    pipo, the sowing and reaping priciple in the bible is applicable 2 those who be believe and the unbeliever. it has been said that some pipoz sins are exposed and pipo can see them, but others are hidden and invisible, BOTH ARE SINS ANYWAY. It is important to look at yourself before you castigate yo frend. becoz if you it do the other way, you may find your weaknesses and failures and issues abt your life are horrible when exposed. am not a judge in the ZA, but some of its directors have declared ‘saintship’, its not GOOD.

  100. 124. 1984
    That is good news, only 20% labour force will be needed and 80% not needed?
    That is great news! This means we are going to see alot of creativity and invansions from the 80% because man must survive.
    Man has great potential to do great but most of the time we are kept in a box because of a ‘confort zone’.
    The world will develop faster when that becomes a full reality.

  101. During levy’s time the corruption fight linked Mahtan to the carlington maize deal, the post made headlines of him. Mahtan then donated money to MMD at the same time ZA went through a management buyout and the nchitos and fred found themselvs at the helm of the fleet even when they were not managers of ZA. Towards the 2006 elections, the post exposed mathani for bancrolling MMD since Chilubas time, ZA needed new planes but had no money.Mahtani talked to levy about Media victimisation.Mahtani was asked to bailout ZA in return the Media would get him off the hook.ZA was too risky and finance bank had to get Oil deals and most Ministries would open accounts with the Bank.Post let him loose and

  102. Contld from #127
    Mahtani vanished from the Media spot light. In 2006 elections the Post decampaigned sata and levy won. Buisness went smooth but problems with ZA continued however, levy was around both ZA and Finance Bank would swim in GRZ deals. When levy died it was time for Magande who was conversant with all deals and the challenger was RB. Mahtani was quite while the post made enemies with RB who carried the Day.Mahtani then Donated to MMD,Carlington maize deal resurfaced.A war was declared against RB and the so called corrupt people.Levys deals with ZA where no more, Mahtanis money into ZA no more. RB won and mahtani said nomore blackmail by Media at the expence of my Bank.

  103. #126 Fine.They want to have One World Government and one monetary system, under permanent non-elected hereditary oligarchists who self-select from among their numbers in the form of a feudal system as it was in the Middle Ages. In this One World entity, population will be limited by restrictions on the number of children per family, diseases, wars, famines, until 1 billion people who are useful to remain as the total world population.There will be no middle class, only rulers and the servants. All laws will be uniform under a legal system of world courts practicing the same unified code of laws.

  104. What is all this nonsense about bailouts? Can the ignorant people please keep quiet.

    This is not the US or Europe, Zambian Airways is not a “publicly listed” company like GM, Ford, Wachovia, RBS, it is a private company. There is no public interest in saving that useless and loss making airline, let the Nchitos and Mmembe bite the bullet, it is their investment. They reap the benefits and they should suffer the losses, Zambian Airways is not a priority.

    Unless one of you can come up with a list of members of the zambian public who shareholders, let us not waste state funds rewarding failed businesses

  105. Robert Mugabe goes on a state visit to Israel. While he is on a tour ofJerusalem he suffers a heart attack and passes away.
    The undertaker tells the accompanying people, ‘You can have him shipped home
    for US$500,000, or you can bury him here, in the Holy Land , for justUS$100.’The Zimbabweans go into a corner and discuss for a minute. They come back to the undertaker and tell him they want Mugabe shipped home. The undertaker is puzzled and asks, ‘Why would you spend $500,000 to ship him home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $100? With the money you save you could buy enough diesel for a year,buy enough medicines to wipe out cholera, buy enough generat

  106. generators to never have blackouts again.’ The Zimbabweans replied, ‘Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead. We just can’t take that

    chance……..

  107. #101 ba kadoyo do not confuse us, you may work for an airline but it does not make you an expert in running an airline business. And knowing most Zambains they always talk without real detail. you do not buy AV-gas at the pump like you do for a japanese corolla. it does not mean that when prices drop at the pump today then you instantly reduce your operational costs. there is more detail to that. the effects of a low price will have to filter thorough previous high price transactions before they can be felt. if your previous transactions lasted longer at higher prices you will obviously have to make decisions.

  108. No# 70 & 71 are nuts and can’t debate real issues. Dora has no shares in Zambezi Airlines which belongs to the Jangulos. And so what if Dora had your so called “open door policy” at UNZA! She was young and going thru what so many teenagers went thru. dnt pretend to be an angel! Am sure you also practised open door policy. Discuss issues and personalities please. You are sis!

  109. No# 70 & 71 are nuts and can’t debate real issues. Dora has no shares in Zambezi Airlines which belongs to the Jangulos. And so what if Dora had your so called “open door policy” at UNZA! She was young and going thru what so many teenagers went thru. dnt pretend to be an angel! Am sure you also practised open door policy. Discuss issues and NOT personalities please. You are sis!

  110. I cannot say that I have read through all the comments but my take on this situation is that Government needs to fully engage Zambian Airways beyond ensuring safe passage for current ZA ticket holders. With the global financial crisis at its current levels, it does not make sense for the Government to allow ZA to go under, regardless of who owns it. If the Government came up with specific conditions that include complete overhaul of top management and comprehensive restructuring of the organization, with robust transparency and oversight mechanisms as conditions for the bail out, the savings of such actions would by far outweigh the huge financial and long term implications of failure.

  111. We saw this coming, ZA started to experience these problems with the passing of LPM. That is why Mmembe campaigned for Magande and Sata with the hope of a back door decision to bail out ZA. This has been caused by what I think is poor management, maybe someone can help here…How can a Lawyer with no business management be CEO of an airline?? The law firms are run as expert institution where the partners have the knowledge to attend to their clients and dont care who supports them…even a grade nine with good english can work at the reception wile they manage the technical issues. Can this work in a full fledged airline?? I dont think the Govt should waste their enernegy to bail out ZA.

  112. By the way who own ZA? 4 pipo….Why bail out 4 pipo? A good Manager should have gone to look for money from the public early, there is cheaper capital from the stock exchange….but them the shareholders are put on the spot

  113. 59. Biggie Jim thank you very much. I am putting into practice most of everything that I have been learning throughout my lifetime.

    By this time, I have enough Physics, International Law, Project Management including Risk managememnt which president HH specialised in I think, Accounting and Interlectual Property knowledge which I hope to apply in Zambia very soon, by God’s grace.

    Take care my fellow Citizen and all the best. I will always do my very best for mother Zambia.

    ====
    LT 2008 Award Winner. =; for Zambia in 2011.

  114. TAZARA line links Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi of Zambia. The railway line measures 1,860 kilometers in all.
    In the recent months, the airline has been facing mounting liquidity problems coupled with management issues and workers stage a work boycott until Mr Chipewo was appointed. Xinhua
    POOR REPORTING AGAIN

  115. 139.140. AlfredT, taking a very simplistic view, I would agree with you that Govt should not bail out ZA, but there are complex implications that need to be understood about the Zambian Airways collapse. It may be owned by 4 people but it employs 200 people and is also a major factor/player in boosting the Tourism sector (which, if I recall, was the 2nd key sector on Govt’s priority list of boosting development in the country). Stability needs to maintained in times of crisis because investors have already lost confidence in pumping money into the economy but our actions as country should not be to ensure that we erase this confidence for good.

  116. Cont’d
    As you rightly pointed out, a Lawyer with no management experience has no business being a CEO of an airline, I agree. However, the government needs to take a long term approach to this situation by demanding significant changes at the management level as well as more accountability in how the money will be spent etc.. Overall, the Govt is positioned to make these demands and get the necessary result if it so desired. But if their thinking comes down to “who owns Zambian Airways? We need to fix Fred Mmembe etc…” then I am afraid that we are light years away from achieving true development for Zambia.

  117. Contd.
    The only caveat that I would add to all this is if Zambian Airways is truly beyond redemption that even a government bailout would not save it from sinking.

  118. I have been surfing on-line greater than three hours today, but I by no means found any attention-grabbing article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all web owners and bloggers made just right content material as you probably did, the net shall be a lot more helpful than ever before.

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