Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Mike Mulongoti has called on the corporate world to partner with Government in order to help Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) air the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Mr. Mulongoti, who is also Chief government spokesperson, said the K5.7 billion that the vendor has requested is too much for ZNBC.
He said the national broadcaster has no capacity to raise the amount being requested for by the vendor.
Mr. Mulongoti told ZANIS sports that such an amount can alternatively be used to open a new channel on the national television broadcaster to further enhance the station.
ZNBC Acting Director General Edward Mwanza in a separate interview stated that the corporation was still making last minute arrangements with the vendor to have the matches televised.
Mr. Mwanza said the corporation Director General Joseph Salasini had before flying out of the country last evening written to the vendor to consider broadcasting Zambia’s matches only on television and radio.
The vendor’s response to the ZNBC request was not yet received by press time.
He regretted concerns in certain quarters of the general public that the corporation had failed to pay the vendor the money despite the TV levy collection exercise was unfortunate.
The acting Director General said in the past, the corporation had televised a number of international football matches for the benefit of the general public.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mulongoti, who is also has described the power disruption that the country experienced over the weekend as unfortunate.
He said the power outage adversely affected everyone adding that ZESCO should further explain the cause of the power failure.
The minister said he has so far not received a comprehensive statement on the matter and urged the power supply company to issue a detailed statement to the nation in order to avoid further speculation.
And Opposition United Liberal Party (ULP) has advised the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) to handle the power supply to the nation with a high sense of seriousness.
ULP president Sakwiba Sikota notes that power failure such as the one that was witnessed in Lusaka and other parts of the country on Saturday has far reaching consequences.
Mr. Sikota told ZANIS in an interview that a large-scale power outage raises national security concerns.
He pointed out that when the country is in darkness, it is vulnerable to forces that can destabilise the nation.
The ULP leader further said power failures have adverse effects on the economy.
Mr. Sikota said economic activities such as mining, manufacturing and agro-exports are undermined by power outages.
He cautioned that investors could loose confidence in Zambia as a favourable investment destination, if the availability of power is unreliable.
Mr. Sikota said Zambia needs a steady and reliable electricity supply, if the country is to attract investors.
ZESCO has explained that countrywide electricity power failure on Saturday around 19 30 hours was caused by a major system disturbance on Zambia’s high voltage network.
ZESCO Managing Director, Rhodnie Sisala said at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that the system disturbance was extensive in nature and affected the system of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana
Editor’s note:
There is another power blackout in zambia at the time of this posting
Salasini thinks the broadcasters are a charity like the red cross. What letter are they talking about? What they need is money and there is none. Stop hoodwinking people like you are trying to save a disaster when you knew all along about the cost of this undertaking. And then he decides to leave the country while there is a crisis or embarassment at ZNBC!!!
Crumbling infra-structure at the useless ZNBC (mouth piece of the ruling MMD), a failing electricity supply network, erratic petroleum supplies, devastating floods. In the meantime Mulongoti is only concerned about televising football using K5.7bn, which any well meaning donor would probably prefer to donate to the suffering masses in the flood stricken areas. A bit of sensitivity at this time would show that government actually understands the nation’s problems.
For ZESCO, i think it is high time we did away with the monopoly. Other willing companies should be able to supply power and they will bring in new equipment and technical know-how, create competition with ZESCO, consumers will have options too. When you have no option for a particular situation,people will take advantage of you. ZESCO management will need to run for their salaries if there is competition and this total darkness crap will cease.
ZNBC. That disorganised institution. They had enough time to prepare for this thing. Now they want to start writing last minute letters. Where does the money we pay them go? Instead of defending them and speaking on their behalf, the minister should probe ZNBC.
By the way ZNBC should start thinking about refunding the people who had donated money towards the airing of the AFCON. Don’t milk them twice.
As for ZESCO, I’m mauless. Two national blackouts within a few days? Are they done investigating the coz of the first outage? They should reduce the tarrifs. Ba mambala. They are stealing from us.
Mutunza,
Along the other thread under the ZESCO blackout i acknowledge reading your passion for elitism.Believe you me i was thrown in an ecstatic laughter humorous or not, i wish one day your passion for elitism will be realized and lived t make a difference.
Mutunza,
Like patriot has rightly put it,all of us responsible parents wish & embrace best dreams for our little ones.We help shape,and support their dreams from infancy till actualization.
Suffice to say the trouble with so many of us Zambians is that we underestimate the power of simplicity. We have a tendency it seems to over complicate our lives with baseless flaunting habits to strangers until exposed and more often forget what’s important and what’s not for long term gain.
Mutunza,
We tend to mistake our virtual world reactionary habits for achievements. We tend to focus on unrealizable “Pull Him Down” jibes even to those we know very little about in their real world spheres instead of results. And as the pace of real life continues to race along against our held fantasy in the outside world, we forget that we have the power to control & realign our lives productively regardless of what’s going on outside our inner futureless ego.
Mutunza,
In summary I would say dressing yourself up elitism on the blog all because you want to par a traditionally principled patriot who knows the edicts of simplicity & order is a biggest personal deceit.
My personal prayer is that you or one of your siblings will some day live that dream you are distant from understanding.
Chapi,
You also it seems you really miss me going by your tireless accusing finger.For a while now i have not blogged yet you have kept accusing me for all the kids games of impersonations from your fellow PF retards.That has been absurd apportionment.Trust me my blogging has become erratic due to other focal undertakings since 08.Good tiding & hope we meet on the frontline.Occasionally i will be here but preparation to translate cyber time to ground battles has taken the toll henceforth.
Sense is visiting PF progressives.From the Post newspapers Zambia
RESPECT LEVY, URGES PF MP
KASAMA Central Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Saviour Chishimba has said President Levy Mwanawasa was appointed by God and those disrespecting him are disobeying the Lord. “President Mwanawasa was appointed by God. So the earlier we accept that, the better. We should not disobey God.
Chishimba said unlike other political leaders, President Mwanawasa had ‘tremendously’ changed in his approach to national issues. He said those that have not seen any change in President Mwanawasa’s approach to issues were being economical with the truth.“I’m hopeful, he will leave a Zambia that is changed. The fight against corruption cases is noble and bearing fruit. If you look at the civil service, we can see some level of integrity creepping in. At least people are becoming aware that there
At least people are becoming aware that there is corruption.”
“I’m saying professional in the sense of constitutionalism. He behaves and acts according to what the constitution of his party says. Some party constitutions tend to give leaders extra constitutional powers where some leaders seem mighty,” he said.
Dissent is part of patriotism but not a hostile ideology of atheistic character,ruthless in purpose, and maliciously insidious in method our disillusioned kids here.Chishimba is step forward to be counted among the civilized.
With the current National Disaster (Floods), I am of the view that all the resources that can be harnessed at this time go to help our people in need. K5.7 billion is just too much to be spent beaming the ACN matches. I understand our passion for soccer and appreciate all the efforts being made to show the matches but I also agree with Salasini that the vendor is exploiting our(Africa)love for the game to charge exorbitant fees. Perhaps African countries should learn to BOYCOT&vendors ‘ll learn
abashi chandafkaunda your perception nosensical and should not be enterteined,you fled this country to go clean plates in USA,zambia has capable patiots who can advise govt,sori but you have injured ur soul by suggesting that footbal in zambia is secondary…..as for the parrot at ministry of information and broadcasting he should ask joseph parafin why he refused an offer by MUVI tv to sponsor the games and have ZNBC as a secondery sponsor using there repeater stations countrywide.abashi parafi
#15 Chanda
Good points you raised. What about by-elections? How much do we spend? On ZNBC news yesterday, we were shown people of Kanyama having difficulties in accessing the health centre due to floods.
# 15,
You have exhibited maturity & a sense of duty.Serious proposition there you have posted.
It will be unwise and uneconomical for Govt to bail out ZNBC and release K5.7 billion for coverage of AFCON much at the expense of needy areas. This expenditure most likely could not be backed by the national budget. These funds are better spent on the building up of infrastructure especially roads following the havoc form the rains. In repairing the road network, such tenders should be given only to contractors with proven profiles.
Government’s responsibility is to take care of it’s citizens afflicted by natural and man made calamities. It is not to provide entertainment. Focus for government must be on the various victims of the floods and people like Mazyopa residents.
Let the money go to flood victims…this is a test from God to see how well placed our leaders are. Life of the zambian citizens or sport? I agree with citizen.
Most people are busy condeming ZNBC for failing to raise funds for screening AFCON. Yet they dont want to contribute towards paying for these tv rights. If One hundred thousand soccer fans along the line of rail contributed K50,000-00 each they would easily raise K5 BILLION and with the Seven Hundred million already collected by ZNBC it would be enough to pay for viewing AFCON. Lets learn to put money where our mouths are. Besides we pay K20,000-00 to watch only one Zambia match at a stadium.
Citizen (No. 22), ZNBC should be blamed. They taold us “If you pay it will show” we haven’t seen any meaningful improvement from the time we started paying the TV license fees. They can’t even be open for 24 hours (even on christmas and new year’s eve). If 1000,000 pay the K3000 each ZNBC would get K3bn per month! All people who pay electricity bills pay TV fees.
Above that, ZNBC makes a lot of money from airing adverts and they receive grants from Government. To be cont.
continued from No. 23.
Compare ZNBC to Muvi TV – a free TV station which does not receive any grant from govt. Muvi TV is far much better in all departments. They are even promoting local talents (even making movies). Where does ZNBC take the money? what happened to the promise they constantly repeat concerning paying of TV licenses?
Why should ZNBC expect extra money from the people who are already paying the TV license fees. To be continued.
What the hell is the animal called strategic planning? ZNBC did not do it. Most of the country’s challenges can be resolved with good planning. But the problem is we are reactive. Mind you, some of us have our production capacities affected by failure to beam the AFCON.
Instead of whinging,wailing and gnashing your teeth that ZNBC is unable to televise AFCON stand up and do something practical. Be to first to go and pay K50,000.Image all those teams were playing at woodlands stadium do you think you would pay K3000 to watch?. For once let us Zambians help to find solutions instead of being professional complainants.
Continued from #24.
ZNBC is used to free things. Even the shows they televise, some appear to have been donated. Why can’t they for once spend to satisfy the viewers?
Muvi TV offered to partner with ZNBC to beam the tourney but the uncreative, inept and greedy ZNBC refused. How do you explain that? They were probably expecting govt and members of the public to bail them out so they can spend nothing and chew all the money from adverts aired during the games.
To be continued.
Why pay ZNBC K50,000? that will only encourage their lack of planning and ineptitude. They knew the dates of tournament well ahead of time but did not prepare till the last minute expecting handouts when they receive a lot of money on a monthly basis.
ZNBC was several times better before the introduction of the TV licemse fees. This time even the news coverage is poor.
Government should not foot the bill either. There are flood victims to take care of.
I can almost foresee muvi TV airing the next AFCON while ZNBC will be busy appealing for sponsors.
Seriously speaking a shake up is needed at ZNBC. Its dead.
Citizen, ZNBC gets not only our K3000 but tax payers money – our money. They should keep they promises they make. If we are going to be required to be giving them money each time they want to air a game or something then scrap the TV license thing and they should stop calling it better TV coz its now worse than it was.
To be continued.
And about wodlands Stadium, how many european games are shown on supersport, How many movies are shown on MNET. Calculate the cost of watching those matchs at the stadium (including AFCON) and watching all those movies at arcades cinema. Then comprae the total to the subscription fee. You will find that the subscription fee is less.
We are talking about a very embarassing national TV station here. And there you are supporting their disorganizedness. ZNBC is generally Dead.
It’s *****s like Mulongoti who are messing things up at ZNBC. When did the ***** know about the Africa cup of nations? This is the same ***** who thinks he can become a Zambian Presidency. All the ***** does is to continue boot-licking cabbage…
# 31 Abantu Baya
You can watch supersport and all those movies on MNET at a “small Subscription” because MNET is vailable in most african countries and the little subscriptions obtained from millions of MNET subscribers amounts to a lot of money.It is economies of scale Hence multichoice is able to televise all those films and sports including AFCON profitably.
#Elite
It is not the Minister’s duty to provide entertainment for you.If you feel strongly about this you have a choice buy a decoder & dish and watch the games peacefully.By the way how much did you contribute when ZNBC was asking for contribution towards the airing of the AFCON. In this world nothing is free.
CITIZEN,the reality is that as an individual personnaly I myself on my own behalf will never even think of contributing to ZNBC. I pay a lot of money on taxes. I as an individual personnaly I myself on my own behalf is paying TV license. If your minister was serious he could have been saving at least 50% of TV licence fees in the past two years towards the Africa Cup… you see the logic. What is the role of a Minister?
This ka Mulongoti is he serious how can you ask ‘Umuti Ku Mulwele’? We are crying for floods in the country & ka mulongoti is playing with our mind by wanting to suck our already dried blood.How can I donate to watch football when my neighbour next door in Kanyama is dying of water related disease becoz of waterlogged in the area.You must be joking younger mulongoti, just go bootlick chuchu’s ilenda at plot 1 dont provok us pls.Even donors will laugh at us that we have money to donate to the ent
Mulongoti and chuchu has not heart for the poor of the poorest pipo of this country. They are only considered when its election time!.CHUCHU WHAT U SHD KNOW IS THAT EVEN IF YOU DONT HEAR THE PIPO’S CRYS, THEY WILL CRY TO THE HEAVENLY FATHER AND HE WILL HEAR THEM AND ACT UPON. Iwe chikakubipila muntu wandi.
WHERE DOES OUR TV LICENSE MONEY GO???
# 20 and 22 citizen has no morale focus,at one point he is against beaming AFCON 2008,and is suggesting that monies be used to help flood victims..at # 22 he changes his focus and formulates a strategy of raising5 billion kwacha for AFCON 2008.AT # 33 and 34 you are advising people to buy decoders and dishes saying the parrot minister is not obliged to entertein us…check the there motto and u will shut your mouth…people like u citizen do not fit to be in strategic mgmt…….WHATEVER THE CA
CONTI…
case we wish the chipoloplo boys all the best this evenning…
#39 andrew Jeremiah
Let me simplify it for you. I am against Government paying money to air AFCON. Govt money must be used to assist flood victims and displaced Mazyopa residents. If you want entertainment by watchinng AFCON you must be prepared to pay from your pocket. At least I have suggested a solution but for you you have been wasting valuble space on this blogg on complaints,complaints,complaints and more complaints…..
the kind of foolish pride from znbc management is what we detest in this era. they ask for partnership with muvi tv and yet unwilling to let the latter to display their logo during afcon 2008 broadcast.what kind of misfits are these who are just chewing our three pins and can’t give us what we want?
#Andrew Jeremiah
If you had an Idea on what strategic management means you would dare to find out what the basic operating costs at ZNBC are? and how your $12 dolars you pay in TV license fees is utilised.You also wish to note that almost all the times we have watched AFRICAN CUP Of nations it is because government has been paying.Govt is now prudent and will not waste money on frivolities.
Adrew Jeremiah
The $12 dollars is per year.
the three pins should be scrapt coz thez guys wont learn to raise money on their own. they are spending our 3pins on salaries and motor vehicles instead of improving programming. nonsense!itsupsetting!
pf mp from kasama wants levy to give job
citizen ask yourself why new entrants like muvi and mobi can boast that the have the ability to air the games but are limited by the area of coverage…if you want to know more about strategic mgmt in a nutshel,look at these baby tv stations they way they have positioned themselves without the share of k3,000 but can boast about good programming.what is causing them to survive is creativity and strategy.ZNBC lacks these attributes of good management…i spent so much on sms messages for there
conti…
strategy on average i sent 3 sms messages for two weeks only to hear that the strategy is a big failure….if znbc has a good strategy i wouldnt mind paying them k50,000.allow to pen off here lest u accuse me of complaining
ZNBC will never come to their senses despite getting agood run from MV TV.