The year 2008 will stand out in our nation’s history as a year when our Nation suffered a terrible blow when we lost our our third president, Dr Levy Partick Mwanawasa, President Rupiah Banda has said.
In his end of year address to the nation both on national radio and Television, Mr Banda the year 2008 has been Zambia’s worst year after losing Dr Mwanawasa due to death on duty.
The President added that the tragedy was compounded by the global financial crisis which he said negatively affected Zambia.
” Zambia’s tragedy in 2008 was made worse by the global financial crisis which negatively affected our country through the collapse of copper prices and the domino effect that this has had on effect,”President Banda says in the speech.
He explains that the falling copper prices and the the unplanned expenses of the presidential by – elections had put severe strain on the country’s budget resulting on the negative impact on the economy.
The President however paid tribute to Zambian citizens for the peaceful manner they mourned the late Dr Mwanawasa.
On the national economy, Mr Banda said his administration had continued to pursue prudent fiscal and monetary policies to sustain macro-economic stability.
In the agriculture sector, Mr Banda said his administration continued to pursue policies aimed at ensuring household food and national security.
” The country produced enough to remain food secure.This food security is however now threatened by the global down turn with its impact on food prices and the cost of agricultural impact,” the President said.
On the coming year 2009, the Republican President said the coming year was one of great challenges predominantly on the global economic down turn.
The down turn has a number of set including the falling copper-prices, weakened Kwacha, rising inflation, reduced economic activities and the threatened job loses.
” When I discuss and bring these situations to the attention of Zambian, I am challenging us all to unite in purpose and have resilience and determination to face and rise above the challenges,” said the President.
He however said he was not a defeatist as being suggested in some quarters saying by telling Zambians the truth and to call on them to unite to overcome these difficulties did not mean he was a defeated.
” It is of course easier to take the populist route and pretend that all is well and that there are easy solutions,” President Banda said.
He said his administration is aware as all Zambians should be that the global economic crisis means the expected revenue from the mining sector will not materialise at all.
He however said government was also concerned with the plight of the unemployed and the low income of most citizens adding that this was why his administration is putting emphasis on programmes to fight poverty.
Among these programmes are the citizens economic empowerment commission (CEEC) he said has started to disburse funds to ensure that Zambians meaningfully participated in the economic activities.
ZANIS/MM/ENDS
l-)
Happy New Year!
Hi Sarah. RB ,I just hope 2009 will be a good year for our country. 2008 has been very tough.
Zambia 3 Djibouti0 – Kenya 0 Sudan 0 **==
Now you are talking! Empowering the zambians is the way to go. Thumbs up Mr President!
Tell them RB. You are better being underrated than being praised when you know you can do like of our old smokers whose only remaining dream is presidency. Shame on Sata and may the lord guide RB to good leadership. We all know it is not easy to succeed a professional person like the late LPM, the man who knew nothing but telling it as he saw it. We miss him dearly but we also have faith in you. We are very happy you are there and not SATA.
Happy New year UNDERTAKER! <:-p<:-p<:-p
Same to you Sarah <:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p:x
We´ll miss LPM. I hope the real tragedy is not having you as president because the way things are going , I dont know !
Happy new year to all zedians in zed and zedians in the diaspora
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Hmmm! Sarah and undertaker, i smell some chemistry…hmmm
GOD BLESS ZAMBIA**==
Mother Zambia. May 2009 be a year full of blessings. I love you, mu country :o):o):o):o):o)<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p**==**==**==**==**==
Our Real Baby(RB) has spoken sense 4 the first time. U go sugar daddy
Pinkly, Sarah is merely wishing me a happy new year.
Hi Pinkly <:-p
Sarah, where are you?
Hi ba Engine,epo mwaba? Long time,msng you so much.Happy new year to you.
Ba Undertaker lelo muli ne Chimwela icha ku blogger ayi.Happy new year boyi!!
Hi Chewe. Today I am just home, didnt want to go out. You guys are providing good company – better than driking mates.
I dont know what wil become of my friends as they celebrate on the new year eve. Cutey and Sarah Jones,they will drink red wine like no man,s bussines.Hey guys,i can just imagine inga niba Cutey bena awe sure.
may be the holiday has been fruitful for sugar daddy though a number of zambians died of hunger when sugar daddy was enjoying with his families. let him speak sense…but know that words are not enough, but to do “sense” OK!!! zambians are easily misled by the words of liars-your president and all politicians. shame on you zambians!!! you will always remain poorer and die in your poverty…because you can’t even fight for your rights…everyone for him/herself. Happy 2009!!!
making mention of Levy.s name everyday won’t help you ba RB. be your own man and use your own name to gain the political mileage you so much desire
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0 Whooooooo! Happy 2009, Goodbyee 2008. May the lord bless us more in 2009 **==**==**==**==<:-p<:-p
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Chewe. Happy New Year! <:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p
Hey engines and happy new year bloggers…the sky is,is wow!amazing! Night just wanted 2 make sure tht i enter the new year ….soundly
Happy new year fellow bloggers…..
Sarah Jones thanx,happy new year to you too. Am so excited and expectant in this new year.
Happy New Year Ba LT!! Thanks for providing this forum for us to air our views and share ideas with each other. Hope 2009 will be full of stimulating topics. Stay away from the fire, AMEN!!
at how mukamba “RB” pafwa abantu and pashala abantu..stop crying every now and then…let umukamba “Levy” to rest and open ur bongo bongo to sortout the current problems at home..or else you will cry umutata kuya… :”>
Happy new year to all Zedians, especially bloggers and LT. May God bless our beloved nation Zambia
Happy New Year to you all!
3 words – happy new year! :):):)
It’s true people are getting those loans which is a very positive move considering the present economic hardship the country is facing.Ako usulile!
Happy New Yele UK boggers
Happy newyear to all LT bloggers.im looking forward to the day zambian politicians will stop crying foul but deliver.Time is ticking Rupiah and soon we will be voting in 2011 and dont know if you will be still crying.The Problem in Zambia is that leaders are not prepared to lead and they get leadership positions accidentally.Guyz i have missed Mbuzi!
Happy new year to all bloggers and Zedians @ large. Hope everyone makes.
“He said his administration is aware as all Zambians should be that the global economic crisis means the expected revenue from the mining sector will not materialise at all”.
Happy New year Zambia!!**==**==^:)[-x[-x. She should see in great detail how you would approach the economic down turn. How are you identifying area that would be fisible for our economy? It seem some one wrote him this speech, he seem not to dwell more the micro economy and national security.How about energy?
:-b
2009 will be tough.
get ready for it and don’t party too much about the turn of the year.
Remember Jan is a long month.
We look forward to the inauguration of Barack Husein Obama on the 20th & the difficult road ahead.
~o)
RB can not have written that speech himself. even LPM and many other politicians always have their speeches written for them, that’s why its all just talk and big words in long sentences with nothing substantial. He might have directed the speech writer to cover the “big” issues that he wanted to address. The this is that we all know the economic problems that the world and Zambia will face. What we want to hear more than anything is what we could do to mitigate the challenges ahead. This is where we need leadership. Solutions and strategies MUDALA! Whats the 411?
~o)
#30, ba Chewe don’t be too ‘expectant’ pantu mwala imita ka! LOL
Happy new year all the same
p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p
By the way does RB understand that he is the tragedy to the nation?How are we going to unite in purpose and have resilience and determination to face and rise above the challenges, when we can’t see transparance in this govt…By the way I got tens of reasons why LM is still better than u…I’m just waiting 4 a better moment…Mean time I’m Tver trying to finalised the NY issuees
The big man is not telling the truth. The death of LPM got him the top slot job in the nation. Can he surely tell us getting that position is a tragidy? This is a brand new yrs boss, its tell the truth or keep quiet.
RB move on there are more challenges ahead be a man.
Cutey happy new year to you.Nomba kuimita shani ba Cutey?
CEEC is fako, let’s copy South Africa n, Botswana way of empowering Citizens it is working great. Pa ZED cadres na Vigilante eba chaka CEEC. Akulo mpuno just come we all work hard,fertilser mostly went to caders.
Sorry happy nu yea all
All the Zambians abroad ( South Africa,Swaziland,Ghana,Europe,China and the USA) Concerned about the passport send us your ideas so we can begin the signature petition drive we need more than 5000 signatures e-mail us at [email protected]
#47, that was a joke…
Happy new year to you too..
Zambia Passport Teleconference For all Concerns and contribution on how we speak as one Voice (Europe,Asia,America,South Africa,Ghana and all) Please call in, Conference Call on January 3rd,2009 at 11:00 am Central Time USA
CONFERENCE DIAL-IN NUMBER: (218)844-8230
PARTICIPANT ACCESS CODE: 853993#
Morning lovely bloggers!
#52 forget we need your money don’t even get funnie. U think 5pin sigs wil do no ways the Pate and it’s Govamente has already ticitedi.
#50 Just pay up I am sure you had enough time to prepare kama 500 pin. If you count the money you have spent on luxuries since the announcement of the increases, you will find that your complaints are baseless fault finding. Should It be cheap to own a Zambian passport. Even the petition you are planning will not be appended to by sane, mature and responsible Zambians. Check this outu !
ma rabishi. galu
#56 Naiwe pan your par call !
happy new year to all and viva RB
Clergyman slams habit of begging
ARCHBISHOP of Kasama, James Spaita, has condemned the growing tendency of begging by many Zambians at the expense of working hard to become self-reliant.Speaking during a Christmas mass at St John’s Cathedral in Kasama yesterday, Archbishop Spaita said begging was a bad practice which did not promote national development. Politicians have taught Zambians all they do is look to Donors.Zambians are just doing what they have learnt
Happy New Year 2009, Zedians! We wish ourselves a prosperous new year. Let us wish RB, too, an inspiring year. Since RB came into power, he has messed up our country and its economy quite a lot; I hope this year he will be courageous enough to put our people and the country first and not his personal interests. Together we stand, apart we fall!
strive to grow food for yourselves na oo you town dwellers before you starve this year and start shouting your lungs out and say pabwato.
We villagers have plenty to do now. I have to unhook my plough not long from now.
The real tragedy is having RB has President. Levy’s death is natural just as we all shall pass through the same fate. The other is the coming back of UNIP as MMD when in actual sense, it is UNIP and its failed policies in office. Ask Munkombwe, Mpombo, RB, VJ, and other UNIP cadres that RB is bringing back. MMD died in the when Munkombwe and Mpombo rose from the ashes.
Happy new year to everyone! Let’s get into the new year with fresh ideas, Love and harmony for one another. To LT thanks for the good job! To Tetamashimba, Munkombwe, Mpombo, VJ and Katele Kalumba guys be neutral on matters of national interest. To Muteteka you are my man continue with the good job,we voted for you to speak on our behalf and not to became vocal or be a coward just to protest your own interest NO!NO!NO!NO!
happy new year zambian <:-p:d/=))
happy new year zambians,
i think RB should not be dwelling on levys lagacy,but show us what he is made off, since he really thought he wolud do a good job.
Fellow Peasants,
I woke up this morning and heard rumours that Bwezani Banda will soon be ‘honoured’ with an Honorary Doctorate for carry the vision of Levy on his shoulders. He will be called His Excellency Rupiah Bwezani Banda, President…
Another never ending series of African Politics of perpetual poverty. By the when is the Judicial System going to lock up this former miniture former President Jacob Titus?? he must have a cut from Kashiwa Buluya. He was the appointing officer, and the chap store on his watch.
I do recall many a Zambia calling the late LPM all manner of names and insults through out his presidency, the most distasteful being directed at his speech impediment. Now here we are doing the same to our current president while pretending to have had the utmost respect for his predecessor. What hypocrisy!
We should be able to agree or disagree without insulting people or hurling personal attacks. It is very possible to criticise someone’s actions, omissions or otherwise without resorting to personal attacks. Perhaps we can try that approach in 2009.
Are there any universities out there who want to honour our beloved president with an honorary doctorate? We want him to be bestowed with the title Dr Rupiah Bwezani Banda. Endesheni imwe, University of Zimbabwe twafweni please.
“” It is of course easier to take the populist route and pretend that all is well and that there are easy solutions,” President Banda said.”
While this is very true, we also need to see confidence in President RB Banda for statements like I am the only president who has been hit by many problems at once.
We need to see seriousness form the leadership so that we can all move with unity of purpose to find solutions for our ailing economy.