THE Government has advised people with divergent views over sale of ZAMTEL to allow the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) to do its work professionally.
Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said the Government had confidence in ZDA and felt that it would carry out the sale of ZAMTEL competently.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Lieutenant General Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Minister, said the calls by some sections of society to block the sale of Zamtel were not being done in good faith.
He said the Government would continue to allow the ZDA to conduct their work in a professional manner as the agency had capable men and women who would conduct the sale of the company in the interest of the nation.
“My advice to those opposed to the sale of ZAMTEL is that they should allow ZDA to do the work professionally. This tendency of critising everything will not help us,” he said.
He said the decision to sell Zamtel was being done in good faith and wondered why some people were critising the move which was aimed at serving the company from total collapse.
The Government had no hand in the sale of ZAMTEL and it was for this reason that it had allowed the agency to the work without interference.
Last week, ZDA announced that two of India’s biggest telecommunications firms and one of Africa’s largest communication service providers, were among eight foreign companies and consortia that have been shortlisted to buy a stake in ZAMTEL.
South Africa’s Telkom, one of Africa’s largest telecommunications firms in terms of operating revenue and assets is on the list of the shortlisted firms.
Telkom has been pursuing opportunities in Africa since it sold a 15 per cent stake in Vodacom to Britain’s Vodafone for $3 billion.
India’s State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), which are both part of a consortium and also looking to buy a 46 per cent stake in Kuwait Mobile firm Zain, also prequalified to bid.
BSNL has cash reserves of more than $7 billion and is the second-largest telecommunications company in India with 57.3 million mobile subscribers and 28.5 million fixed line customers, trailing only Bharti Airtel.
MTNL also operates in Mauritius through a unit called Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Limited (MTML) and submitted interest in a stake being sold in Nigerian telecommunications firm, Nitel.
The rest are Altimo Holdings or Vimpelcom of Russia, LAP Green Limited or LAP Green Networks of Libya, Portugal Telecom, Orascom Telecom Holdings or Telecel Globe Limited of Egypt as well as UNITEL consortium of Angola.
[Times of Zambia]
What will happen after 2011 with all these concerns!
Now he can say that after RBs interests and his sons have been taken care of
Well ZAMTEL will be gone, thereafter the new GOVT ( iff MMD loses ) can start another telecommunications company. While they are at they can start another state run bank and a few mines if that is what the people want
ITS CLEAR THAT EVERYONE SUPPORTING THE SELL OF ZAMTEL WANTS TO BENEFIT. JUS THINK ABOUT THIS CRITICALLY AND U’LL DEFINITELY SMELL SOMETHING FISHY. WHY WOULD THESE SELFISH GUYS WANA JEOPARDIZE OUR SECURITY??! I TOLD EVERY MMD SUPPORTER THAT THEY WOULD REGRET THEIR DECISION AND NOW THEY CAN SEE WHAT THEY’VE DONE TO OUR COUNTRY. PRICES OF COMMODITIES HAVE GONE UP CARELESSLY IN RUPIAH’S REGIME AND YET THERE PEOPLE SUPPORTING HIM. Why are some people so self? God will definitely punish us!!
They are now pushing for ZESCOs fibre optic network to be included in the Zambtel package. Lord knows how ZESCOs assets relates to Zamtel. I suppose when I decide to sell my house hold goods I shud include my servants two plate cooker as well
CGRISO LINX, i am reliably told that there is no major security risk in disposing of ZAMTEL and the international gate way. Its all a myth. I am also informed that even America does not have a state owned telecommunication. What i see in the protest against this sale is Nationalistic sentiment which I have nothing against but I will always ask at what cost. When i say ” at what cost’ I am asking what is the benefit of keeping a loss making, indebted poorly managed institution, that tends to serve as source of patronage for politicians.
hey Zedian @ 5 . Is that information we can verify or is it true. Its always important to try and acertain validity and avoid taking everything you hear from the rumor mill as gospel truth..
POSITIVIST PA ZED,
YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT ABT AMERICA NOT HAVIN A STATE OWNED TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANY BUT LETS FACE IT HERE, ITS ZED WE ARE TALKIN ABT! ZAMBIA IN THAT REGARD CANNOT BE COMPARED TO THE U.S. OVERALL SELLING ZAMTEL IS NOT A GOOD THING. LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS COZ WHOEVER THE INVESTOR WILL BE, THEY COME WITH THEIR OWN PEOPLE. WHY CAN’T GOVERNMENT RAISE TO FINANCE ZAMTEL? AND HOW IS ZESCO’S OPTIC FIBRE INVOLVED IN ZAMTEL? CAN ANYONE ASSURE ME THAT RB IS DOING THIS IN GOOD FAITH? WHY DO WE HAVE TO ALWAYS SELL OUR COMPANIES SURELY? WHY DO SOME PEOPLE THINK SO HIGHLY OF THEMSELVES THAT THEY LOOK DOWN ON OTHERS? ZEDIAN33 GOOD ONE MAN!! LOL
So my point is CGRISTO that there is no security risk. Now coming to the question of the number of jobs lost . Well effeciencies will normally result in reduced jobs.. People will loose jobs for the simple reason that there is no justification to have three people employed to do one persons jobs and I must add that if those are people are kept employed , they will have to be paid, and ZAMTEL has according to their accounts been failing to meet the cost of paying employess. So the other best choice is Govt surport –that means more taxes. Yes this is an emotional issue but weshould also look at the cost benefit analysis.
Yes investors bring their own people for various reasonsbut due to these investors we have seen ZANACO grow and Chambishi increase ouput. Must i mention Lumwana ? . Try to critically look at idea/ options and not get bogged down in simply criticising because you dislike the As for the financing >again you are saying the Govt increases taxes or uses reserves but this is not a solution if the business model is not correct ( That is the firm should make a profit or at least sustain itself) On the ZESCO fire optic issue lets wait and see the facts > I am not disputing but lets get the facts. But from the business perspective. ZESCO’s investment in fibre optic was highly cricicised beacuse it was outside their core function ( i.e. providing electricity) , where is actually facing…
#3 CHRISTO, What about the Zamtel employees themselves who are very much in support of the sale. What is your comment? Are they all corrupted by RB and his Sons? As for me I CAN SMELL A RAT IN YOUR ARMPITS. GRZ should go ahead. If there are any flaws in the system during sale, Kavindele suggested that he and others can even go to the HUGUE. I propose you join Kavindele who in you useless thinking does not want to benefit from the collapse of Zamtel. Read along the lines and never between them, as the gaps also occupy space according to my IT. i.d.1.0.+
Positivest pa ZED you have brought up very intresting issues for diacussion and I agree with you that SOME investers do bring forth good things but some are here for personal gains not the development of Zambia. You will agree with me that ever since most of our mines were sold we have done nothing worth while with the money we got from the sale of these mines, if we have can someone point it out, worse, most of these so called investors are stil using the same old infrastructures left by ZCCM. Its some of these fears that are making most of us have second thoughts about this all issue. What am saying is that if we sell ZAMTEL then what. you will agree with me that we need someone to explain the implications involved so that we can prepare ourslves for this.
“sections of society to block the sale of Zamtel were not being done in good faith”- quote. Now I ask is ZDA free from interference by MMD (Note not GRZ)?
I don’t like the feeling that someone is trying to hide information from the Zambian people (the owners of ZAMTEL). Does anyone know where I can find the report on the evaluation of ZAMTEL?
Positivist pa ZED,
why do you say fibre network is outside Zesco core business? Lets refrain commenting on things we don’t understand. A good reliable communication system is very vital to any power company. In order for zesco to transmit, distribute power they need such a high capacity transmission network.
What was independence about in 1964? Does MMD have short memories on what Z fought for ? Western countries have never been colonised Africa knows what overseas control means….Z do you really own the country when foreign investors own everything? Questions ???How much control will the govt have over the telecommunications industry after this sale? In the interest of our national security MMD… WHY would you even consider the Fibre network issue? MMD have you not sold Zambia enough have mercy…What IF there is a national security issue where is the clause to protect the Zambia? What is the contingency plan? Additionally, there is no Windfall tax Z is gets peanuts 4 copper. 20 yrs rule of MMD is a disaster. MMD you are a very selfish party bringing Z to it’s knees
#16 please mind my typo errors. Fellow bloggers have a great day and please pray for Zambian ‘s leaders. They need wisdom…….. If the brakes of a car stop working you do not have to sale the car. All one has to do is replace the brakes otherwise you will not have transport. Zamtel just needed a new management team ….they did not have to sell it.
# 10 Positivist, my question to you is, tell me, has the Zambian Government ever encouraged Zambian businessmen to form consortiums to bid for state companies? Why always look for investors outside???
Editis, I do know what I am talking about. IThe running and maintenance of fibre network is outside the core ZESCO business that is power transmission, generation and distribution. Si if the fibre is for internal use that is different. But I am aware that it is being used for other commercial purposes.
# 18. No is the answer. The givernment has not but unfortunately neither have I seen Zambians getting together But I gues it is always great to blame govt
I thought bakaponya went with Chiluba, i was wrong. Zamtel has been sold for a song again. Chiluba left a very bad legancy. Shut up Shikaponyashapwasha, bakabolala and will reclaim back Zamtel after 2011 election and we know you. Tumuponya mundende ba mungiki.
#19, Yes Fibre network is outside ZESCO Business. But what happened is this Abel Chambeshi (the MCT minister then) and Tembo (Former Zamtel MD), refused to work with Zesco. I had opportunity to talk to both, their reasoning was, Zambia will be the hub for central africa in terms of data/Voice traffic and Zesco fibre dont have enough capacity. But it was all about ownership of the project and who gets the commission from the project . So Zamtel started its own project. the first phase costed Zamtel $76m dollars while Zesco $13m. Its cheaper to lay fibre on existing Zesco infrastructure. In Malawi, its ESKOM who owns fibre, same goes for Zim, its ZESA. But the telecom companies in these countries, they work with power companies and their major jobs is do the metro (city fibre).
Positivist pa ZED or senior citizen, just enjoy in USA, MMD should onl sell the companies they made. Since 1991 they can boast of eating no investment. Let UNIP sell Zamtel not you crooks, hyenas, jackels, squandrels!
#23 You have hit the nail on the head…What companies has MMD really built in the last 20 years? There is such a long list of industries UNIP built that MMD have sold or completely destroyed …… MMD should change their party name to “Movement for selling Zambia”
MMD (NFL) NOT FOR LONG. We have had enough ot this corruption and lack of transparency.
Why celebrate independence day when the govt has opted to sell the country back to foreign rule? The MMD has undone all the good things UNIP did what a shame on these fipompwe.
after u corruptly bring in RP Capitals and are still behind this same Privitization. We’ll not leave ZDA alone to rubber stamp your corruptness ba Rev. Shikapwasha
Imwe, how can this HERB government sell the ZESCO ptic fibre network together with ZAMTEL? It will not make sense if Zesco starts paying for the infrastructure they put up in the first place. Pali ulefwaya ukulyamo apa. Tukaminyanta guys.