President Rupiah Banda has said the partial sale of Zamtel to a Libyan company is irreversible because it has been done legally.
The president said United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema is exhibiting ignorance by saying the sale will be revoked.
Mr Banda said the sale of Zamtel to Lap Green Network was binding on the Zambian Government as it had been done within the law and there was no way of reversing the process.
He said Mr Hichilema was exhibiting lack of political and legal understanding by asserting that he would reverse the privatisation of Zamtel if he comes into power.
Lap GreenN, which had bought 75 per cent shares in Zamtel at US$257 million, would have long paid the money to Zambians and investment would have taken place, which would render the process irreversible.
On arrival from Mfuwe where he went for a three-day working holiday, President Banda wondered where the money to pay Lap GreenN of Libya would come from especially that everything had been done within the requirements of the law.
President Banda said Mr Hichilema was merely exposing his failure to understand politics and wondered where he was getting the muscle to condemn a process that had been widely accepted by the workers and stakeholders.
“Where will he get the money to pay those Libyans? He does not understand politics. Most of the privatisation in this country was done by Mr Hichilema and we have not reversed what he did,” President Banda told journalists in an interview.
Government at the weekend concluded the sale of Zamtel to Lap Green N of Libya. Finance Minister Situmbeko Muskotwane said Zamtel had become a drain on the treasury as it was making losses.
And Mr Banda dismissed sentiments by Mr Hichilema that the ruling party was shaken by the launch of the Patriotic Front and UPND (PF/UPND) Pact going by the huge support his Government continues to enjoy.
Mr Banda said huge crowds of people welcome him wherever he goes, citing Mfuwe where he was well received during his three-day working holiday.
“Do I look like I am shaken? Even last year they launched the pact and now we thought they would announce their leader. I don’t understand what they launched,” the president said.
The president was reacting to sentiment by Mr Hichilema on ‘Let the People Talk’ programme on Radio Phoenix on Tuesday that the MMD had been shaken by the launch of the pact last Saturday.
Meanwhile, Mr Banda has said The Post newspaper editor-in-chief, Fred M’membe should not kill himself to put the Government on a black spot in view of his continued attacks on the Government over his contempt case.
Mr Banda said Mr M’membe’s problems were with the courts that cited him for contempt and had nothing to do with the Government.
The life of Mr M’membe could not be said to be in danger on account of his court appearances over an offence committed in court.
The president said he was not a man-hunter and that Mr M’membe’s allegations were far from the truth.
Mr Banda also said he sympathised with Health Deputy Minister Solomon Musonda who shot and wounded a PF cadre identified as Jackson Musaka last month.
President Banda said the matter would be left in the hands of the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to resolve.
The president said he would not take any action against Dr Musonda to allow the law enforcement agencies to deal with the matter professionally.
“I feel sorry for him. He is a very professional man but I will leave the matter with the police and the DPP,” Mr Banda said.
The president also called for more investment in the vast game reserves, forests and national parks in the countryside.
Mr Banda said he was taken to areas in the Northern parts of Luangwa National Park and discovered that massive forests were under-invested which must be changed.
He said there was so much potential for huge investments in the valley areas around Luangwa National ?ark.
Vice-President George Kunda, Information Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu, State House Minister Ronald Mukuma, Agriculture Minister Peter Daka welcomed the president on arrival at City Airport.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Sorry this comment is not necessarily about the issue at hand! This visible pro-RB MMD being exhibited by LT….awe sure mwee!! I do not know why LT has become so selective in their sources of “news”, especially political “news”.
Imwe Ba LT, the monkey urinated on him not poured water as you have written pali picture
To sale Zamtel, RB must know that he is also selling zambia and the zambians at a cheap price. sorry RB the law can be changed, just like the constitution is amended. we shall take it back no matter what!!!!!!!! here we come with the pact and there they go with their MMD (Movement for Mad Dictatorship).
:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/ Kanitundila Banda:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/:d/
Dull creatures who cant run any company for theselves but always begging from countries who run their companies. Ubupuba mu Zambia. You give the whole economy to foreigners who dont keep their profit in Zambia. No wonder the Kwacha will be 10 000 to a dollar by next year this time. Dull people who pride in selfishness… Useless creatures on earth. Fuseke !!!!!![-([-([-(
LT, LT, LT, The Picture you have shown Alla B pointing upwards,where did the Monkry get the water it poured on him.LT should be owing us bloggers alot of explanations.I think thats the main reason your have suddenly become biased in your report.Lusaka Times,Times of Zambia.May be this explains everything.Can you for once be Profession in your conduct,lets you mislead us.
Criticism against RB worries Chief Chikanta
CHIEF Chikanta of the Tonga people in Kalomo says it is surprising that some traditional leaders in Southern Province have developed a tendency of criticising President Banda even when there is a lot of Government-sponsored development taking place in their chiefdoms.
The chief said there are a lot of government projects in Southern Province which the media should highlight.
He said this in an interview on Tuesday.
Chief Chikanta said it is important for the media to bring out what Government is doing so that people can know.
He said inadequate coverage has made the opposition unfairly attack President Banda and his government.
The chief said Government is building the first ever girls’ technical school in Mbeza in Namwala while the Choma-Neiko Road is being tarred.
The chief said even with such development, it is surprising that Government is being attacked as doing nothing for the people of the province.
“There are a lot of programmes Government is undertaking in Southern Province. In the education sector, there is a high school being built in Batoka, the first ever girls technical school is under construction in Mbeza and no-one is talking about it.
All we hear are attacks on Government and it is surprising that some chiefs who can even see the development are the loudest when criticising Government,” Chief Chikanta said.
He said Government is building a modern hospital in Choma and Kalomo without anyone talking about them.
The chief said it is constitutionally wrong for traditional leaders to align themselves with opposition political parties because by virtue of their status, they are supposed to work with the government of the day.
And Chief Chikanta said the Patriotic Fund/United Party for National D evelopment (PF/UPND) pact can only be strong if Mr Hakainde Hichilema is adopted to lead it in the 2011 tripartite elections.
He said this is because PF president Michael Sata, who is the pact co-leader, has nothing new or different to offer to Zambians.
He said people are closely watching how the pact will work because in the past, alliances have failed because of differences in ideologies and personal interest.
He said Mr Sata has attempted to form alliances in the past with other political parties but failed because the PF leader allegedly does not respect partners.
Chief Chikanta claimed that should the pact decide on Mr Sata as presidential candidate, Mr Hichilema will have trouble to convince his supporters to vote for the man they allegedly mistrust.
The PF/UPND pact was re-launched just over a week ago but is still mute on who is going to lead the alliance as a presidential candidate for the 2011 general elections.
In English as in all languages euphemisms are used. It is quite acceptable to say ‘pass water’ as a polite way of saying ‘urinate’. What is the fuss?
This country will never cease to amaze me. We are one clown short of a circus. First of all, the sale of Zamtel is a circus, then instead of the President going on about the benefits of selling Zamtel because we need them, he goes on about saying Hichilema wont reverse the process. One thing for me is clear, RB is so sure Hichilema will succeed him except his concern is, Hichilema wont reverse the sale of Zamtel when he succeeds. Now I agree with people who say real comedy is in real life.
Lusaka Times is so far up MMD’s Butthole they still allow Mwata to spam this website.
RB is a joker! The sale of Zamtel was laced with corruption from the very start. The Dora Sillier tribunal,Henry Banda’s invovement, RP Capital, theft of Zesco’s optic fibre network. Why does Big Daddy want to force us to accept the sale of a national asset 4 peanuts?
Viva Pact! If they come into power, let this transaction be reversed coz it smells of corruption from the very start!
Who tells him its final?. Is going to be President forever or lve forever to ensure Zamtel is not re nationalised?
12 Mwata – That is not your problem. Just discuss the matter at hand.
Oh my GOD!!!!!
WHAT A LEGACY TO LEAVE BEHIND. YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN BY THE FUTURE GENERATIONS>>>>>>
On Dr solomon, what investigations do you need? you have evidence right under your nose. the man shot the youth so then what are you still investigating….please ba President—-be honourable, apply the law faily. imagine it was Fred Mwembe, HH, SATA or Mpombo shooting the youth…
r GOD help us……………
I think mwata is an illegal in the states,the *****/bustard can’t think,they should just send him to Afganistan so that they can blow his ****ing small brains off,you’re just a wasted piece of shit.
How did we fail to run Zamtel ? What share of the market does Zamtel have ? This area of business(telecoms) , is very profitable indeed , especially when there’s not much competion.
I also read a story in the post , that the govt has imposed a temporary freeze on issuing licences to any new telecom operators so that the part privatised Zamtel can first ‘settle’ in the market ? That looks like an unfair advantage to me. Isn’t it supposed to be free enterprise?
Yes with you it is final, but the problem remains with Zambians because of what you have done no one will forget what you have done to our nation ; instead of building you are selling what others built, you will be given credit for what you build not what you sell..
LT sucks!
But we’ll ride it out.
” Mr Banda said the sale of Zamtel to Lap Green Network was binding on the Zambian Government as it had been done within the law and there was no way of reversing the process. ”
Except that corrupt deals are not legally binding. The Libyans are fools if they think they can come to Zambia, bribe a few politicians and walk away with the national telecommunications company.
There is no such thing as legal protection for corruption. All these politicians can think is that people are ‘jealous’ because they didn’t get a cut.
And what is the purpose of this ‘privatisation’? Because LAP Green is wholly owned by the Libyan government. From their website:
” The LAP Green Network is part a part of the Libya – Africa Investment Portfolio (LAP) that was incorporated in 2006 as a Libyan foreign investment vehicle primarily focusing on contributing to the development of African countries. The state owned vehicle had an initial capital of US $ 5 Billion. “
Even so-called legally-done sales can be legally “Un-sold” you fo.o.o.li.sh president!!
Mr President, if everything legally done in Zambia was irreversible, then surely even today we would still have the likes of Roan Consolidated Mines, CBC, and any number of pre-independence foreign-owned and operated companies and conglemorates because each and every one of them was also legally done, you dull man! Ask KK who also thought he could “legaly” take over Ephraim Chibwe’s milling company just out of sheer personal hatred. This is also a good time to warn the Libyans and their likes that they stand to lose everything if they carelessly enter into corrupt deals with these corrupt useless leaders in the MMD