PRESIDENT Banda says the people of Zambia have gone through enough social and economic difficulties and that time has come for them to start benefitting from the economic gains the country is registering.
And President Banda says he is expecting an economic boom in the country soon after the general elections this year.
President Banda said although he has been head of State for about three years only, there is evidence that his administration has delivered the promises made.
The President said he will not listen to his political opponents who have been criticising him from the time he was elected head of State in 2008 but will continue to focus on working for the people.
Mr Banda, who yesterday toured some selected Lusaka roads currently under rehabilitation, said there is no time selected for implementing economic development programmes.
He said all the time, be it in an election year or not, Government is obliged to continue working for the benefit of the citizens.
He was speaking to journalists yesterday at State House after touring some selected roads in Libala, Kamwala, Matero and Kabanana townships.
[pullquote]“I foresee great things after elections this year. I foresee a big boom and this will allow us to look at improving the infrastructure in tertiary institutions. We are going to fix those that are in a bad state and we will build new ones,” President Banda said.[/pullquote]
“If we imagine that the opposition political parties will stop criticising and stand on top of the roof and proclaim that all is well, we would be unrealistic. They have to find something to criticise but I will not stop working for the people because they are disparaging me. Every time is good for development. The people of Zambia have gone through enough hell. What has kept me going despite the criticism is the belief that what I am doing is right and is benefitting the people,” Mr Banda said.
President Banda said Zambians should not forget that he has been head of State for about three years and that it would be unfair for Zambians to expect him to finish and meet all their aspirations.
The President said he has not been among the privileged leaders who have had their full five-year mandate but that the elections this year will give him the five-year term during which he hopes to perform better than he has.
He said had he failed to implement the development programmes currently in progress, the opposition would have gone into chorus condemning him.
“We have to clean up our country ourselves. The United States of America government has been here and is happy with the economic progression we are making. They have said all the good things about Zambia and when they said they wanted to meet the opposition political parties, I said that is good. They have to meet the opposition because they are Zambians,” Mr Banda said.
President Banda told the Road Development Agency (RDA) that he did not want to be told that the roads are being done but that he wanted to check on the work on the ground.
President Banda said he also took a drive in the communities to get reactions of the people on the rehabilitation of the roads.
“The people are grateful that the roads are now being worked on and the value of their properties will increase once the roads are completed. We the Zambian people can together develop this country,” President Banda said.
And President has said Zambia will be in an economic boom soon after the tripartite elections this year.
President Banda said his Government will concentrate on the development of tertiary education having invested so much in the construction of basic and high schools across the country.
Mr Banda said he will concentrate on transforming colleges and universities in his second term so as to improve the learning environment in higher institutions of learning.
“I foresee great things after elections this year. I foresee a big boom and this will allow us to look at improving the infrastructure in tertiary institutions. We are going to fix those that are in a bad state and we will build new ones,” President Banda said.
Thats true, Thanks Mr President, One of the roads passes through one of my properties and I m happy as the value will go up
Those who talking against development have no plans and are foolish. The can be. We love u mr President
U`re the one who is foolish and have got no manners
Go to hell with rotten teeth sata… You must retire from active politics……….Old people what do they want in politics…. This is the problem making politics as career….!!
I’m now happy. There are indications that the road to Kamwala South will be worked on. I hope the road will be completed before the elections.
Well done mr president
Uncle Bwezani, while every bit of development has to be welcomed in Zambia, I wished you had lived everyday of your presidency as if you are in an election year. I know you mean well but so many projects being done 4 months before the general elections raises more questions about old & tried politicians in Zambia such as RB, Ben Mwila, General Miyanda, Sata, VJ and so many others…We all want development and to see our lives improve but this political ploy you are rolling out is more annoying to the learned masses of Zambia We know a country does not & shouldn’t be run or managed like a spanza shop. I can only wish you luck in the elections hoping that Zambians will vote wisely this time.
When somebody begins to work, you call it political ploy. Whether election year or not, this man has tried in two years that he has been in office. We have never seen anything like this since the Kaunda days. Let us learn to give credit where credit is due. Majority of you, are so myopic in your understanding of National issues and follow disgruntled politicians who have nothing to offer. Zambians, be wise for once.
Chief, I appreciate the point you raise of development which was my opening remark. However national development is a continuous process and shouldn’t only be confined to an election year and for the purpose of winning votes. Majority of Zambian electorates have not matured to vote on policy issues hence the type of projects we are seeing are being done to win votes. I still maintain any president no matter how good intended theirdevelopmental projects are, they need to operate with the ambit of the law. If these projects were not planned in the national budget then it’s a scandal for these are not emergencies neither are these projects or monies being spent because of national security issues etc. No one in their right frame of mind would deny an opportunity to develop Zambia.
Development on unspecified and unaccounted for, budget a few months before elections raise not only a lot of questions but also a lot of concern. What is also annyoing is some of us Zambians blindly or otherwise, heaping praise on RB while ignoring all the catastrophic policies and tendencies this man has in place for our country. Removal of the abuse of office clause, and now wanting ministers and mps to retain priviledges and continue using public resources after dissolution of parliament; need I say more?
AAaaaaaahhh old Bwezani has JUST realised that Zambians after all should benefit from the fruits of their labour: after two and half years as president, all along he did not know…….and his minnows like no. 1,2,3,4,and 5 above have given his ALL the praises for this realisation…….in short we have rubbish leadership at the top most.
true mr president twachula pafula….bring them on..developmental projects shikulu bwezani
I think Elections in Zambia should be held every 3 years in order to accelerate development.
@7 ba donckey, all that rb is saying is that during the last two years of his presidency he has created sufficient wealth for zambians to start benefitting. you start by creating wealth and then you can distribute it, unlike pf whose manifesto talks about plans to distribute wealth first (90 days more money in your pockets) and then create it. normal zambians don’t think upside down like pf does.
Asensela elyo kawa. Kuya bebele!
It’s a bit late saying that. He’s seen the poverty but turns a blind eye but when it comes to election time the same people you ignore all these years are all of a sudden of paramount importance. It’s promises, promises, promises! if you get another term things all of a sudden stall and the promises are not fulfilled. We need a younger dynamic leader, leaders over a certain age should just give up.
@8, i am sorry to tell you that mr sata is not for the idea, he is not for the idea of any elections at all!
@11, rome was not built in a day, development is a process. now let me tell you a public secret: the people just love their new roads and their rb, you will not change that!
“The President said he has not been among the privileged leaders who have had their full five-year mandate but that the elections this year will give him the five-year term during which he hopes to perform better than he has”. mr president when we elected you in 2008 you promised tangible things and you have delivered, you did not promise 90 days miracles which other leaders promise but know very well that they cannot deliver. after demonstrating what you can do in two years, the people of zambia have every confidence that you can deliver much more in five years. you have our full trust and 100% support, mr president.
This retard has been President for three year but has managed to aquit chiluba, kill lozies, remove abuse of office clause, sold Zamtel scanderlously, took over finance bank in suspicious cirmstances,refused to collect mine tax. bout bobile clinics, bought hearses. probably travelled more than presidents who have been in office for 10years. Now he wants us to vote for him again
mr president, in 2008 the people of zambia put you on a two year probation, and you have exceeded their expectations. now you are confirmed for a five year contract of employment! your employers will give you the official confirmation letter on polling day.
if rb can bring such develpment in three years when mmd didnot do in 20years then are thiefs all along have being stealing money so can not be intrusted with country for more years. that y we seeing who is out of favour by mmd has case to answer they are all thiefs the country has more money than we are seeing that why rb can bring many project now.
@15, i am afraid that you have scored zero on every allegation, sorry no degree for you with this result. please repeat semester and next time don’t listen to memmbe, think for yourself and earn your degree.
@17, yes you are right, and from 1991 – 2001 mr sata was very much a major shareholder in that “plunder corporation plc”. he even wanted a third term so that he can continue with plunder. it had to take one levy and one rb to clean up the mess and normalise the country. now this dictator thinks that he can take us back to his hey days by attempted theft of votes via the 90 days deception. sorry the people of zambia are not that daft, okay sir!
I sincerely hope Banda is not re-elected! if he is i’ll eat my hat.
comedy,zambia 1.as for some of us,will only give you our votes after serious convincing us through live debates.i want to see cobra,HH and RB, being wired on serious national agenda.grading roads in lsk is not enough,giving free solar gyzers is equally not sufficient.
On the other hand,cobra and HH are too field with hallucinations of moving to state hse b4 the end of the yr,where my foot,prove!!!!! yourselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,my vote is hanging,grab it.
and it took this Man 3 years to realise that thats wat we’ve been asking for !!!
What is wrong with your website ba LT? Why are we being returned back to the Mumbi vs British topic?
PRESIDENT RB,WHILE YOU DRINK THAT EXPENSIVE WINE,PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN ABJECT POVERTY,WHICH IS A FACT.U CAN BOOST OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS,BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE FEELING THE IMPACT OF YOUR SUCCESS?VERY FEW.BETTER LET PEOPLE BOOST FOR YOU,THAT BRAGGING ABOUT USELESS THINGS. WE ARE NOT BLIND,YOU CAN’T SMEAR BUTTER OF OUR FACES.WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT,UNFORTUNATELY ,ITS NOT YOU.U BEHAVE LIKE A DESPERATE BOY LOOKING FOR A GIRL,AND EVERY TIME HE REMIND HER ABOUT THE GIFTS HE HAS GIVEN HER,THAT DOES NOT WORK BABA.THIS WILL NOT WORK FOR YOU.SO FORGET!!JUST CONTINUE AMASSING SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE DRINKING YOUR EXPENSIVE WINE.
When somebody begins to work, you call it political ploy. Whether election year or not, RB has tried in two years that he has been in office. We have never seen anything like this since the Kaunda days. Let us learn to give credit where credit is due. Majority of you, are so myopic in your understanding of National issues and follow disgruntled politicians who have nothing to offer. Zambians, be wise for once
@ #19pf government, even a constitution failed, all this is Mmembe to you? You are the one who needs to start thinking for yourself. One day try to use a bus to kitwe from intercity with your family. If what you see is ok with you then you are on the level of William Banda and Rupiya Banda himself. Then I will not waste time commenting on your blogs. They say do not argue with a fool because he will beat you with experience.
Good afternoon
Reading the headline, I expected to read more on how the economic gain will trickle down to the ordinary Zambians but what I crystalise is a campaign speech by the president to lure Zambians into prolonging his term. Everything else he said we heard countless times before.
Yes, improving infrastructure and investing in education and jobs are important tasks but they will only make sense if they enable millions of Zambians to enjoy greater opportunities, more prosperity and social advancement.
RB should ask himself how many Zambians feel great about their country. It is hard to feel great about a country that reluctantly pulls out of hosting All-African games due to lack of infrastructure. Let’s hear less of what you can do and see more of what you have done.
Yeah right,coz it’s election time eh,braggadocio,why haven’t Zambians been getting the benefits all this while.
@28, hehehehe but the change you talk about is nothing to write home about unless you want to give your innocent children a nightmare.
It’s actually time Zambians realized that they have NOT been benefiting from their resources. We need a new leadership which knows what we are entitled to as Zambians. We don’t need political pronouncements just because it’s an election quarter!
EB, is this when you have realised what your are saying? Are you tired of flying around now? Whatever goes up must come down madala. Let others rule!
@29, “Yes, improving infrastructure and investing in education and jobs are important tasks but they will only make sense if they enable millions of Zambians to enjoy greater opportunities, more prosperity and social advancement”. that goes without saying, unless we are suggesting that countries all over the world develop their roads, hospitals, schools, stadiums even, in order to decorate their streets? “RB should ask himself how many Zambians feel great about their country. It is hard to feel great about a country that reluctantly pulls out of hosting All-African games due to lack of infrastructure. Let’s hear less of what you can do and see more of what you have done”.????? warning! pf will not be amused with the last part!
@32, and the better alternative is……??? please sir, say anything but the 90 days deception and attempted theft of votes.
” And President has said Zambia will be in an economic boom soon after the tripartite elections this year. ”
So there is no economic boom now?
” President Banda said his Government will concentrate on the development of tertiary education having invested so much in the construction of basic and high schools across the country. ”
Why would ‘an economic boom’ come from ‘concentrating on the development of tertiary education’? Also, this is an admission that the market did not step in and provided education.
Why is there no economic boom now, after the MMD has been in power for 20 years this year, and with copper prices per tonne being over $10,000?
Where is he going to get the money if he isn’t going to tax the mines?
@35, and the better alternative is……??? please sir, give any answer except the 90 days deception and attempted theft of votes.
and who told you that the mines are not taxed? if you are ignorant ask mr sata himself, he wrote to the president that he was concerned about what he called “the high taxes on the mines”. the letter is in the public domain in case when you ask him he tries to deny it in his usual flip flops!
now look pf guys, we do not hate pf leader michael sata, but if he stopped his lies, deception, flips and his numerous other negatives, and instead campaigned on a platform of truth and development, he would be half way to state house, oh don’t get excited, the other half is to beat rb at the polls 2011, hhhhmmmm tall order today!
zamtel was a good deal in the sense that workers were paid, under the 10 years of sata hundreds of companies went under and people are still waiting for their benefits. lets give RB a chance and swallow our pride us bembas especially.
Well, the promises have been delivered. K200billion wasted on a non -starter constitution, National plunderers freed, corruption legalised, State house became the contract office, Shoot to kill any protester, increased unemployment,
You sure did not disappoint, we can’t expect anything less
Got only one question Mr so called peace officer, why only now should the zambians start seeing the benefits and who has been seeing or gaining from these gains? It? Erection time again.
RB has made enough money for himself and children and he can now afford to give the left over to the Zambians.
I do think this guy – pf government- is suffering from Reality Anxiety which is fear of real-world events. The cause of this anxiety is usually easily identified. Ask him why he is afraid of Sata being the next President.He will tell you why, and will give you reasons he has such fears.
Did pf government’s Banda just realized that other people apart from his sons need to benefit from Zambia’s economy? What has happened all of the sudden? Has he amassed so much already that he is now ready to share with others? What a joke of a president Zambia has? He needs to start dressing like a joker that he is.
Akulu mpuno, mwenze gone miyaka yapita?? waiting for Clinton to come & “appease” you rather than approve you – give us verbatim/Video of how this approval came about – don’t cheat us!! She didn’t come to approve of you, but came for AGOA – an Act of the US Govt, policy to help trade with Africa, – & NOT TO APPEASE “Akulu MPUNO!!”
Bane, each one of us has to work hard. No single Government will come and put food for you on the table, no Government will put money in your pockets, we must find money to put in our pockets. I love what I am seeing arround me, this is a start of good things to come God willing, if all the activity has been caused by the impending elections, then still, this is a breath of fresh air from the Chibuku and Chitenges that charecterised previous elections. I wish you well RB and do it for mother Zambia.
@Mandaliza 6,have you noticed that the president has been working since 2008 the year he got into power,all these projects like roads and so on are nothing new and its not because its an election year,should the president stop working because its election year? some critics say its because he knew he only had 3 years thats why he started working since 2008 and will stop upon winning elections,whether that is true or not,am not concerned my point is the man has been working and he has proved himself to be a man who delivers his promises,and is worth voting for.
With great power comes great responsibility!!
The MMD gvt has come a long way and as we can all see..the economy is growing and will continue to grow. this is evidence of an objective gvt that has the drive to develop its country. Viva RB..2011
…But it looks more and more likely that it will be nafuti nafuti.
What economic boom after electins RB is talking about.From the look of things after elections the treasurery will have been milked upto the bone and all on going projects will come to a hault or re adjusted. We know what is going its political gimmick. RB has left our Lagos Road in Rhodes Park for rehabilitation yet this is a very busy road.RB should not cheat us that the economy will only boom after general elections. What has gone wrong with geyser project in Mandevu, does it mean only pipo of Mandevu need geysrs? Infact relaible sources from Zesco stated that the geysers are yet to be imported what was there only samples. Zesco is under fire from farmers who had paid millions for power supply connections and are demading the deposits earlier paid. How Zesco will sort ot this mess?
@ 50 master voice,know for sure that RB has been working since 2008,and in no way will he stop doing so,our tresury has never been milked to the bone never in the history of zambia,so why wud it now?lagos road in roads park,am sure you have never been to rural areas to see the state in which most of our roads were in,the MMD govt has really tryd under RB to fix these roads muyombe-isoka road for instance,mutanda-zambezi-chavuma, choma- namwala,chipata-lundazi and chipata-mfuwe,kasama-luwingu,kabompo-chavuma and senanga-sesheke,these roads were really bad and you cannot compare them to lagoso road am not trying to trivialise your concern but the govt is working and these needed more attention specially that they link towns,for all you know a total of 40,000km of roads have been done.
This is just the beginning of better things to come. Thanks to His Excellency RB for the nice projects you have embarked on.
Certain things will not buy my vote, things like last minute road works, solar gysers, the zesco electrification…will get them but viva ………………….PF.
Rb remember wasted ncc 200billion, pipo who ar sincere advised correctly bt u refused. Dat money if shared 2 13million zeds every body shud ve com out poverty. Bt its gone & now dipin in 4mo & unbudgeted! GOD SAVE US DE POOR WHO WEk had everyday. We nid sata 2 quench corruption.
Unlike a couple of these useless and ungrateful zealots above, that are not even registered voters, my family and I are voting on the winning ticket this election. RB has delivered and has our vote.
So many health centres, clinics, hospitals, and schools have been speedily erected in the past two years. Our economy has been growing at unprecedented rates recently and we have rebuilt our image on the globe. Indeed poverty is a challenge, but it’s alleviation is in sight. Colleagues, these schools and all weren’t built 4 months ago. Even the zende from the pf sponsored post knows it. Wynter Kabimba conceded defeat last week, so who the hell are the blind followers not to concede?????) Fever has gripped us indeed!!! Credit must be given where its rightly due! God bless you ba RB, president for all indeed
What a information of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious experience about unexpected emotions.