Lusaka lawyer Sakwiba Sikota says he hopes government’s decision to reverse the sale of Zamtel has been done in good faith.
Mr. Sikota says it will also be important if the Patriotic Front government has taken into consideration the amount of money that will be involved in the reversal of the sale.
He says the decision amounts to nationalization, saying that a huge amount of the money will have to be spent.
Mr Sikota says the decision might also affect the inflow of foreign investment in the country as this might suggest that Zambia is not safe for investment.
But a political analyst Alex Ng’oma says the decision will have no effect on foreign investment commending the government for doing the right thing.
Dr Ng’oma says the Zambian government has taken a logical decision adding that it has been taken in an ethical manner.
[pullquote]However, government refuted widely circulated information that it had reversed the sale of 75 percent shares in Zamtel to Lap Green of Libya.[/pullquote]
He says this should send a warning to other foreign investors of the need to follow the laid down procedures when investing in the country.
Dr Ng’oma adds that there is need for any local or international transaction to be conducted in a transparent and accountable manner.
However, government refuted widely circulated information that it had reversed the sale of 75 percent shares in Zamtel to Lap Green of Libya.
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, Given Lubinda refuted the information on Thursday saying government will communicate if such a decision was taken.
Information has been circulating that government has reversed the sale of Zamtel.
Sikota, you have an interest in the matter therefore you’re only looking at things from what your client Dora & RB have fed you. You can’t surely want a deal that was flawed to stand all in the name of protecting foreign direct investments & image of Zambia. Those investors that will shy away from Zambia as a result of Zamtel’s reversal are equally corrupt investors that we don’t need in Zambia.
Look who’s talking…Sakwiba you are the legal representative for most of the crooks who profited from the sale of Zamtel….tell you clients that its going to be costly for them as well as the Libyans want their brown envelopes back!!
i think lawyers should be accountable for there deeds as well,this man Sakwiba Sikota i don’t understand this man, is he making money or what?
I once had respect for Sikota when he was UPND vice, this man has lost it, he has fallen from grace to be the one who protects the thieves, thank God he never won and lead the country. So what if it will cost alot to set the country in the right path, your argument sir is to leave things the way they are so that stealing or abuse continues in Zambia, pathetic I feel like nifuna kuluka.
Fellow country men and women do not listen to this fool again, it looks like he has no interest for country at heart
Sikota is worried because they will be no more money to pay him at some point.
My question is why hasn’t someone from government made an offical statement regarding this matter yet..why? Are they waiting for Sata to come back from RSA’s ANC Celebrations? Please keep the President and his BIG mouth away from this matter, let COI, Commerce & Justice Ministry and the Vice President’s office deal with this matter exclusively.
which country do u live in??????U havent GRZ spokspersons response on this????u r narrow in thnking.
You work it out of on where I’m located …What’s narrow in my mindset when I’m asking an open-ended question? Gov’t official Lubinda is still maintaining that no reversal has been carried out and LAP Green official is refuting such unsubstantiated news reports so do the maths. Which GRZ official has opening made a statement?
Which GRZ official has openly made a public statement?
Given Lubinda on ZNBC has refuted news that ZAMTEEL has been repossesed…I m sorry if i used words that v hurt u bt GRZ thru Given Lubinda thats its jst a Rumour.
Sakwiba, you need to be honest with yourself and the Zambian people.
Sikota is such an ass. he know very well what his clients did and how much they gained from the deals and he loves his cut from all that that is why he say it will be costly knowing money will come back to Zambians and not just them few. Sikoto you are such an ass.
when are the angolans paying for ZAMTEL? we already know KK promised them that SATA will hand it over to daughter of their president
ZAMTEL – LAP GREEN saga is now confusing! How many interested parties are in it and who is supposed to give the official updated position?
nationalisation is not a political risk, but expropriation is. i wonder why government action will freighten foreign investments inflow into the country. i guess sikota s worry is that in the long run, he will not have criminals to defend once legally approved investments will be the only ones flowing in.
More money in Saki’s pockets. Thanks to PF govt.
Can somebody also state clearly what was wrong with the sale? Who benefited, How much? How?
Sikota has nothing to contribute to Zambia, this guy is so negative. He supported useless MMD decisions and he is still defending them, what a loser!! No wonder his party has only one member, Himself. A person who loves his country cannot tolerate plunder or undervaluing of national assets by a few greedy individual looking for quick buck.
To he’ll Saki. Just back barotse and growing cashew nuts instead
The cost of obtaining just one licence to operate a mobile Tel company in some countries like Nigeria is reportedly to be between $500m -$1 Billion.Zambians, think!
Yeah.. So is corruption!!
@Joe kasiya, are you in Nigeria? Please stop dreaming. That’s not the case here. I have been here close to 6 years now. Nigeria owns their national communication companies, that is: NITEL and GLO on mobile networking. A population of 160 million people has only 3 foreign owned network systems like zambia: MTN, AIRTEL, ETISALAT. Which $500m licence?come and see if Nigeria will tolerate any investor in that capacity. Nigerian market is for nigerians: no indian, no whiremen, few lebanese, etc
Another interesting thing about this Sikota is that he told us that Dora is very ill that is why she can`t attend the police callout. But the person who was driving Sakwiba on the same or the following day to the hospital where Dora is admited, was the same Dora who claimed to be ill. Is Sikota telling us that a person who is ill can drive a car as she was even looking so smily together with Sikota himself?.Why is it that Sakwiba has become more of a lier than a Lawyer?
The level of ignorance among citizens never stops to amaze me. People appear to be venting anger at Sikota… Some even going as far as accusing him for defending the corrupt MMD. The man is a Lawyer for God’s and will take instructions from anyone. That is what lawyers and success in practice comes with success in your work for clients. As ever, in Zambia most people bear grudges when some one, through hard work, is successful.
Costly or not costly we want our Zamtel back in GRZ hands. Shut up Sikota. Well spoken N’Goma.
Mr Sikota, just keep quiet and not say anything about Zamtel, even the least person in the country knows what you are up to, Just concentrate on helping Dora Siliya not to go to jail, though you know she will !! go ahead and milk the least money she has right now
Ba Sakwiba Sikota Nkalani chete. Be wise and remain silent lawyer, this company was unlawfully sold. God at the least blessed the employees with benefits of the sale.
Nationalizing is a totally different thing from re-claiming an institution that was fraudulently disposed off, Mr. Lusaka Lawyer. Everywhere we look we read about investor and donor confidence and increased interest, so which investors are you talking about? If there’ll be any investor apprehension it will come from this type of careless statements and from those of HH’s retrogressive predictions. Stick to defending criminals, boss. Make political statements only when you’re being honest in what you say.
Nationalisation and take overs of companies from private hands are of Kaunda’s era.Such approach made us suffer in Zambia.Zamtel under under Sata’s direction will be a disaster.The mines and all companies which were run by Kaunda’s gvt were a disaster.Any right thinking person can not go back and do the same things whch led us into trouble.The government should concentrate on services provision:schools,health,roads construction etc. Keep your hands off Zamtel,time wasters.This mentality of “our resources” is a disaster.
Sack has become a Representative of MMD plunders for that reason everything the PF government is doing is which hunt even when he can see where billion are being dug from farms for him that dosent matter. Anyway it is his time to make more money from plunders like Dora.
Dora eve bamanga wheather ufuna naugu sifuna you the some people making Zambia not to develop.
From Hawaii
Sickened by these dodgy citizens who are so much crazy defending foreigners against their own country. This is what neo-colonialism is about. Sikota is so brained washed that we could do without such people as a citizen of Zambia. He does not add value to the well-being of Zambia, but subtracts anything positive from Zambia. He is as useless as a used condom.
There is so much careless talk in Zambia. Why doesn’t the government get its communications clear? Careless talk is costly.
i join those people who have lost respect for sakwiba.however, he is right in asking if gov did what they did in good faith or not. politicians’ ego can be extremely destructive. zamtel in private hands has provided better service to the public a plus for the public. it did this without feeding on the tax payers’ pocket. that is one problem less. if PF want to keep zamtel and put it back on the tax payers budget then it will certainly be taking a step backwards.
i fear that is what PF will do. lets be vigilant with these chaps before they get too comfortable. can the tell us the true value of Zamtel, and can they tell us the future of this entity
With zamtel its not just about profits but also national security. Every country must have at least one net-work where they are sure that certain communications are not being intercepted or get into the wrong hands. When it comes to profits, I dont think that it is an encoded thing into parastatals or government owned businesses that they dont make profit. I think its a question of management, and ultimately that is what we need to fix for longer term benefits.
Is Sakwiba still leading a political party or he is just a vulture feeding on the carcasses of corruption? It is such a shame it has to come to such an end.
#29 – very intelligent thoughts. We must first be told the true value of Zamtel before the current govt claims corruption. It is as if the country is now being led through widespread witch-hunt. I fear that the witch-hunt is being used to divert people’s attention from the real issues of bread and butter. Meanwhile the economy is actually tanking. Check the value of the kwacha, the slowing growth. Even foreign investors will soon start pulling out and we will go back to the 1990s again. Even those people claiming they want more money in their pockets, in the end they will not have even the pockets they now have. It is amazing how childish sometimes we can be in Zambia. This is now real life not comical “donchi-ku-beba” and people will realise when it is too late.
You danderhead .Zambia’s Consitution processes has failed because of opportunists and selfish lawyers like you Mr Sikota.
Lap Green investment was not real investment. It amounted to buying of stollen property. Then you wanted such a corrupt lawyer and vulture to be president of the UPND. He has proved us right that he was unfit to be president.
Sikota why cant you ziiiiiiiiiii and help you felow corrupt MMD plunderers.Are u mad?
Sakwiba Sikota, lisaka sana he is not like the Sikotas that we know and respect he has proved to be a fool.Jst go and help your fellow folish client DORA SILIYA who is not sick that is much we know.KApangeko amaafu kulibakabolala bantalamisoka
The most sensible thing PF Government can do is to renegotiate the deal.Reversing this agreement will in no way benefit Zambia.ZAMTEL has already posted growth in the market share of the mobile phones and are likely to start paying dividends to GRZ.My opinion is that GRZ should settle for 49 to 51 Lapgreen shareholding and GRZ should maintain a Golden share.
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