Friday, March 29, 2024

Retain subsidies or resign- MMD challenges President Sata

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Dr Nevers Mumba
Dr Nevers Mumba

Opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has challenged President Michael Sata to rescind the decision to lift fuel and maize subsidies or resign from being head of state.

MMD president Nevers Mumba says it is immoral and hypocritical for the PF government to continue implementing capitalist policies when they draw up a socialist contract with the Zambian people before forming government.

Dr. Mumba has charged that if the PF wants to govern the country with a type of governance that leans to that of capitalism contrary to what it promised the Zambia people to govern with, it should call for a general election and ask the Zambian people to vote for it on a different platform and contract.

Dr. Mumba notes that the PF won the 2011 general election on the premise that it will implement socialist policies that will reduce the cost of living of the people but that the capitalist leaning it is embarking on is a deception that Zambian people should not accept.

The MMD president was speaking at press briefing in Lusaka this afternoon.

Meanwhile the MMD president has condemned in the strongest terms the harassing of MMD members by the PF cadres at Lusaka City Market this morning.

Dr. Mumba has expressed sadness with the continued attempt by the ruling PF to try to stifle the expression of the Zambian people through the practice of violent politics as was exhibited today when a mob of PF cadres pounced on four MMD officials.

And one of the MMD members that was harassed bowman Lusambo has confirmed having been abducted for about one, a period in which he was forced to support government’s move to lift fuel subsidies.

52 COMMENTS

    • Iwe yo sata has appointed alot of ministers & deputy ministers kwati nimpashi, the endless by-elections coming up each cost 7 to 10 billion kwacha non rebased and he has to look for funds to sustain all these unnecessary expenses hence his means of sourcing for funds is the removal of subsidies. The problem PF has is they are only thinking of how they will spend that money & not how these moves will affect a common Zambia. Fasten yo seat belt we are in for a rough ride we have no brains in cabinet

    • Always abalya imbulu bala palamana. I once thought Nevers Mumber thinks better than Hakainde H. but alas is also sinking so low in terms of approach on sensitive issues. I had an impression that people who had one time or the other held senior public offices understand these issues of subsidies better. These guys think by going around Zambia people will be behind them NO, majority are in front. It might have not been because of subsidy removal but if prices happened to go up for certain reason what could be their response. Whether one likes it or not and know that Fuel has adverse effect and commands chain of events in relation. Zambia is not an island and like many other countries in the same situation must for this reason strive and work hard with the government to change things. BOTS

  1. Its time to be sharp and intelligent opposition. This means say things that have an impact on your electorate. If you ask Sata to resign will he resign? No we all know this. When did a President resign in Africa because the opposition asked him to? Or indeed when did any African President resign? They don’t. So stop wasting time and your energy asking for things you know won’t happen. Ask Sata how much he will be raising from the removal of subsidies and where he intends spending this money. Canvass for the poor. Don’t just make noise. Be a seasoned politician Know what will get you an iMpact. For this political advice you will just pay me KR3600. Twalumba

    • I very much agree with you. Nevers bring up substantive reasoning other than emphasizing, “governance that leans to that of capitalism.” For your own information Mr. MMD president, even the country known for capitalism, USA, have a heavy subsidies for farm agriculture products and certain important products that may affect the least advantaged.This narrowness of reasoning is the demise of your party! You are a president of the party and you do not understand the world economics of important nations? Your friend and relative Sata has made a decision to remove the subsidies and all you do is just make noise without proper reasoning. Hold him accountable for the monies he will amass by not subsidizing the fuel and corn?Bu Doctor bwabufi..ma rubbish chabe

    • The two of you have spoken so much sense Iam praying the opposition parties have structures to monitor blogging like yours because you have offered what could be the cornerstone of their campaigns if they will take your advice. The opposition must be relevant- not just noisemakers. We need sane and sober opposition. Thats the only way to show you will do a better job than PF. Dont try to outshout the ruling party.

  2. If sata resigns there can be celebrations like we had when he was announced winner in 2011.The PF have already blown the reserves(over $3billion) left by MMD & the EURO bond($750million) has vanished in thin air, now they want to milk us more with the removal of subsidies in the name of infrastructure development. this is bull crap

    • Do you mean the Euro was to be kept unused as reserve ? The reserves are okay and what you are saying is not true

    • Zambia Railways $120M,
      Formula1 Roads $145M,
      Kitwe Chingola Dual Rd $100M,
      Pave Zambia RDs $65M,
      ZESCO Repairs $69M,
      ZESCO Kafue Gorge Hydro $186M,
      UTH, Ndola, Kitwe Livingstone Central Hospitals $29M,
      SMEs ( DBZ) $20M,
      Bank & Legal fees $1.4M,
      Discount (Advance Interest) $14.6M,
      Total =$750M
      Thats according to sampa, non of the above projects can we point at that the money is working

    • Good boy ..subsidies dont create value rather contribute to public welfare . Building a dual road and improving hospitals is of a public good and service benefit . Improving rail system and improving hydro power will create value in the long run as both are important to the survival of major companies in the country

  3. Lol, mwe bantu!!!!This fake pastor is desperately trying by all means to appear relevant to his Party. SHAME!!! He’s also trying rather too hard to justify his continued payments of a huge salary despite his party being severely bankrupt!!! What a man of God!!

    Mr Nevers Mumba’s greed and appetite for luxury has reduced the once giant MMD to its death bed! The day doom was spelt on MMD was when this party on instructions from one Rupiah Bwengezani Banda rejected a vibrant leader in the name of FELIX MUTATI!

  4. who needs sata to continue anyway?maybe his fellow thugs in the streets.

  5. No wonder your party is dying quickly. This is the only thing you can say about the removal of subsidies- asking sata to resign. What a waste of time for asking for the impossibility. Mr Mumba this is your chance to win all the 5 Parliamentary by-elections given that the PF has lost support due to subsidy removal according to you. But wait, what I know is that MMD is dead and it will never win any election in Zambia. All the best as you continue dreaming dear.

    Peace and Prosperity to mother Zambia.

  6. This is what I mean when I say opposition parties in Zambia are all utterly shambolic no strategy…this is likened to complaining to the station master when one has missed his train and shouting at him to radio the train driver to turn back the locomotive to pick you up.

  7. This is the man who should be Mr president in zambia.He is a visionary,an accomplished diplomat and preacher and an astute opposition leader.Even this weeks’ “The Economist” magazine is acknowleding Sata has been an unmitigated disaster and we should throw him out asap to save zambia.

    • he is absolutely uniformed!He does not understand the economies of the world. He does not know what capitalism is!His presentation and analysis is flawed and devoid of substance! How can he be president!

    • Huh? …and the guy replying to me is using a pseudo name of a filthy actor who totally lacks morals or compuction.

  8. “Zambia’s government estimates that it is losing $2bn annually as a result of tax avoidance and transfer pricing by foreign companies “

  9. Generally it frustrates the listener, politicians seem to talk to each other more than they do to followers,it is not a good thing, learn.

  10. Oh boy, here we go again! He just had to say something contrary to justify his being a leader of an opposition party. To folks like Nevers, that’s what being an opposition Party means.

    Ba Nevers, bu leadership bwalimushupa sana. Is this the best you can do, really? I am flabbergasted.

    Do you tell me you have never heard of China with its Communist Party whose political underpinnings are socialism/communism in nature and yet they have followed an aggressive capitalist economic agenda that has lifted millions of Chines out of poverty? In fact Nevers should be happy the PF has not followed the socialist angle of its manifesto (if at all this statement is even true).

  11. Oh dear, here we go again! He just had to say something contrary to justify his being a leader of an opposition party. To folks like Nevers, that’s what being an opposition Party means.

    Ba Nevers, bu leadership bwalimushupa sana. Is this the best you can do, really? I am flabbergasted.

    Do you tell me you have never heard of China with its Communist Party whose political underpinnings are socialism/communism in nature and yet they have followed an aggressive capitalist economic agenda that has lifted millions of Chines out of poverty? In fact Nevers should be happy the PF has not followed the socialist angle of its manifesto (if at all this statement is even true).

  12. On second thoughts I think this message is for himself, Dr. Mumba. You should resign MMD as soon as you can. You are preaching to yourself!Your party is in a Zombie stage….Once a great party now a shell rotting from inside! You are a leader without a vision, you lack creativity, blinded by greed, driven by lure of power and authority that you are loosing in an embarrassing way. Shame on you! I have information for you Revelations 3:1-7,

  13. The issue of removing subsidies is only good for the economy coz ts the economy gaining .It might affect the people negatively in the short run but will possitively improve the poor people’s lives in the long run.

    • How will it improve the poor people lives when prices of goods are sky rocketing?? Are you insinuating that someday people will have more money when they cant make money now due to these expensive conditions PF has created. One thing you must know if you cant save you can invest. The high cost of living will bring the economy down its not favorable for business

    • The people and the economy are very two seperate things. When the subsidies are removed, the economy is gaining and the people are losing in the short run. The situation in the long run is expected to improve the economy further coz of the improved government spendings which in turn shuld spread the economic benefits back to the poor . I should further warn you that the economy is more important than the people and needs every protection posible .When you destroy an economy the people die instantly but neglect the people they alwaysfight for their survival and should survive in the short run

  14. @31.1 I agree with you. Remobal of subsidies is bad for business. just wait when pricess go bust. all our village folks get to our small rented homes in town thats when we shall ve a reality check. No country in the has no subsidies. Go to USA, Russia & na pa SA. we need a social safety net for our people. Go to Kenya for example, they ve subsidised suppermarkets like Nakumat.

  15. It would be the right thing to do, but this president has never done the right thing!

    If he does not resign, he should be IMPEACHED for not upholding the Constitution he swore on the Bible to uphold.

    And his immunity should be removed so he can be prosecuted for FRAUD by telling lies to get into office.

    BUFI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  16. @Says . The people and the economy are very two seperate things. When the subsidies are removed, the economy is gaining and the people are losing in the short run. The situation in the long run is expected to improve the economy further coz of the improved government spendings which in turn shuld spread the economic benefits back to the poor . I should further warn you that the economy is more important than the people and needs every protection posible .When you destroy an economy the people die instantly but neglect the people they alwaysfight for their survival and should survive in the short run

  17. Apparently this government is challenging people to come up with convincing reasons why they should not remove subsides. Well let me help them seeing that they have a warped understanding of basic economics. Subsidies are the most important way of protecting a country’s citizens and in most instances important sectors such as agriculture. American farmers enjoy some of the most outlandish subsides in the world that is why it is difficult for farmers to export to America. Countries like China, India and Brazil have similar subsides hence their ability to dump their excess production in countries like ours. When you remove subsides you reduce the ability of your own country to compete as the cost of your goods become more expensive. PF’ argument on this is flawed. Simply put BUFI!!!!!!!!!

  18. Industry in Zambia consumes -directly and indirectly- over 75% of the fuel that Zambia imports. Much of that industry is foreign owned. Could someone with brains please tell me why Zambian taxpayers should subsidise foreign industry? There are other more direct ways of encouraging industry, such as tax breaks. On maize, the subsidy was applied through FRA. The main customers of FRA are millers whose main customers are town dwellers whose poverty, by Zambian standards, is debatable. The question everyone needs to ask is who are the subsidies benefiting? Is it really the true Zambian poor?? Or have we been unknowingly financing the ‘ok’ who can already afford to buy dotcom cars -or jump on blue buses- in the urban areas?

    My gran in the village uses own bicycle and grows own maize for…

    • Walasefye ngamukela Joy!!!! Besides, those subsides in developed countries are meant to stabilize high prices of their commodities. Those who have stayed in Europe or America will attest to the fact that essential commodities are extremely expensive despite heavy subsidies, one wonders what could have happened had their gvts not subsidised – e.g bread costs three times more expensive in UK than here pa ZED… Check the facts dear!!!!

    • Joy, read my comment above, yes the subsides are passed through middle men, however ultimately Zambians are the beneficiaries of these subsides. Just for you to see who is thefinal beneficiary just see what has happened since these subsides where removed prices of mealie meal and fuel have gone up. You see, we have leaders in government that have no clue how to fix our economy and they come up with stupid things like borrowing money by issuing Eurobonds and hey celebrate like they have discovered oil only to realize that the money received must be paid at ridiculous interest rates, hence they resort to actions like this one. Simple economics says do not borrow for consumption borrowing to fund and income producing opportunity. Unfortunately hey borrow for consumption. PF is useless.

  19. So it appears that MMD has changed its colors again. I always thought they advocated capitalist ideas which i fully support by the way. Remember the big words of the mid to late 1990s liberalization of the economy. Privatization selling houses so that we can all become home owners. Good policies even though they were likely forced by the world bank or IMF.


  20. My gran in the village uses own bicycle and grows own maize for food. He lives on less than 5pin4 per day (for Westerners, that’s about 1 dollar per day), although he’d have a problem if you referred to him as a “poor man”. His benefit from the just-removed subsidies was debatable-to-marginal. Does he care that someone removed fuel and maize subsidies yesterday? In a very indifferent sort of way maybe! He’d care more if you denied him fertiliser for his peasant farm.

    Most people talking so harshly about the subsidy issue don’t even know the first thing about real poverty. Worse, neither do they know anything about ascending to power through the popular ballot. No matter what we all say here, the PF government have the people’s democratic mandate. 5 years!

  21. Kwena I agree that its a waste of time to call for a President’s resignation in Zambia. I dont think any of the bloggers here except Ndobo whom I understand is 61+ will ever recall hearing a Zambian president using the word RESIGN. KK threatened to resign in the 60s and thats the last time that threat was ever made. I’m sure Ndobo can confirm this.

  22. If you borrow money from a friend, Just a word of thanks might be enough when paying back that debt. But if you borrow money on the International Market, you better figure out how you plan to pay that debt back with interest.Cutting Subsides is one of the surest ways to generate revenue for such obligations. No easy way out!!

  23. For a change we hav a government that is planining long term for the future generations not to eat for a day. well done PF government for removing subsidies on fuel and maize. Please also stop the expenditire on fertilizer subsidies.

    You must understanding :
    A family of six will eat one to two bags og meal mealie in a month.
    Current prices 55 X 2 = 110
    Minimum wage increased
    Tax free increased

    You spend on talk time every day on average 5kr X30 = 150
    Cut this useless expenditure unless your are making money then you can afford a bag even if it went to 70kr for 25kg

    You also drink from Monday to Sunday how much do you spend =

    You also go for lunch every day at 1,500 for cheapest Lunch to 15 to 25ktr per day X 20DAYS

    Yet you are arguing that meal mealie is…

  24. IF HH IS SURE THAT HE WILL BE IN STATE HOUSE COME 2016, HE SHOULD IF ANYTHING KEEP QUIET ABOUT SUBSIDIES. BECAUSE THE PF WILL HAVE DONE THE MOST DIFFICULT PART FOR HIM.

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