Opposition FDD leader Edith Nawakwi says Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda must be bold and admit that his first PF national budget has burst.
Ms Nawakwi said Mr. Chikwanda must go back to Parliament and present a fresh mini budget and admit that his budget has collapsed mid-way through the financial year.
She said the removal of subsidies on fuel and food was a sinister move aimed at raising additional funds outside the national budget.
“What we have here is a situation where my elder brother at Finance has burst his budget and he has to look elsewhere for additional financing mostly to finance programme that were unbudgeted for such as new districts and bye elections,” Ms. Nawakwi said.
Mrs. Nawakwi observed that the removal of subsidies will send many Zambian families into poverty.
“People will not eat GDP, people want affordable food. You cannot postpone your hunger because somebody wants to build roads and bridges.”
She said no amount of positive publicity or propaganda on subsidy removal will change the public’s rejection of the move.
“They are sending Ministers and their Deputies to explain the alleged benefits of the subsidy removal. You know, what is good is good and what is bad is bad. You don’t need all those Ministers to go and tell the people what is good about this subsidy removal.”
The FDD leader also criticized comments by US Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella who supported the removal of subsidies.
“I find it insincere for the American Ambassador to support this issue when the US is well known for subsidizing its agriculture with heavy subsidies. This move will affect the poor the most,”
Mrs. Nawakwi was speaking yesterday morning when she featured on a live Burning Issue radio programme on 5 FM Radio.
You are just another cheap politician ba Nawakwi.Welcome to this bandwagon headed by captain Hichilema and co-captain nervous Mumbwe.You politicians are all liars.Leave my good man mark Storella out of your cheap rhetoric by the way.
interesting indeed! Tell they mama,, tell they,,bauze!!!… the budget has collapsed mid way through the financial year ka!!
Very good point mamma “ people will not eat GDP, people want affordable food. you cannot postpone your hunger because somebody wants to build roads and bridges“
subsidies,,subsidies!!!! are needed!
awe sure mama you are very correct!!,,this woman is right,,she is not bitter and this not a case of sour grapes or sour mangoes,,, she is just telling as it is
Take note of how Ms Nawakwi replaces president Michael Satas administration with the word “they”. she cant just bring herself to condemn a government policy and sata is to blame. she always says they,when we all know the truth that its the president who created districts as he placed and forced it on the budget and thats why Mr. Chikwandas budget is collapsing as she puts it. You are FDD leader Nawakwi,just come out and say,president sata is behind the failure of this budget together with some of his ministers in particular ba chikwanda by operating outside the confines of the budget. Are you scared to accuse president sata directly madam?
True bane,
this is cheap politicking. She is comparing American subsidies to Zambia’s? Imwe ba mama, the difference is American subsidies are on PRODUCTION and NOT CONSUMPTION. She knows this but she just wanted to score a cheap point.
She is just stating the facts here, but it’s people like you who make dictators rule forever.
Well said Mama,we cnt postpone hunger wen we dnt evn knw hw well de sem resources ll be used,coz evry1 wnts to eat nw bcoz dey dnt knw if dey ll mek it cm 2016
Missed Nawakwi mwee, she always comes out with top-notch thoughts.
I can’t believe Mark did support subsidy removal on maize, just like Nawakwi said, the American farmers run on subsidies, and that’s why the food is so so cheap.
interesting indeed! Tell they mama,, tell they,,bauze!!!… the budget has collapsed mid way through the financial year ka!!
Very good point mamma “ people will not eat GDP, people want affordable food. you cannot postpone your hunger because somebody wants to build roads and bridges“
subsidies,,subsidies!!!! are needed!
awe sure mama you are very correct!!,,this woman is right,,she is not bitter and this not a case of sour grapes or sour mangoes,,, she is just telling as it is
This has o be a quote of the year for sure
People will not eat GDP, people want affordable food. You cannot postpone your hunger because somebody wants to build roads and bridges.
nice point Ms Nawakwi
Ba Jose, you are master!! Good you pointed it out, you should have written in capital letters. You will see me adopting it in most comments.
she is just politicking l expect better from edith. People wont eat roads? if that is the level of thinking then we will remain in the dark ages! 90% of the people in Africa are engaged in farming but we still fail to feed ourselves yet only 10% of people in Europe are engaged in farming but yet they have more than enough-why- because it is mechanized- and unless we open up the country to new areas we will not have affordable food and wont be able to move the produce efficiently to the markets without roads and bridges and edith should know this
Jose, thanks for this summary. I am sure english comprehension and summary walelya 100%.
al, you are right. I’m surprised at the People putting negative votes on your comments. Cheap politicking really works in Zambia if People cant see your point. We need a government that will put emphasis on education. Ubututu bwafula pa Zed!!
I have always been a quiet admirer of this lady’s approach to national issues. She calls a spade a spade and I must admit that she is right on this one. The ordinary man wants to be able to afford the basics now and not in the unknown future. Economics of the 50’s and 60’s cannot work now Mr Finance Minister. The crux of the matter is that they have overblown the budget and are desperately looking for sources of more funds. I am an Easterner but can proudly say that the Southern Finance Ministers have been the best performers i.e. Penza, Magande and Dr Musokotwane.
sorry, Penza is a Northerner from Mbala. He is actually a Siame so get your head out of the regionalism/tribalism mindset. People should be judged by their individual performance and content of character not their tribe or regional origins…so kombonic my God!
Dr Musokotwane is from Liuwa, Kalabo in Western Province. He is not from Southern Province.
penza was from Mbala, remember the Mbala mafia?
Is she crazy this when she is waking up shame on her
People must sacrifice a little,you must starve today in order to have chicken and chips tomorrow .If you keep eating chicken everyday,when are you going to build your house?
You won’t ! cos you would have died.
the problem is not about sacrifice, its about management of resources. I think most people would have taken the removal of subsidies lighter had the PF shown that they can be trusted to manage OUR resources prudently, but alas – they are ‘creating’ bye-elections right, left and centre, they are building Sata’s RETIREMENT house NOW, the luxury of paying Chikopa free salary for a year, giving DPP Nchito 14Billion, biggest cabinet this side of equator, useless commissions of enquiries, etc etc
Dont be stupid! how many times are we going to sacrifice? just to remind you;
1. in 1986 subsdies where removed and we were asked to sacrife and not ministers
2. in 1990 subsidies where again removed and we were asked to sacrifice and not ministers
3. in 1992 subsidies where again removed and we where asked to sacrife and not ministers.
4. in 1996 subsidies where again removed and we where asked to sacrifice and not minister.
So what nonsense are uou talking about???
Real patriot all you know is to eat and s.hit ,Lekeni tukule ba kabwa.
Ba Real Patriot, seleni tubombeko, ala.
Sacrifice for who,the family forest my foot
She does have some good points especially in relation to what she said about the Americans. Like I have said, subsidies may be gone but my instinct is that will be back at some point. Why? Because everyone uses subsidies on agriculture products. Simply increasing production on its own is not sufficient to make food cheaper. Thats the thing with agriculture economics. This is the reason the French are always supporting the common agriculture policy which costs billions and mostly benefits the french farmers within the EU. If some one on this blog has an example of a country that is not sleeping with subsidies and food is cheaper please share.
PF are the greediest and most obnoxious of all times.
mama you are right
Well said Auntie Edy! RB made the same mistake. He built roads in townships, schools, hospitals you name it! But people wanted food, cheap food for that matter. He had to go! If you want to play around with even a most docile people and court a revolt, play with their stomachs!
Nawakwi Mayo. Sata cannot be correted. Ba Grade 4 ba fitala. What we need need is all the opposition to come together and kick out SATA. It happened in 1991 we can DO it again.
I will be interested to know which battle even for the Independence of Zambia did not have “collateral damage”. It would be hypocritical to think that every time Government makes a policy decision there will be no casualties. I am not sure how people expect to develop this country if not by cutting down on Costs such as subsidies. We should never ever expect that we will continually get “aid” from co-operating partners. What pride is there in this?
By the way subsidies are fine if you can afford them! Zambia cannot but the US can!
Dont be stupid! how many times are we going to sacrifice? just to remind you;
1. in 1986 subsdies where removed and we were asked to sacrife and not ministers
2. in 1990 subsidies where again removed and we were asked to sacrifice and not ministers
3. in 1992 subsidies where again removed and we where asked to sacrife and not ministers.
4. in 1996 subsidies where again removed and we where asked to sacrifice and not minister.
So what nonsense are uou talking about???
Madam FDD President Thumbs up you are correct there is no way you can postpone hunger even those who fast there is a limit. Without food you are dead and buried. Mukombwe has said it plainly that it is their bellies they are interested in and nothing else.Why have the leaders themselves not reduced their salaries? How much has been spent on their so called explanation trips?
I believe for a change let us try a woman for president ma guys bufi!bufi! it is just to much. Budget indeed BURST!!!!!
What is this nawakwi saying? She was finance minister in FTJ govt people wat change did she bring on board apart from selling our country to foreigners?
you can’t know,you were still in foetus stage.
But who is suffering the most right now after the subsidy removal? Is it you and me who can still afford no matter how much fuel and mealie meal cost or is it the vulnerable, very poor who must tighten their belts until they die as they wait for the roads and bridges to be built? Don’t just support a policy even when you know its hurting the very people you are purpoting to be helping.
Well asked!!!!!!!!!! Most of us can buy talktime for the internet at Kr300 plus plus, pay dstv, our maids & garden boys (no increments by the way, hence they tighten the belts while we live in luxury) and we are not even in the bloated Cabinet yet. Our leaders should look after their own….not every one will be a Kaponya/ or big business person. People are suffering around us
Nawakwi i dont support you and your simpathises on this one. My friend we have plenty of famers in our rural areas and they have food. What they lack are good roads, hospitals and schools. Let Sata ateke and do marvlous things. I need a good road from Great north road in Mkushi up to the newly created Luano District.
Edith read Dr. Moyo’s book, Dead Aid. Maybe you can understand something on these so subsidy that have not brought so much benefits to the intended target group (the poor)
We do not need a book my dear; we LIVE it. Practical and experience not books written on a plane in the first class cabin.
Welcome to reality ba Nawakwi! Last time you supported Rupia blindly to a point were you reduced yourself to carrying mineral water for Rupian, while in flight.Later on you turned around saying Rupia was a failure. As if that is not enough the other time we saw you again with ba Sata on your way to Brazil aimlessly and you defended your move singing praise songs for ba Sata and PF. Today you sound different so where do you stand as a politician and indeed as a woman in leadership?
l love Nawakwi and what she stands for .I think we should put her in state house as the first female President in 2016. Zambians should learn to vote wisely. She is the only woman patriot l know. Nawakwi, you touch my heart with your compassion
Oh i forgot one thing! Actually your concern should be on the management of these funds that will be raised from removal of subsidies. That should be your work as the opposition Mama. 50 yrs of independence, what benefit have the subsidies brought to the Zambians, more poverty and widening of the gap between the poor and the rich. Its actually those that are rich, like yourself, that have been benefiting from the so called subsidies. Let us be realistic and prioritize where there is need. Americans have the money for such.Do we have that money?
Number 7.3. Patriot.
I have followed your trail it makes a lot of sense. You can only see how far you have traveled only if time and again you look back to see where you are coming from.
True to the point you seen understand the chewas say mbili yakale, most of the blogger shouting about Nawakwi and supporting removal of subsidy do not understand where we are coming from. USA and other developed countries do subsidize their agric production, watch this space and you see malnutrition levels increase in the country by one years time.
Americans can afford subsidies because they are already developed. They have enough money to spend on subsidizing consumption.
Madam, Zambia will take 1,000,000 years to reach an acceptable level of development if you want us to live like Americans, in FOOD and FUEL comfort, but with impassable roads, no river crossing and international, inter-provincial and inter-district linkages to speed up the movement of goods and services.
It is a matter of choice. We suffer now in terms of RELATIVE higher costs and have GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE or we enjoy fat bellies and driving all around due to cheap fuel while the roads and bridges are non existent? CHOICE!
Good idea ba LT.This idea of voting on each comment made is just excellent.You just vote POSITIVE or NEGATIVE at the end ,everybody will count what the majority think.
My thought is that the PF government is a brave one. Previous governments were too afraid of losing votes if they tried to remove subsidies. Now, who does the removal of subsidies on maize and fuel affect most? My father in the remotest part of Isoka? No. He grows his own maize and uses a bicycle to move around. The problem is that there are too many unproductive people lazying around in Zambian towns. These people want to eat cheap food produced by others and ride cheaply in buses or cars. Go back to the land and till the land as KK used to preach.
They have removed subsidies to raise monies for salaries and free fuel for the PF leeches. This is not bravery but criminality!
Spot on Goncalves.they will pay the price tekutali.
Americans can afford subsidies because they are already developed. They have enough money to spend on subsidizing consumption.
Madam, Zambia will take 1,000,000 years to reach an acceptable level of development if you want us to live like Americans, in FOOD and FUEL comfort, but with impassable roads, no river crossing and international, inter-provincial and inter-district linkages to speed up the movement of goods and services.
It is a matter of choice. We suffer now in terms of RELATIVE higher costs and have GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE or we enjoy fat bellies and driving all around due to cheap fuel while the roads and bridges are non existent? CHOICE!
What more with leaders like sata do you think there can be any development.
Yes Mauless, there will be a lot of development under Sata. Just wait and see. Things are already showing signs of positive change.
I know you judge the President on account of stories that come out about him, but know that the man is action oriented and he pushes. He is not a theorist but a practical person. Go and visit Zambia, you will see.
Another botilicker thus woman is just so useless at times, Tell sata how do run a country?
Edith appeares to hasve just woke up from her sleep. I hope she’ll not change & begin to attack fellow presidents in the opposition. I can only advice her to be consistency in her politics. Don’t pull down your fellow opposition leaders. Your voice provides the checks & balances for those in Government but sometimes you fight your fellow leaders in the opposition making yourself highly unpredictable. Have firm principles & please be consistent in your political ambitions.
Insencere,gullible and crooks of all kinds can agree with her. Umusheto without saving and proper investment u are inviting perpetual poverty. Pf do not listen to these who wait to see your downfall .GODBLESS U !