The Consortium of Civil Society organizations championing the Black Friday campaign has charged that the removal of subsidies on fuel and maize is haunting the PF government, as the effects of that decision begin to manifest.
Consortium Spokesperson, Macdonald Chipenzi has observed that the escalating prices in food products and non food products such as cement are as a result of the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Mr Chipenzi said as CSO’s they feel vindicated by the negative effects of the removal of subsidies.
Speaking to QFM News, Mr. Chipenzi said as the negative effects of the decision to scrap subsidies take their toll, so will the government be haunted.
And Mr Chipezi said as much as the PF government feels antagonized by the Black Friday campaign, they should also realize that the consortium is the true friend to the government because it acts an eye opener to the some matters that government may overlook.
Mr. Chipenzi has dismissed assertions suggesting that the Black Friday campaign has been suspended.
He said the Consortium has been working underground while awaiting a letter written to President Michael Sata as an initial move to engage into dialogue over the issue of subsidies.
[QFM]
And soon to follow will be a removal from power by voters to haunt the PF into political oblivion.
am glad ive posted fatser than ndombo and nubian today, americans are sharp, convince the guy in state house to remove subsides yet themselves uk and and america do give their farmers subsides. so the damn guy agrees, next inflation will kick in and citizens will rise against PF and do a ka vote subside removal on sata and PF and then we have a wise HH in 2016. but the way things are now i dont mind a ka presidential bye election, whether induced or ya ka TB Joshua can do mwee!!
Bemba’s say “Umwana shamfwa aile na mafi kubuko”. This applies to Sata and his clowns.
Continue insulting the President and caressing your small egos. The truth is you Useful I.diots and your dog called HH will never be allowed to be in power as long as you continue with your stinking and very primitive tribalism!!! MARK MY WORDS. Your brains most of you chaps are rotten and corrupt because of many years of ‘doing’ innocent animals (cows!). No wonder I don’t eat some of beef from a certain part of Zambia. Shame on you backward as5holes!
uko!!!
Others have tried writing letters to the President: just await for the insulting reply from George Chellah. They only know insulting words e.g chigororo
Write what to the president? do you mean to reverse his decision.. you are having a laugh…why not instead write to him on where the saved money should be directed or propose some smart subsidies targeted at the poor and disadvantaged or small scale farmers.
You have to move on and think forward…any gov’t given this opportunity would have removed such colossal subsidises…let not the opposition cheat you.
Wake up!!
Jay jay, most of these stupid bloggers lack common sense! One wonders what they use for thinking-do they really have brains?
The guys(PF) blew the budget(reckless spending & by-elections) it was the only way to source some funds. The excuse was infrastructure development, the other being it does not benefit the poor. Which is which ba PF??
Guys guys guys. Only in Zed do we enjoy free things and this is bad attitude. I do ot understand why learned pipo could compaign for free instead of campaigning for people to work hard and earn all through sweat…. This is a curse on our land..LAZINESS
They have already started campaigning.Where is the money coming from?subsidies.
LAZINESS IS KILLING DC COUNTRY,NGOs advice pipo to work hard.the govt can”t provide for every1 .the subsidy you are talking about its you pipo who benefited and not the poor pipo.
Its ONLY difficult for them as they can NEITHER articulately explain it to masses NOR practice what they preach…I for one wholly support the bold decision taken on the removal of subsidies on consumption especially if monies saved from the fiscal space is directed towards education and infrastructure development.
@jayjay
Removing subsidies in order to push forward tangible development is always a good move in economics,,,, but removing subsidies in order to fund a chipata bye elections petition and later on other bye elections is just stupi.d economics
Ba ndobo
Here is your homework for tonight? Go and research on how much each by election costs or even better how much 20 by elections costs…you ask yourself honestly whether GRZ can not get funds from other sources to fund them than as you claim take the suicidal route of removal of subsidies. And also find out how much money will be saved from removal of subsidies over 5 years. Let’s be realistic and objective and not be sidelined by retrogressive myopic partisan politics of the day.
@jayjay
you dont get my point do you?… Zambia is in desperate need of some serious development and every cent counts, after 49years of micky mousing. Every measure to save is very important (including removal of subsidies) at the same time that has to be coupled with other good moves to save little, small whatever as long as it saves money… like not engineering costy bye-elections and funding them.. not funding the First Lady to run around the world when the country has a critical ARVs shortage and malaria still remains biggest killer than cervical cancer
Removal of subsidies is beyond PF. That is what they get for bad governance by causing self induced bye-elections from the world bank . If they can manage to fund the numerous bye-elections why can’t they manage to subsidize maize and fuel. Spiral effect, the people have lost confidence in them
You are the selfsame people who are misinforming the masses always looking at issues through politically tinted lenses the cost of by-election is peanuts compared to what is saved from removal of subsidies. Take some time off and do some research… Are you happy to be subsidising fuel for the likes of British Airways, Glencore, Vendata, Emirates, Kenya Airways etc.
Wake up from your docility!!
@Jay Jay
If it is possible to identify the big consumers who do not require subsidies then why not target the removal of the same subsidies? You have given examples of big airlines and mining companies, these dont buy their fuel from pump stations but in bulk therefore the government can work out a mechanism to ensure their fuel is not subsidised rather than punish everyone.
Removing subsidy on fuel in order to construct a road to the village sounds nice, but what will be the cost (bus fares & product distribution cost) for villagers to enjoy these new roads? The two (infrastructure development & Subsidies) need not be mutually exclusive.
Yes – wake up from your docility
@MMD cadre
zambia has/had a already disfuctional system made worse by PF governmence,,, removing subsidies into to balance bye-elections expenses is just evil to the worst point
Ba Catch22
Working out such a measure is not only impossible but very costly, the reason I have mentioned those companies is to give YOU a snap peek of who is freeloading and shouldn’t be…I have also omitted the haulage firms the bus companies, corporations with fleets of company cars and middle income households like yourself who can afford it.
Additionally lower-income populations only receive a tiny share of the benefits and fossil fuel consumption subsidies are not an effective strategy to protect “real” incomes of poor households, since they involve substantial leakage of benefits to higher-income groups these are ones I was pointing to in my earlier post.
Ignorance at its best…..Ubuwelewele ….you can’t understand that issue it is beyond your capacity.The issue was done in the best interest of the Zambians..wait and see.
awe mwandi
PF dug a grave to burry the MMD.But now I see PF to be burried in their own grave.It’s like the Bible story,where Haman had prepared to hang Mordecai,but he ended up being hanged himself on the hang he had prepared for Mordecai.Oh! Too bad for the immoral PamaFi(PF) Party.
I 100 % support the bold decision PF made. Consumption subsidies too bad for our economy where the poor of the poor are alienated from it. The negative effect now will decline soon all will be well. Let just PF spend the monies saved wisely and not stealing like the mmd did.
Peace and Prosperity to mother Zambia.
Selective subsidies are good. People all over the world enjoy these. In the UK free travel is given to (OAP) old age pensioners, disabled and children. Local authrities also do the same with Social Housing and finally NHS and Tax Credits.
Zambians think it is about management and accountability on our resources.
Yes if you can afford it, mind you the UK is the sixth-largest national economy in the world and worth close to £300 billion. It can afford welfare for the unemployed and homeless and its budget is not supplemented by its “corporating partners” like Zambia’s. Moreover a large chuck of that fuel price in the UK goes to the taxman.
When he dies dont burry him at heroes park. He will haunt us.
monkey tricks…. rat race!
If HH removed subsidies i would understand because he is a pro business hardnose capitalist. On the other hand Sata is a socialist ideologically no wonder he embrac Cuba and North korea. Irony is that Sata cant differenciate.
I honestly think you reason like a dog..!
Sata is a mad man. let him stay longer for his prostate cancer therapy where ever he has GONE
You sound like Hyena hyena!!!! Baba, continue choking with envy. You will never be voted for by all right-thinking Zambians. Mwanya mar fee yenu!!!!!!!!
Subsidies on consumption are NOT sustainable. This is a fact. However, we have to ask ourselves why fuel is more expensive at any point in Zambia than in Lubumbashi or Zimbabwe which is as ‘land locked’ Zambia. Fertilizer subsidies though are ok as long as they are well managed.
Opposition should not spend sleepless nights over removal of subsidies. They should count it a plus for them because oesterity measures normally hurt the sitting government more. The PF will be scampering to re-introduce subsidies in 2015 and that will be too too late.
Govt @ wek bakamba,nayonayo
PF have food in one hand and poison in the other. They promise to serve people through implementing programs but they create expensive unnecessary elections. Shame. Give them red card.
Socialism needs to end, it’s as simple as that!
NO fuel in Kafue, where is the big man with a yellow container, Pls.
Wht is it causng rife & tensions in Egypty,Brazil,Argentina,Greece,Turkey to namebut a few?Is it not austerity measures being undertaken in these countries since it is now tht respective govts ve realised the need fr govt to remove govt suport frm various comdities so tht citizens buy the actual cost price without govt intervention.This is the forecast planers in our country & indeed policy makers – politicians shud be explaining to ordinary Zambians.Bwana Chikwanda send people under yr dept to sensitise yr decisions othrwise some wolves re taking thngs political puting aside National interst.Ths incudes even self proclaimd economists who want to jump the band wagon offside.
You have got it wrong. The tensions in the Arab world is because the west supported dictatorships for a long time. Just like Russia and the USA fought ideological battles in Africa particularly in Angola, Mozambique etc and prevented Africa from leaping forward, so they did in the Arab world by imposing and keeping dictators for a long time. The Arabs through radical Islam have realized they need to free themselves. Now that is not a simple feet to achieve. In Egypt, the Egyptian people VOTED for a president, parliament and constitution (very democratic), but they voted the Muslim Brotherhood – this is bad blood for the West. So they have engineered a coup. Now watch how Egypt just like Syria will decend into a terrible civil war. America has voted to continue arming the govt, you know why
Surprisingly people talking against the removal of subsidies are not telling us how the subsidies should have been financed. Much as I do not agree with the manner in which subsidies where removed, the bottom line is that subsidies were unsustainable and not benefiting the intended target. Continuing with them would have eventually resulted into inflation by the government being forced to print money or stagnation in private sector investment as a result of increase in interest rates owing to government consuming much of the private savings through borrowing. Not withstanding the above, I do not, in anyway, support PF’s inconsistencies in advocating for the removed the subsidies, while unnecessarily expand their cabinet and causing by-elections.
I like the way Jay Jay thinks. very positive. There s a lot I would like to learn from him he seem to have a lot of info and on these issues. Sharp my man.
POLICE ASKING CHANGALA ON LATE DPP MUKELABAI, PF MONEY LAUNDERING AND HIS PISTOLS
The joint government security squad tasked to wipe out the Zambian Watchdog and any dissenting views has asked Civil rights activist Brebner Changala to explain why he is in possession of documents relating to the tribunal of late DPP Mukelebai Mukelebai who was murdered in South Africa by suspected Zambian government operatives.
The police are also questioning Changala on the documents relating to the PF fundraising Matrix before they assumed power.
The police who raided Changala’s house in Kabwata earlier this morning are also interrogating him on two pistols they are said to have found at his house.
By 16 hours local time, the police were still holding Changala at the police headquar
POLICE ASKING CHANGALA ON LATE DPP MUKELABAI, PF MONEY LAUNDERING AND HIS PISTOLS
The joint government security squad tasked to wipe out the Zambian Watchdog and any dissenting views has asked Civil rights activist Brebner Changala to explain why he is in possession of documents relating to the tribunal of late DPP Mukelebai Mukelebai who was murdered in South Africa by suspected Zambian government operatives.
The police are also questioning Changala on the documents relating to the PF fundraising Matrix before they assumed power.
The police who raided Changala’s house in Kabwata earlier this morning are also interrogating him on two pistols they are said to have found at his house.
By 16 hours local time, the police were still holding Changala at the police headquarters.
There is…
Today some guy i found at the filling station hires out metal containers for putting fuel since the filling station does not allow plastic containers. The game is that you only use the metal container for putting fuel straight from the pump and thereafter you go behind the station and transfer the fuel into your plastic container and off you go. The guy charges K4 and was saying business has boomed for him since the increament in fuel because there are many cars that run out of fuel on the road. He also told me how he sells fuel on the black market as an agent of the guys that work at the filling station. Ask me how they do it and I will explain exactly what he told me
I can’t understand why even these that claim to be educated can’t see why subsidies are not always neccessary.Chipenzi ,u are partizan .Who does not know u are compaigning for upnd? Pipo that are used to free everything. ld iots !
To the Author of this article or to who ever it may concern,
I don’t understand why but there are too many English mistake in this article. This is not the first time I have come across mistakes. I don’t want to insult anybody but please before you put anything online check it again to make sure there are no mistake.
Thank you.
Can any of invincible cyber cowards help?I am looking for the funniest blogg name!
I can sell you mine if you like it.
These NGOs are themselves beggars relying on handouts from Europe for their salaries ,stationery, office accomodation etc, They are not productive in any way. So its not suprising that they are preaching dependancy syndrome because that’s what they know best, Lazy armchair critics/bastards
The UK is broke and was relegated in the financial standings of the G8 or whatever permutation you may want to use. Therefore, stop peddling lies that the UK is this and the other. People in the UK owe colossal amounts of money be it personal loans or mortgages to the tune of over 1 trillion pound sterling. People in the UK may not have fuel subsidies but as already mentioned by some of my learned friends in this blog, the government picks rich droppings in form of tax at the pump. This money is in turn used to subsidies poor families in form of dole (money) housing benefit, free prescriptions, free primary education and to a large extent ‘ free ‘ higher education. The problem Zambia has is an ever shrinking taxation base. kaponyas, marketeers, landlords, katemba-rers should be taxed
my comments are always awaiting your moderation? I write them in English and contain
no lewd remarks. If you think permutation is same as masturbation then this blog portal has outlived its usefulness. I never said there was anything wrong with self manipulation either.
The UK is broke and was relegated in the financial standings of the G8 or whatever permutation you may want to use. Therefore, stop peddling lies that the UK is this and the other. People in the UK owe colossal amounts of money be it personal loans or mortgages to the tune of over 1 trillion pound sterling. People in the UK may not have fuel subsidies but as already mentioned by some of my learned friends in this blog, the government picks rich droppings in form of tax at the pump. This money is in turn used to subsidies poor families in form of dole (money) housing benefit, free prescriptions, free primary education and to a large extent ‘ free ‘ higher education. The problem Zambia has is an ever shrinking taxation base. kaponyas, marketeers, landlords, katemba-rers should be taxed
Mealie meal K80 a bag (from K35 in 2011).
Petrol K 9 (from K7 in 2011).
Bus fares up by 40% in the same period.
Kwacha against dollar depreciated by 22%
Thefts increased 300%
Election violence increased manifold.
With uncertain environment Kwacha will trade K7=one dollar, mealie meal bag will be K100, Zambians will troop to South Africa and Botswana looking for jobs.
2014 will be a last straw on the back of camel and economy and political system will come crashing.
Rubbish rantings indeed. Rubbish of refuse.
All those struggling to access zambianwatchdog, please download Opera on your devices and you will be smiling.
too much rubbish mu lusaka. everywhere you look ni ma rubbish.what a terrible petro station?
The PF government is so confused that they are failing to tell whether they are going forward or backwards. In one of the daily papers (Nation) today Yamfwa Mukanga was asked to explain why prices for cement have skyrocketed. His answer was: “I am not sure what has caused prices to escalate; I will investigate”. I found this to be a very st.upi.d answer because the idi.ot knows that his foo.lish government removed subsidies unilaterally and now the effect is taking its toll. The removal of subsidies is not a bad thing but it should have been done properly with full consultation. Those of us who are in the process of building our shelter have been caught between the devil and the deep sea because we can’t afford the price of cement. Do they expect us to vote for the stu.pid PF? NO…
it’s pure stupidity for people supporting subsidies removal, and most of you are in diaspora enjoying subsidies and you don’t want local people enjoying subsidies. it’s a moral right for the government to provide for it’s people it’s not about Zambians loving free stuff, Development is good but does have it’s downside everything becomes expensive and the poor people are left more impoverished ask the Chinese, maybe even the chinese we have in zed are those displaced because of development. when people start starving they will easily forget the so called development