Friday, March 29, 2024

Government Summons management of Multi-choice Zambia

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Chishimba Kambwili
Chishimba Kambwili

Government has summoned management of Multi-choice Zambia to discuss the sudden increase in DSTV subscription fees.

Information Minister Chishimba Kambwili was speaking to Journalists in Ndola.

Mr. Kambwili says government does not want to introduce price controls on goods and services but expects business houses to be fair to their clients.

A number of Zambians have complained over the sharp increase in DSTV subscription fees to be effected in April by the pay TV firm.

Mr. Kambwili says there is need for government and Multi-choice to meet to chat a way forward and address the complaints from Zambians.

54 COMMENTS

  1. please stop wasting time on trivial issues and manage the fuel shortage, depreciation of the Kwacha, unavailability of drugs in hospitals and poor education curriculum. Multi Choice is a private business and the market forces are at play because of your lack of vision…alah!

    • Cycle Mata, this is not trivial please. Let the Hon. Minister address the concerns of many Zambians.

      Hon. Minister thank you for listening to the cry of Zambians. Plz deal with this issue of Multi Choice they cannot continue exploiting is in this manner. We hope a favourable rate will be arrived at. Hon Minister you a man of action just like your late boss HE MCS

    • Kambwili thinks it is mealie meal prices and fuel controlled by GRZ. Bring in another player who will be a competitor of multichoice. U will see price cuts happening. If multi choice has a large market share, they wi?l not change the price.

    • This is what is killing the Zambian economy and chasing away investors. How can the government get involved in such a small and non issue as DSTV? DSTV is a big luxury and should be left to market forces to determine who can watch and who can not? Let’s not concentrate on trivial issues and polititicize them just to divert attention from real issues like fuel shortages, jobs, health and education. DSTV will have customers at whatever market price and they’ll maintain the many jobs they’ve already created. Government on the other hand is failing to plan for fuel, Heath education and job creation. You want cheap DSTV so that you can sit and watch all day and not work for the poor people. Very shameful. What is the international community honking about us when they hear we are protesting…

    • …protesting over DSTV. It’s a big embarrassment. We are scaring off other investors who would want to come to Zambia and create real jobs. If Toyota opens a plant in Zambia, are we going to protest if they increase the price of their cars? Come on Zambians, let’s be serious. I am really looking forward to the day Zambians will elect leader who ll tell us the truth about life and not populists who want to politicize business and development.

    • RIFF RAFFS ,I M B E C I L E S ,F O O L S

      CAN KAMBWILI SUMMON THE GOVT HE BELONGS TO FOR FUEL AND KWACHA DROP .

      PLEASE LEAVE MULTICHOICE ALONE SORT OUT THE POVERTY LEVEL IN THE COUNTRY

    • @ Tahiti, With due respect, I’m guessing you don’t run a (successful) business. When costs increase by more than 15% because of wage demands, utilities, and devaluation how do you increase prices by less than 5%?

      I imagine this is exactly what the MD will ask Mr. Kambwili to explain too.

      Besides – if you don’t want to pay, try reading a book or go talk to your friends! No one is forcing you to sit and stare at the wall.

    • Agreed Tahiti. In South Africa from 1st April people will be paying R759.00 for premier service with extra view. R 759.00 with the depreciated Kwacha is equivalent to K 470.00. When the Kwacha was trading at K0.52 to the Rand, it would have meant some body in South Africa paying K395.00. You can buy a DSTV decoder, take it to Multi Choice SA and you will be paying K 470.00. You can also buy a decoder from SA take it to multi Choice Zambia and you will end paying K710.00. Why should we have a difference of K 240.00 between the 2 countries. Mind you the difference translates to R380.00 at to days rate of exchange. NO THIS IS DAY LIGHT ROBBERY BY MULTI CHOICE ZAMBIA.

    • Mwine muzi you are comparing South Africa to Zambia on a very basic level. Why don’t you compare the road network, the housing, health facilities etc. That will tell you why there is a very big difference between the two, or you haven’t travelled to jburg yet?

  2. Cycle Mata, different departments are in charge of different affairs. How do you expect Kambwili to sort out the Kwacha and fuel problems?

    • @ Jason or whatever you call yoursel!
      is kambwili not part of the government; are you telling me kambwili is not seeing what is happening in this country and is he not better placed to advise his colleagues and address the economical issues driving this nation to the worst economy in Africa? Think broadly and dont restrict your brains to narrow thinking.

    • JASON!!!!! educating a slow punctured brain like that of cycle mata is a waste of time. UPND puppies argue without thinking no wonder their ka under5 president has no original identity all he does is copy sata in everything. Kambwili is talking about an issue that comes directly under his ministry yet chainama retards are condemning him.
      What did these retards expect kambwili to say to multichoice? ..that multichoice should reduce the price of fuel and sort out the economy….. for sure you are useless watchdog bloggers.

  3. Simply call another investor in the industry. There was a gentleman Multichoice was suing who bought a decoder from China and was able to view all the Multi choice channels. Bring completion and let them wind up.

  4. This only happens when you have a danderhead for a Minister. What has government got to do with how Multichoice wants to run their business? If they fail let them fail because they couldn’t cope with their market forces-not because government forced them into reducing the price of their product. In any case what is a Minister of Information in a democracy? No such thing. You can see he has no job to do so he thinks he should interfere in investment. That doesn’t fall under his ministry.

    • If pipo are complaining & government comes in u start insulting them.Hon kambwili is not speaking for u who are able but for many who are struggling.let government work for those who are complaining.

  5. Misplacement of priorities! So now DStv is a need that government has to swiftly intervene! I just fail coming to grips with our way of thinking in Zambia. Public health and medical institutions, schools, employment opportunities, exchange rate, fuel supplies, agriculture….just list the things that affect our families well being and ticking of the national economy we choose to rise against a luxury private business we can choose to do without in our homes! Government is the culprit for allowing monopoly and officials for engaging in protectionist corruption. Leave Multichoice alone they don’t force anyone to be their subscriber! Deal with food first families need not go hungry and allow more competition for DSTV.

    • The heading of this article is misleading. As a subscriber, Kambwili has felt the pinch and is using his office to intimidate Multichoice.

      Satelite TV is not a necessity. It’s just making your children daft. Use your money wisely

  6. Open this market up to four or more companies. Create competition, then the pricing will be reasonable.

  7. It’s not multichoice’s fault that everythig is sick in Zambia startng from Chagwa pansi to the economy. They didn’t drop the kwacha to 7.40 per dollar it’s the clueless Palibe Fuel govt.

    • This is what is wrong with some Zambians or Zombies. Kambwili is on spot but because he is PF so he is wasting your time or it is business economics. The truth is Multi choice has been stealing from Zambia because of collusion with some people. Can you explain to me why Zambians should pay more than USD100 per month, when RSA is USD70, Zimbabwe USD70, Angola USD65, Mozambique USD75, Namibia USD65, Botswana USD65.
      This is what Multi Choice should explain.
      This is not trivial. Hon Kambwili go on. We are with you.

  8. jelas down pipo, just appreciate. for the economy chikwanda is there, for medicine health minister is there, y do u want to hold kambwili responsible for o these? then wat about Lungu?

  9. I am in Botswana. I will be paying P430.00 increased from P380.00 for compact boutique. Meaning that someone in Zambia should be paying about K300.00. Why the big difference? They can pack and go. We don’t need monopoly. Open up the market.

  10. This is a trivial matter. Most Zambians can’t afford DSTV, only the ones who have money to waste are complaining. Minister Kambwili should look at improving ZNBC for the whole nation. Our national TV station is a joke, they have even failed to report on the fuel shortage. By the time he brought this complaint to Multichoice the Kwacha depreciated thus negating the sharp increase in DSTV fees. Also we have a fraction of the population of Nigeria so comparing our price to theirs is irrelevant.

  11. just invite another competitor. Muvi TV and ZNBC should see this as a chance to provide better services than mere boring political and other nonsense shows. Team up with viable cable networks and give Zambians something to look forward to.

  12. if there are policies protecting DSTV monopoly, its time we discrded them! Those saying its a trivial matter, carry on with your Flintstone mindset!

  13. This kambwili is real nincompoop….fat getting stuck around his brains…..he takes zambians for fools….if he got nothing better to say…jus keep quiet…instead of making things worse….this is wat happens when fools run institutions like governments….

  14. I don’t get it with most Zambians, multi choice is stealing from us, Kambwili wants to do something, but because he is from a party u don’t like you heap insults on him. To be realistic even if the price hike was to be attributed to the kwacha/dollar situation prevailing now, its too much! That is pure day light robbery

    • This is private non essential service. Whosoever doesn’t want don’t subscribe. Besides Zambia is a high cost country in all things not just dstv. The increase is everywhere. Mind u 20% of multchoice Zambia is owned by ZNBC. So your country is benefiting both from increased taxes and share of profits. Whoever doesn’t want don’t subscribe. Period! Me I will continue paying full bouquet.

    • ok and then what…multi choice will say it has better relations with other countries, they will pack up and go and what will we all be left with ?? Then I want to see the comments….and pepol clying…..

  15. A few issues to note:

    1. Kambwili is Information Minister and Chief Government Spokesman. Today he was addressing a specific issue of Multichoice rates and NOT fuel shortage. Government deals with so many issues and NOT just fuel shortages. Does it mean that when there is a shortage of one item, the entire Government machinery must stop and handle only one issue? That would be *****ic to say the least and anyone who thinks like that needs to be classified accordingly.

    2. honorable Kambwili must however tell the nation how Multichoice – in which ZNBC has a 51% stake and the Chairman is his own Permanent Secretary – can act without Government’s knowledge on the matter. He sounds like he is merely politicking and should not take us for fools.

  16. I have signed the petition & I’m not paying. Any investor knows the importance of customers, they will listen to us if we stand up to them. They need our money more than we need them.
    As for the minister I think he is grandstanding as usual, what him & his fellow MPs need to address are the policies that allow investors to exploit us. We have not forgotten how one minister was going to get polony from one SA supermarket while the manager was raping our women.

  17. As for me, I will continue paying. If u don’t want watch ZNBC or muvi. How do u expect Multi choice to survive with such taxes and exchange rates? After yo govt is benefiting. Multi choice have increased everywhere in Africa including RSA. Ngati siufuna, visiye! Siyilani Bali serious.

  18. Dstv came to zambia to invest and government has the right to intervene in this issue. Dstv is reaping the zambian and dstv is making huge profits in zambia. CYCLE MATA please watch CNN, BBC and Sky News the dollar has gain power and has affected most countries not only zambia and you quick to point a finger at Government. Problem with us we like to point fingers at wrong people. If Kambwili didn’t do any thing you people will still point fingers at government now government is involved ati those are small issues. Abena Zambia tamwakwata ichisuma always complaining

    • Multichoice r right. I support them. Even me I wud have increased. This is a high cost country. Fuel is cheaper in Zimbabwe and yet we are all landlocked. Labor, services,food, commodities r all expensive in Zambia. And u want to get cheap dstv. After all dstv have different bouquets to choose from. Foolishh Zambians always complaining.

  19. Let us be One Zambia One Nation. every person wants good things. what is wrong when the minister respond to the cry poor Zambians who cant afford to pay Dstv. I support you Mr Kambwili you deserve to the President. not Lungu he is weak.

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