President Edgar Lungu has with immediate effect given a green light for passenger aircrafts to start landing at Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Samora Machel Airbase in Mbala in Northern Province.
President Lungu said his move is aimed at boosting tourism and other economic activities in the region.
ZANIS reports that the Republican President announced this today when he addressed a presidential rally in Mbala’s Senga Hill area.
He said modalities of how the civilian planes will be allowed access to Mbala ZAF Airbase were being looked into by the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Transport.
President Lungu noted that a recent Defence and Security Council meeting also recommended for the opening up of the military airbase in Mbala to civilian passenger aircrafts to enhance accessibility to Northern Province.
And President Lungu has also disclosed that he is in the process of declaring Senga Hill a District.
The Head of State said he is just waiting for the completion of the logistical arrangements like the mapping process before making the pronouncement.
He however assured that people of Senga Hill that the District status will be granted as soon as possible according to their wishes.
President Lungu has since urged the electorates in Senga Hill constituency to vote for PF candidate in the April 14parliamentary by-election Kapembwa Simbao so that development can continue in the area.
The President was in Senga to drum up support for Mr. Simbao who is contesting the parliamentary seat against opposition UPND candidate Giles Yambayamba.
President Lungu has since left Mbala for the Copperbelt.
What is the meaning when reporter writes “he announced this when he addressed a presidential rally?” What is a presidential rally? Very soon each constituency will be a district. I think that airbase in Mbala is no longer necessary, better to hand it over to the civilians. Security of ZAF installations will highly compromised.
But where is Lungu getting all those silly advices? Is it in the bar or where?
It looks like our president has ran out of his minds. He has nothing to offer.
Wrong move! State security has been compromised!
Lungu the bandit is just wasting time. Willie Nsanda buried K6billion underground that bandit. Moses Katumbi,RB & Henry Banda, it seems your arms deal will be coming through this airport. Henry is most wanted by Sata but now Lungu has opened the airport for these bandits to bring anarchy.
Good move Mr. Presido, the Lungu, Mambwe, Bemba and all other Zambian settlers in the area, from Western, NW, Southern, Central, Eastern, Copperbelt, Luapula and Muchinga provinces welcome this POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT. Lungu has lived the Ronald Penza dream and shall receive overwelming support!!!!!!! Senga Hill people should therefore be wise and vote Kapembwa Simbao. The opposition cannot bring the required development, unless our people want to stagnate.
Bad Senga Hills has always been in the ruling party through Simbao for over 20 or so years, and what development age they seen. And you are still vying for the same person ( only now in a different party) who has done nothing for you in those years to bring you development in one year? only in Zambia can that person win again, and far sure Kapembwa Simbao will win again and massive development will be brought there by Etika Lungu!!!!!
Ladies and gentlemen I present to u the man we had all bin waitin for,very intelligent,smart,charismatic,physically fit and has a heart 4 the pipo,he is the undesputed joshua of our time,the obama of africa a.k.a the best president ever,he goes by the name EDGAR CHAGWA LUUUUNGU!!!!!!!!
You haven’t heard that your Chagwa Lungu scored an own goal when in a mental lapse urged people of Senga hill to vote for Yambayamba the UPND candidate? Ifintu nafilungula yewe.
What a country, governed by presidential directives; no planing whatsoever Edgar Lazy…more work for the equally dull minister at transport!!
Don’t be surprised when the empty tin Lungu declares Chawama a district at the next by election rally in Lusaka.
When the president makes such pronouncements,his already discussed with cabinet.anyway their is no security to compromise in ZAF Samora in fact the move will enhance security.probably you don’t understand what security compromise means!
This is a serious security breach, how do you allow civilians access to a military facility?
Cs, you must be an empty stupi.d tin, do you know that the Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport is a ZAF base? anything wrong with the civilians flying and Landing there, you should learn to research before you show your ignorance……………..
From your Friends in Livingstone 2015
No breach whatsoever! Its a very smart & intelligent move.i know u are commenting from the civilian point of view! But be rest assured that the president Will be a last person to make decisions to breach security!
@5.1 Livingstone,
Please do not mislead people. Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport is not a ZAF base. It is separate from the ZAF base. Just like it is at KK International Airport. Clearly it is either the Zambian president is clueless about security or he has useless security advisors. Or may be there is nothing worth protecting in Zambia.
Ever heard of Waterkloof Airforce base? Find out what happened when a civilian aircraft landed there (despite the fact that the person hosting those people is a friend of the president). I guess South Africa has more to lose security-wise than poor Zambia. The president’s directive is political expedience at its best. This is a dangerous precedent. Please let us stop the ”let there be light, and there was light” way of running a…
Wrong bwana Lungu,very wrong directive.Military installations are no place for civilians due to espionage or landing of enemy “civilian aircraft” with other intentions.
You need to govern(i.e rule of law) bwana Lungu and do less of ruling thru issuing decrees.(autocratic rule)
Lungu ali bwino!!! We can no fly to Mbala????? Oh my GOD!!!!! Weldone Mr President
Opening or declaring that the ZAF airbase is opened to the civilian aircraft is one thing but how many people will benefit or use this airbase to fly from there to Lusaka whatever? What the government has to do is to make air transport avoidable for the common and average Zambians to use.Look at how many average Zambians have used air transport between Solwezi/Ndola,Ndola/Lusaka and Kasama/Lusaka etc. How will a local SME in Mbala,Mpulungu going to benefit from this airbase? Will this bring down the cost of doing business in the northern circuit? Talking about the tourist,will this pronouncement attract more tourist to Mbala and Mpulungu in general? What about the Kasaba bay airport how far has the renovations done so far to boost tourism on the northern circuit?
Have ever been to my area? Pwaaaz!
EXCELLENT, NOW SERIOUSLY WORK ON THE MPULUNGU HARBOURS ON ALL STRATEGIC PLACES SUCH AS MPULUNGU ITSELF, NSUMBUS, NDOLE, ETC. ZAMBIA NEEDS PROPER MODERN SHIPS AND YACHTS ON ALL LAKES. WORK ON LAKE BANGWEULU HARBOURS, TOO. ZAMBIA HAS GOT EVERYTHING WHICH ZAMBIANS ARE SO DAFT TO TURN INTO ECONOMIC GENERATING FACTORS.
I like ECL. He says “the defence and security meeting also recommended for this”. This means he consulted and did not come decide on his own. He futher says this move will bring in more tourism activity and therefore economic development. Which person can dispute this? The only thing we should be lobbying with government is on how to empower local residents there with financing to take advantage of the economic boom as and when it happens period! Long live Chagwa!
Those who are opposing this move must be very dull. Do know know how long it takes to travel from Lusaka to Mbala by road? And do you know that time is money? This moves now gives us the Mbala manias room to efficiently do our business in Mbala whilst setting our eye on the Market in Lusaka.
Long live EL, long live PF, we the Jews of Zambia are behind you and your Government.
You are the one who is dull. Where in the world do civilians and military use the same airport? Ask the GRZ to build an aerodrome/airport for civilian planes in Mbala. Do we have Jews in Zambia? I have just heard of Mbala Mafia!
There is an airport in Kasama with weekly flights; but hardly any zambians can afford to fly. Ordinary Zambians use the bus to Lusaka so how is an airport going to help Mbala? There is no road direct to Kasaba Bay so where will the tourists go?
Foolish people who are swayed by things that don’t add value to Zambia’s development. ECL is a miserable failure no matter how you eulogize him.
My goodness the Zambian naivety is annoyingly nauseating.
E. Lungu has not even visited any region in Zambi to address vexing national issues except now during by elections. Even on these campaign meetings Lungu is making promises when people are dying due to poor roads, lack of medicines in rural health centers and workers go without salaries.
Sad state of Zambian politics, makes me think Zambians like suffering. Fed on false promises, fake principles and put up convicted people as credible candidatures.
Why should Senga Hill people trust PF, when MMD is running the show?
Will the national airline fly there? We cannot afford a bus ticket you drunkard and your friend RB
Imwe stop ubupuba – when the airport is open to civilian aircraft it means you can fly your airline there. It doesn’t have to be RB’s airline, but you can hire it. It is also okay to blog intelligently. Do you even know that KKIA is shared with ZAF?
This is a long overdue move. Those thinking that security will be compromised need to rethink the idea. There will be nothing to be compromised. We just need people to think and plan properly so that the facility can be shared with civilian activities that are likely to bring more economic development to the region. A number of countries do have military facilities such as runways shared by military. This will be no exceptional case.
This is just wrong, no civilian aircraft should ever land on Military air strips.
Viva President Nawakwi.
modalities will be worked am sure.even lusaka international airport is a ZAF base so is livingstone it’s a question of the parameters the operate.mbala has a long runway which can take modern jets like a Boeing 737 and better it’s used than lying idle.goid for tourism and more jobs for those in aviation
There are a lot of blogers on this site who are just plain stup!d. Do you honestly think the President does not have security advisors?
Only people that do not understand the history of this matter will criticise this move. This is something that started in the MMD era as a way of boosting tourism in the Northern Circuit, President Lungu is merely implementing what has been in the pipeline by previous governments for a long time. For once let’s be objective instead of criticising everything just because the man at the helm of the Zambian presidency is not your prefered man.
One never knows what announcement will come next in the fog of a hang-over.
Good for tourism, good for business, good for jobs!
Best thing Lungu has done since taking office.
WHEN IS HE GOING TO DO THE SAME FOR LUSAKA CITY AIRPORT??
THAT WILL BRING TOURISTS – WITH MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!
While all of us want the Northen circute opened for tourism, but you may not compromise on the security of the country. I codenm this move in the strongest terms it deserves. These are the policies from a person without an agenda when coming into power. There is a better way of doing such things, why not spend more money to rehabilitate the existing civilian airdroms in the province. Why is LUNGU behaving like a child like this? Zambians must be careful with this gentleman, especially in the early stages of the illness that we are told he is suffering from, reasoning tends to be impeded, for the animal tends to be attached to the cells.Watch this space with time Zambia shall cry faul. We have alot of private planes that will be landing there, some very sophistcated. Anyway, he is unstoppab