The appointment of 14 District Commissioners (DC) for Southern Province by His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu exhibits a sense of loss of direction in terms of the Country Economical situation. Zambia is currently faced with serious challenges economically and the President does not seem to be alive to the economical red light that is flashing.
No Direction
The biggest problem with the President Lungu is lack of clear governance and policy strategy on how to sort out the problems facing our Country. Since he came into power, President Lungu has not shown the country what he stands for (Governance) and where he is leading the Country (Policy direction). He is like a substitute who joins a match in the second half without a game plan. Such a player would hardly perform or be noticed by the spectators.
When the late President Chiluba (FTJ) took office in 1991, he immediately came out and told the nation what his game plan was – Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). He asked people to brace themselves for harsh times of Privatization to revamp the economy. The economy at that time was far worse than what we have at the moment but within a short time the gears of SAP were engaged and things started turning around.
When Mwanawasa came in, he also took us through his plan – “New Deal”. Mwanawasa wanted to curtail the corrupt deals cut in the selling of Companies during Chiluba rule, then get the best deals for Zambians. In no time, our economic ratings improved and we managed to clinch the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HPIC) deal.
President Rupiah Banda came in and got dazzled with power and brought back corruption. Instead of setting up a game plan, he enjoyed the flattery of the cadres and engaging corrupt companies brought to him by his son. He did not set an agenda for the Country which made him lose the elections in 2011 to President Sata.
President Sata came in and pronounced his over ambitious infrastructural development and fighting the corruption of President Banda’s rule. In no time, the Country was filled with dust of roads and other infrastructure contractions. Districts where created like villages with no headmen; Lawyers were busy cashing-in by defending RB and other former government officials.
[pullquote]Since 1991, State House has never been so busy with swearing-in ceremonies has it has been since President Lungu took office[/pullquote]
The point is not whether any of the policy direction taken by our former Presidents worked or not, but setting a Country to a particular goal which President Lungu has not done. Setting this up a strategic plan helps to make appropriate decisions and measure performance, among other things.
One wonders how President Lungu intends to reduce on the current budget deficit while the Finance Minister is still doing trials and errors on a number of policies.
Instead of fixing the current fiscal stress, the President is busy making unnecessary political appointment. Since 1991, State House has never been so busy with swearing-in ceremonies has it has been since President Lungu took office. Unfortunately these people are not going to work for free, rather they are going to increase on budget deficit.
Debt
At the time when we are supposed to be saving money to pay for the EUROBONDS and other maturing debts, the Government is still busy borrowing even on unnecessary expenditure such as security equipment. Zambia is very peaceful that buying of security equipment should not be a priority to borrow for, rather poverty levels should be the concern of the government.
Country is at total loss on how to create employment for our youths who are the majority of the population at about 52%.
Unemployment
On the supply side of employment, we have more than 250, 000 of graduates being offloaded on the market every year while on the demand side we have very little investment to absorb the job-seekers.
To make the situation more hopeless, most of our graduates are not fully skilled to take up the few jobs available, so the few skilled people keep changing jobs without retiring supported by the high retirement age
A lot of businesses are on the verge of collapsing due to lack of business because there are very few people with buying power.
Trade deficit
Recently Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) expressed concern on Zambia’s trade performance in the first quarter of 2015. CTPD revealed that the our Trade deficit shot up to by 189%, from ZMW 202.7 million in February 2015 to K310 million in March 2015. What are the quick remedies to curb such alarming situations?
While we are doing well in some agriculture produce our crop marketing is very disorganized with little or no value addition.
Mining
The Country is at loss on Mining policies and control triggering stress on our foreign exchange since copper is our major foreign earner.
Elections are coming next year but it is not too late, President Lungu can still devise his strategic plan which can take him into the elections and campaign on that. He (President Lungu) needs to get back to Mfwe with his think tanks then come out with a blue print which he should come and present to the citizens at a Press Conference, with The Zambian Voice invited.
MAY GOD ENLIGHTEN PRESIDENT LUNGU!!!
CHILUFYA TAYALI
Executive Director
The Zambian Voice
It would have made sense if its not a rapist writing the article. No reasonable person can listen to Tayali.His mind is clouded with vengeance.
But he has Hit the Nail on the Head!!
Rapist or not he has hammered the nail on the head
You have a F.OO.L for a president
Stop shooting the messeger
Stop shooting the messenger
Tayali is a hypocrite and an accomplished demagogue with a mind that is heavily inundated with manipulative prejudices.
His recent emotive and highly inflammatory flare-ups confirm that he has sold his principles to the highest bidder.
The President has a mandate and responsibility to appoint DCs. They are part of govt administrative machinery.
There’s nothing strange with such appointments. Did Tayali expect these districts to be on auto pilot?
Tayali, please stop being an attention seeker
Refer to the President’s campaign message and find out if he is not consistent in current action and then comment.
Tayali ‘s eye have now opened after having been shut throughout Sata ‘s era. Sata ‘s era was worse than Lungu’s but Tayali chose to keep quiet for reasons known all of us who follow the PF minions who turn against PF once they feel left out.
What ever the case, Tayali has finally said what most us have been saying all along since PF took over power in Zambia. The Ka man has just gone back to look at some our material to cut and paste.
How ever what’s good about him this time around is that, he is telling the truth about PF ‘s recklessness. But for how long , no one knows.
As soon as Lungu will appoint this Tayali boy to some position in government, the boy will change and swallow all his vomit for the sake of the belly. Look at Mulusa, where is he now?
“PF spends more than K16,790 per day on Christine Kaseba’s stay at No.8 Reedbuck Lodge”
With such reckless spending, on the back of the poor, Zambia is doomed.
On a serious note i thought meaningful Zambians will analyse Tayali’s analysis and see how to help this man who said on his own that he doesn’t have a VISION elo amano nshakwata. Let us not condemn everything before we see sense in it. For me EL is in a trap he will fail to come out.watch this space
i know this guy Tayali from mufulira. very useless
But he has said sense like it or not.i don’t support this guy but on this one he has hammered Chagwa Agwa
It is a good, fair analysis which most zambians would agree with.
Tayali please learn to be clear of what you want in life. There is no way you can just be ranting on every issue. Even NGOs specialise in some field not every day you have to talk about something, either gossiping about other people, making unfounded allegations against other people or outlightly insulting others. To me Lungu has told us that he is following the Vision Sata left through the PF manifesto and that after 2016, he will then add his dimension to the PF manifesto and its on that basis that he was voted for. So what exactly are you talking about? is it just to appear to be saying something everyday? is that part of the benchmark for receiving money from your Donors? or you are merely trying to say everything that you need or wish to say in case you are jailed for your rape?
He is the same people who called mwanawasa visionless , gabbage ,today they are praising him because he is no more mhsrip. Edger wil emerge to be the best president zambia wil ever produce.
Tell us are those newly created positions or old ones just changing hands?
There must be something motivating Mr Tayali. Remember during elections he was clobbered by Upnd at a hotel in Lusaka. He must have been expecting bu DC then ba mushapo.
He has been given a chance by us Zambians. If he will perform better we shall vote for him again nafuchi nafuchi but if he fails…Lets support him, give positive ideas and critics which will develop the nation
Tayali get your facts right.The new DC’s are replacing the old ones.How is the President creating budgetary deficet.You want his governmet to work without officials? We would also apreciate if you gave us statistics over your claim that’, “since 1991, State House has never been so busy with swearing-in ceremonies has[sic] it has been since President Lungu took office.” How old are you? My advice,speak on things you know than showing your irrelevance. I see a situation where if convicted you will start claiming political victimization. Get your life in order!
Until the court finds him guilty, he is not a rapist. The analysis made is real. Why do people fail to see sense even when it is written down? Poor reading skills? We as a nation need an agenda to follow from every one who comes into power and so far our president has not communicated. Am sure there is an agenda some where but it has to communicated so that the entire nation is aligned to it. we can surely do something to contribute to the presidents agenda if we are well informed.
Zambia needs to be turned into a defact one-party state if democracy means verbal diarrhoea. Uku bwata-bwata too much ba Lusaka. Make time to visit Jimbe, right between the buttocks of Congo and Angola border and you will come back wiser. Too much empty talk-talk anga mwalya junky food and you think chalo chonse bakuta. Let the govt deliver devpt to all corners of Zambia – and the trying really hard. Mwe ndoshi mwe!!
@mzee what we need right now is not replacing the DCs we dont need them, they are just PF district campaign managers masquerading as civil servants. every DC gets more than 20,000 per month in terms of allwances and all sorts of priviledges multiply this by 103 districts = 2,060,000.00 per month by 5 years =123,600,000.00. what did we lose when didnt have these tax payers money suckers? what we need is jobs that pay tax not employment that drains taxes
President Lungu is very intelligent.All the Rain bow party supporters have been booted out as DC’S…..Well done Sir.