FDD leader Edith Nawakwi says the PF government is politically foolish and has no capacity to address the current energy crisis.
Mrs Nawakwi said the current PF administration has no clue on what is required to effectively run government.
She insisted that the current load shedding is as a result of poor leadership and not the low water levels at Kariba North Bank.
Mrs Nawakwi claimed that Kariba power station has reduced its generation capacity due to the sub standard spare parts installed by the Chinese contractors.
The FDD leader was speaking in Lusaka last evening during the Newsmakers Forum of the Post Freedom Committee of the Post Newspapers.
She said Zambia should now be moving towards investing in renewable energy like the rest of the world.
“I was asked to spearhead the investment of $10 billion Chinese investors using biomass grown from cassava in Nakonde by late President Michael Sata, the investor had applied for 20,000 hectares of land but they needed at least some assurance from Government that they investment would be safe and they needed to do 2,000 hectares nursery but that project was frustrated by PF Ministers,” she said.
Mrs Nawakwi added, “By now that Kaidi Biomass would be test running but it was frustrated by PF Ministers. Today, Kenya is producing energy from rose petal waste. Zambia is still sleeping, this country has potential to produce over 6,000 megawatts of power from many water bodies dotted across the country and the DRC is in need of 400MW. You can allow me to close all the mines today and channel all the money to hydro power generation and Zambia would be different.”
She said Zambia has been going backwards when most of its neighbours have made progress.
“Just look at these roundabouts you have in Lusaka. The Kafue roundabout was constructed before I was born. The art of road making has since moved on but we are still making road abouts. If President Uhuru comes to visit, are you going to take him to Cairo road?”
She said Zambia needs smart people to run government and not a President who is surrounded by cadres.
“Even in the Bible, great leaders like Moses and David were not the smartest people but they surrounded themselves with smart people but here you have this type of cadres like Chama who go about insulting people and the President fails to act on such.”
“My analysis tells me that this people that go to whisper foolish things to President Lungu do not love him, they just want him to fail.”
Ba Nawakwi you were Energy Minister, Finance Minister and never realised and borrowing from your word, you had no clue that Zambia needed alternative sources of electricity.
Why do you fool yourself to think that Zambians are FOOLISH as you ARE?
Nawakwi the husband grabber at it again. Surely this is one prostitute who was once a minister of Energy and never thought of what she is talking about today, how? Even the news makers is there any news in what this zobole is talking about? I doubt so much. She is talking about renewable energy just because others have mentioned it. Ba Nawakwi just concentrate on mobilizing your finished party peharps you could rule those who will be there in 2056 kikikikikiki Good lucky
This woman is just a wizard. Don’t waste your energy on her. She should just be thanking the late President FTJ RIP for having even appointed her to the ministries ran down to make her even be known to the nation. Otherwise she is better off keeping quiet.
Point of correction. She said the project was worth $400 million dollars not $10 billion dollars.
Well spoken mama Nawakwi. Level headed Zambians are indeed behind you.
Just the same as Nawakwi and MMD when you were in power! This woman has no shame, does anyone know what changes she made in Zambia when she was in Government?
TELL THEM MAMA. AS I HAVE ALWAYS SAID LUNGU IS A PROVEN FAILURE (PF) LEADING A TEAM OF PROVEN FAILURES. THE RESULT IS FAILURE AND ITS HAS BEEN PROVEN BY THE RECENT EVENTS. WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS IN OUR ONLY COUNTRY. LUNGU MUST BE RETIRED IN NATIONAL INTEREST NEXT YEAR.
Good stuff Edith.
These PF government and Zesco have access to the weather forecast statistics and knew the expected levels of rainfall we would be receiving. They should have put in place contingency measures to address this. In the western world people would have been forced to resign or even fired. Its only because we are in Zambia that
Its only because we are in Zambia that we can accept such mediocre performance and move on as if all is well.
Edith is HH 2.0. Keep kicking the can down the road!
i always wrote nati nawakwi always seems to attack the pf people but never michael sata. and i stated then that there was something fishy between her and sata. why would she never not once utter a word against sata despite his short comings but always insisted on his ministers. not a word on his wake up in the morning new district syndrom etc. but lelo we have heard why from her own mouth. its because they had a ka deal going on together with the chinese and so she had to keep quiet or else sata would remove her from the project. I dont trust such coonery despite having good ideas. i will take your ideas but i dont trust you madam enough to be president. when it will matter the most, you will keep quiet and sell us out because you have a deal with some investor infestor.
Edith is beautiful, mentally and physically. Closing those mines will be so romantic
Where you not in government before, and didn’t you as the all wise fore-see this Kariba problem??
Provide objective and workable solutions… And not just critical rhetoric to please your funders.
#Edith
She is saying sensible things, but alas there has to be one amongst us that sees not that the country can be turned around for the good at anyone time. Go Nawakwi go.
Aren’t her suggestions of using bio-mass and tapping water bodies dotted around the country “workable solutions” as you say?
Talk about blindly criticizing – better look in a mirror! What exactly to you want?
@ Nzelu, Nawakwi was energy minister at one time, why didn’t she replace those substandard chinese made things she is talking about now? Kariba hydro power station was not built under PF. Tell us what positive thing she did to lift Zambia!
Iwe cadre….let us find a solution like yesterday and not this nonsense. Let us not go backwards but declare this situation as a national disaster right away. If Nawakwi was there 15years ago and she did not do much….why not move forward now and declare this situation as a National Disaster. She proposed that right away the country must cut the existing contracts with foreign countries because our country was hit by a natural calamity….she says this is reason enough to stop the contracts of exporting power by using the available legal outlet that ECL knows since he is a lawyer……Nawakwi was speaking sense. Do not start saying you were there & why did you not do this and that…….waste of time we are in a crisis…..lets do it now!!
Dear Zambians, let support Edith Nawakwi. She is one of the few visioned and fearless women that Zambia has ever prduced while lungu is the dulest president.
2016 vote wisely.
This Nawakwi is as bitter and as stup1d as you. So support her yourself 1d1ot. Even if she has a good point the language itself is silly. If kafue roundabout was built before this vuvuzela was born, what did she do when she was a minister. This attitude of sounding wise after messing up things just shows how frustrated this woman is for not being in government. When you hear her only other member of the party ka Antonio mwanza, same bitter and f00lish language. So, am waiting for your f00lish response iwe chi malama, kaili you want to hear your bitter voice speak….
She was energy minister at one point. What did she do to avert the current crisis which is not only happening in Zambia. Big shot South Africa has similar issues not forgetting Ghana and Big Brother Nigeria that has had it for many years and still counting.
Hilda malama what happened to your father? Did your father really commit suicide?
I can vote for her if she tells me why she did not to what she is talking about when she was finance Minister.
No….. but we need to go forward for the betterment of the country. Forget about what she did not do. Let us do it now……Just insulting her like this will not stop the load shedding and in fact it will be increased because the government will take it that there have the support of the people on this issue of load shedding. The point now is to take this situation as a NATIONAL CALAMITY instead of insulting. At this rate we are headed nowhere because it looks like the F00ls have outnumbered the wise and intelligent people……Imagine just sponsored to insult and writing nonsense. Why? Ba cadre can you predict that GOD will give us enough rains next season? NO, NO …..you have no capacity. Yes God is in control but he wants his children to think straight. Let us plan now for God.
Of course we cannot predict that God will give us enough rain…but this is what she has said..”She insisted that the current load shedding is as a result of poor leadership and not the low water levels at Kariba North Bank”..the more reason why we are questioning her leadership skills. And we shall continue asking why did not do somethinmg when she was in leadership? She is just a hired useless vuvuzela trying so hard to remian relelvant atase! Who is a cadre now?
This is what we call thinking after retirement, Madam Nawakwi were you not in government before? if so, what did you leave behind in terms of energy solutions that is tangible today and right now you can point at it that you and your previous government left it. To me Mrs Nawakwi you are just trying to underscore a political point by taking advantage of what is happening now and you have never been part of a solution to these energy crisis Zambia is facing today, but you are part of these problem. Forecast and planning is absolutely lacking among Zambian Leaders be it in PF, MMD, FDD,UPND, NAREP etc. Politicians are the same.
What is your immediate way forward Ba Mukabwela? Is it not to declare the load shedding situation a National disaster instead of trying to find out who did not do what? Stop those contracts we have were we are exporting electricity and service the Zambian people first?
Edith Nawakwi is the Best opposition leader Zambia has. President general Miyanda is great, but he vanishes until election time hahahahahahaha.
Hilda Malama and Nawakwi are birds of same feathers. Political prostitutes. Nawakwi is a proven failure and no record to show for her time as Energy and Finance Minister, except selling stolen maize in Canada.
She will remain the best opposition leader until her flesh flaps with age.
Why do opposition leaders in Zambia delight in sarcastic upshots?
Step out out of stereotype politics of perpetual criticism which never inspire any change and start making a difference by constructive dialogue and practical advice. Positive contribution lasts longer than negative statements.
The U.S. always strives for good policies because of criticism. The party in government is always subject to criticism. That is why it works hard.
Listen to what the opposition is saying ande evaluate possibly pick something. But no Edgar Lungu has his own ways
After being on break for 5 years I have resurfaced. True, we have wrong characters that are telling the president lies.
The mines are just making foreigners richer and richer while the owners of the land get poorer.
Alistoto,
I quote you “The mines are just making foreigners richer and richer while the owners of the land get poorer.”
The foreigners in the mines were already rich before they came. that’s why they are called ‘Investors’. How dull for anybody to think that they should come to Zambia to become poor. They came to become richer than they were before.
You just join them by investing in some other country so that you become what you want to be…. (richer).
Clearly Nawakwi has never been to a smart city. Roundabouts as opposed to traffic lights are the latest green technologies.
Now I understand why she’s been bashing ECL. Her project didn’t go through and now Sata is dead.
Useless chancer! The only notable things you did when you were in government is scandals and ‘fi Nawakwi’ at markets
TELL THEM MAMA. AS I HAVE ALWAYS SAID LUNGU IS A PROVEN FAILURE (PF) LEADING A TEAM OF PROVEN FAILURES. THE RESULT IS FAILURE AND ITS HAS BEEN PROVEN BY THE RECENT EVENTS. WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS IN OUR ONLY COUNTRY. LUNGU MUST BE RETIRED IN NATIONAL INTEREST NEXT YEAR.
I don’t know enough about this mama Nawakwi to say much here. However it is unfathomable to me that she could be any dumber than ka Lungu.
Let her concentrate on how how to make her party popular and keep those plans for government
Government has no plans and that is why you still have the Load shedding. Your government has no plans and have left everything in the hands of GOD. But….God helps those that help themselves. They(you) are saying that the issue of load shedding will be sorted out by God….. as to when the rain water will be enough. Assuming that the rain pattern again continues being unfavorable…………..what would be the way forward? Close the country?
Well said Edith! If only Zambians can make judgements basing on one’s vison then u are the best so far… Nomba umungulu pa z! The foolish leadership we are seeing is a product of foolish voting.
Awe madam work on your ability to respect others. you were MP in Nakonde and Munali what miracles did you leave in those areas? you were minister of finance why didnt you work on those projects?
So u think because she did not leave any miracles she should not comment on matters affecting the nation, dull cadres. This is why this country is not going forward because we want to always think that those in Government are correct all the time. Take time to analyse issues and not just support because u are PF.
Edith, I love you so much. I wish I could find a young lady of your nature, I would marry that lady no matter what it takes. Join hands with my brother HH.You talk sense.
ba Gwembe,
I noticed you alluded to matters of matrimony. May I please ask what is stopping you from asking mama Nawakwi herself for her hand in marriage? If she’s perfect in your eyes, why look for a clone and not the original? Just asking.
Ba taa….gwembe,
Nawakwi may refuse to marry your brother hh because your brother hh at one time two years back called her “an ugly prostitute”.
But I am not discouraging you or Nawakwi, you can be the messenger yourself or try her yourself.
Look we are getting confused. Nawakwi only months ago suggested the gov’t enter a win win deal with the Mines. She like most Opposition campaigned against the proposed Tax increments. Now she would close the Mines for energy?? Clearly this a new approach.
It’s shocking that she accuses the President of surrounding himself with clueless Ministers; it would be convincing had she joined PF when they invited Opposition to join with them to run the gov’t.
The Biomass idea, do we know when this was, 3-4 years ago? Is she suggesting by now, it would have been fully operational? Nawakwi has potential for greatness, but her Achilles heel is her isolation from mainstream parties. She’d do well to throw her lot in behind a larger Party than spew intellect from the sidelines.
I am with her on the idea of closing down the Mines to conserve our Copper for future generations. But criticising Chinese is mischievous. This again is trying to appeal to Donors for her election campaign whom we guess are not Chinese.
Its you Edith Nawakwi and your FDD who is politically f00lish!!we have no votes for you ule Nawakwi!!so keep on insulting PF and see where those insults we’ll take you bcoz while you yap,PF is busy developing mother Zambia!!FOR YOUR OWN DATA IWE KA NAWAKWI,WE’LL VOTE FOR PF IN LARGE NUMBERS COME 2016 TO SHAME YOU ALL WHO ARE PRACTICING EVIL POLITICS!!EVEN ON 06/08/2015 PF WILL KOLOPA BANGWEULU SEAT!!!GO PF GO AND BRAVO ECL!!!
“Even in the Bible, great leaders like Moses and David were not the smartest people but they surrounded themselves with smart people but here you have this type of cadres like Chama who go about insulting people and the President fails to act on such.” Kikikiki
@17 eddy
Why do you use double or triple exclamation marks? Your writing looks like a bar code. This is just silly writing.
Is it true that she is a mother of six?
It could mean that she has become too old to think properly. Or is it premature senility setting it. Poor Nawakwi, such a beautiful young life given up to lies in the name of politics!
I wonder what happens to this woman once she poses for the Post stories. She just becomes pure cabbage brained under the spell of Mmembe.
When Nawakwi and HH, speaks, the grounds shocks,
Aba Bantu sana, ni forward fye ifwe.
She says PF have no clue? Fair enough. But why didn’t she use that clue to plan for the future which is now. If she had so she would be in the position to lecture to others. 20 years of MMD cant be compared to Lungu’s 1/2 year. The experience we are facing is a wake up call for all would be leaders including those in power. It is no time for political gymnastics.
Hildah Malama,
You are behind her while we in PF are in front of ECL. You see. That is the difference between PF and other polluted parties with idioms that they don’t act on.
Continue listening while behind her…but why not ask her why she failed herself in MMD? Nawakwi was almost a vice president of MMD until the third term issue booted Chiluba out… Ask her… why fear to ask? She herself is an empty leader whose manifesto is still not sold if it is available…. Do you have a copy? send a copy to me.
You see that’s the way to go.by selling your manifesto to the people…not by insulting the PF members that you want to vote for useless opposition leaders of today.
Chils,
You are not in Zambia…You are lying. If you do not even now where you are…..What can anybody say that you are?….”A liar, Pretender and all)
Why have you blacklisted me?
I WAS FIRST IN ANGOLA IN 2001 ,BUT WHEN I WENT THERE LAST IN 2013,THE ROUNDBOUT THAT I FOUND FIRST JUST AT THE OUT LET OF THE AIRPORT WAS NO MORE,THEY HAVE CONSTRUCTED A MODERN BRIDGE WITH VEHICLES PASSING UP AND DOWN.
THIS IS JUST TO SUPPORT MADAM NAWAKWI’S IDEA ON KAFUE ROUNDBOUT.ANYWAY WE ARE BEHIND IN TERMS INFRUSTRATURE DEVELOPMENTS.
She was minister why didn’t she do something on this round about.?
This is what happens when you have a president who is half Zambian- no love for the nation because when bad gets to worse he will just run away. You will continue to see worse things happen in Zambia as long as these economic and political vandals are in power they stole from UPND. Press freedom and other human rights are continuing to worsen.
Ineta,
This is the same thought some of you had and campaigned against KK and RB that they were half foreigners …and that…they would run away….KK is still around…the same with RB..he is still around now you want to demonise ECL? Who will believe you in your campaign.
My friend Ineta, try to sell UPND or/and PDD manifestos instead of talking about status of political leaders. Nawakwi’s Chief Nawaitwika is from Tanzania. All the Nawaitwikas reign from Tanzania to come and become the Chief…now.. Are you going to accuse Nawakwi as half Zambian half foreigner?
Pls. people stop this nonsense of character assassination of leaders.
bana wakwi learn to use yo tongue wisely wat language a u teaching us youngsters? for tt matter a woman using tt language plz try to be modest in everything
We don’t close mines the way we close our asses
WOW…and she aspires to stand for President.!!!!
Very dull fast aging woman.
Ati Sata gave her an assignment BUT was frustrated by his ministers!!!! Edith please just call a spade a spade. Sata did that just for politics, he had no desire to see that you managed. So don’t say his ministers failed you. JUST SAY SATA LIED to you that he would support you….Very dull fast aging woman.
If Nawakwi was intellegent as some of you think, she would not be saying this. Problems of power today stem from UNIP and MMD era. If she did what she us saying the time she was Minister, the results would be there now. To develop new power schemes takes years. Biomas technology even decades because you have to grow the raw materiaks at large scale. PF is working on a number of projects such as Kabompo, Lumwana, Luapula, Maamba coal schemes to increase power output. Results cannot be seen in 5 years term of PF now, but shall sually benrfit Zambia in future. If she cannot see this then she is f00lish herself.
The PF has not done any power projects during its 4 years. Mamba a was initiated under MMD. Same with Kabompo and Luapula which PF has been sitting on since coming to power. There are many independent power producers with projects which PF is sitting on thinking Zesco will do everything when they don’t have the capacity. If only our reporters could report accurately you would get the correct message.
Zambia needs to create a Think Tank to advise the government ( assuming the government will be willing to listen, understand and take action). This idea of a “Party Manifesto” driving a visionless leader will not take us anywhere.
PF CAME INTO POWER JUST FOR THE SAKE OF CHANGE. THESE GUYS HAVE NOTHING MEANINGFUL TO OFFER THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE. UPND IS THE WAY TO GO HH IS THE MAN FIT FOR PLOT 1. VIVA UPND VIVA! VIVA HH VIVA!
Ba LT you have not done justice to the many sensible things the madam said. Many of the comments are coming from people who don’t have facts. Ms Nawakwi was a minister in Chilubas government between 1991 to 2001. She was responsible for the Energy Policy that is still in place and not being implemented by successive governments. The Chiluba administration put the required framework in place for the energy sector but those who have followed have done nothing hence the current crisis. That is the point she was making by referring to “political foolishness”. What else can you call it when you have a robust policy but you are not using it, then you blame the rain. Zambians please analyze issues correctly. I was there and heard her discourse for myself.
I have nothing to say apart from saying she is foolish,this women was the energy minister at one point what did she do.
PF = “Politically Foolish.” She’s got this right!
Nawakwi takwata maano, chipuba, she just opens her mouth without engaging her brain, time to tomba her by Fred Mmembe.
TRUTH, THANK YOU!!
Developing a country takes time, effort, determination, vision and support from each and everyone of US. its not something that happens in an over night, NO. not even HH or the same Nawakwi can do all that. These leaders we vote for need our help. it takes one person to start something and later many to develop the brought about idea. The problems we facing today are not created by the PF and the government, these are the problems created by the gone governments. like it is said that whatever we do today affects the future… Nawakwi was in government and yet she knew precisely that the country may one day be in this kind of disaster. So ba Nawakwi twapapata insults will never develop this beautiful country, come up solutions instead.