ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY IS NOT DIVORCED FROM THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AS DOOMSAYERS IN THE OPPOSITION WOULD WANT CITIZENS TO BELIEVE – BY SUNDAY CHANDA, VICE CHAIRPERSON- PF MEDIA AND PUBLICITY COMMITTEE
Lusaka, Zambia, 25th August 2015 – While the Opposition and Cartel have gone on rampage trying so hard to discredit the eight (8) months of His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, his 18 month term of Office will include major successes that will forever be engrained in Zambia’s history. The challenges faced by President Lungu upon becoming head of State were enormous and has had to make tough decisions in the best interest of the nation. These challenges include a difficult political transition within Patriotic Front (PF) when the cartel that is still fighting him in their daily tabloid almost wrestled power following our late President H.E. Michael Chilufya Sata’s death, followed by a presidential by- election in which he only campaigned for 28 days.
And since Zambia is part of the globalised world we all live in, global economic challenges happening in one world market will have repercussions across borders in various countries. For the past years, slowdown in the Chinese economy has resulted in reduced demand by that country for commodities like oil and minerals, including Zambia’s copper, resulting in falling commodity prices, reduced foreign exchange earnings for the country and putting pressure on the Kwacha. This phenomenon is happening across the world, as shown by yesterday’s BLACK MONDAY which saw volatility in and plunging of world markets in China, the USA, Europe, Australia and many countries due to investors’ fears on economic slowdown in China and that country devaluing its currency the Yuan recently.
Since the world has been relying on China for growth in recent years, the immediate effect of the plunging of world markets has been a further fall in commodity prices e.g. oil, copper, aluminium, gold, coffee, etc. and emerging markets being forced to devalue their currencies.
Consequently the South Africa Rand, Zambian Kwacha, Ugandan Shilling and Tanzanian Shilling have depreciated to an all-time low, while falling oil prices are putting pressure on oil economies like Angola and Nigeria. President Lungu’s government is working to mitigate these challenges and also cooperating with other affected countries, including the industrialization policy by other countries within the SADC region. This is why the PF government is working on diversifying the country’s economy so that we can manufacture and export various products. This way the country will not be held hostage to one commodity, Copper.
While the Opposition has opted to refuse the reality and effects of climate change affecting about 30 African Countries, President Lungu’s administration has had to deal with the negative effects of global warming, which were responsible for poor rains and consequently, low water levels at the Kariba Dam. This has resulted in the current and unfortunate load-shedding and PF in Government understands the anguish this has brought on households and the industry. In responding to these challenges, President Lungu has committed to the diversification of energy sources to solar, thermal and wind energy, including the procurement of solar-powered milling plants to be distributed in all the ten (10) provinces of Zambia.
This decision by the President and his Government will surely result in lessened dependency on hydro-power. Unfortunately, while the water levels at Kariba Dam have been going down, Opposition leaders such as Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, Edith Nawakwi, among others, have sought to deceive Zambians that they are the equivalent of rainmakers. Zambians must therefore ask these Opposition leaders how they plan on filling up Kariba Dam under the circumstances. These Opposition leaders wrongly believe that Zambians are so gullible to believe their distortions. We wish to remind these Opposition leaders that Zambians know that all Presidents face unique challenges at any given time and President Lungu will rise above the prevailing obstacles.
Lastly, we wish to reiterate President Lungu’s Cabinet’s resolve to complete all outstanding infrastructure development projects and implementing a robust youth economic empowerment and employment plan demonstrates his commitment to spurring economic activity and investing in long-term growth. We also wish to make mention that the Cartel and UPND fails to realize is that their hatred and insults against President Lungu will not slow him down in his quest to create a better life for all Zambians.
As a matter of fact, the more insults and ridicule they throw in his face, the more he wants to do his best for Zambia. Their lies and cheap propaganda will not bring President Lungu down. Whether the Cartel and UPND like it or not, President Lungu’s first tenure will be judged as an accomplishment and on that basis, Zambians will renew his mandate to administer the affairs of the country.
Issued by: Sunday Chanda, Vice Chairperson, PF Media and Publicity Committee
Sunday Chanda, please give us statistics of what your paymaster Jamasoni Kaminamisa Lungu has achieved in his 8 months I.e. Unemployment%, poverty levels! infant mortality levels, kwacha exchange rate etc! that way we will be able to judge his successes. So far none these metrics have been in Lungu’s favour. So unless you think you are addressing a bunch of villagers who don’t understand metrics as a measure of success, you should just keep quiet and avoid embarrassing yourself in public like this.
Lungu has and will achieve nothing during his 18 month tenure of office. The out of control frantic borrowing to finance infrastructure projects as a campaign tool will not sway the people of Zambia. Our eyes are now open and we will not be fooled anymore.
Viva HH
Sunday Chanda I thought you were intelligent but I now know what type of a person you are. I held you in high esteem but now alas you have eroded away my confidence for you. Anyway you know which side of your bread is buttered. Maybe that is why you say so. But I ask you to open your eyes even wider than that maybe you may see afar
Yet again what wine can do to a person. PF still delusional as always
Sunday Chanda can you please provide us accurate statistics you used to measure your lazy paymaster Kaminamisa Jamasoni Lungu’s success over the past 8 months I.e.unemployment, poverty levels, exchange rate, CPI, death rate etc, that way we shall make the conclusion ourselves because I can assure you, all these metrics are against Lungu’s favour since he came into office. So if I were you I would keep quiet instead of embarrassing yourself in public like this. Do not think you are addressing a bunch of villagers that do not understand metrics used to measure success.
Do not think this out of control borrowing that PF is engaging in to finance infrastructure projects as a campaign tool will sway Zambians. We know the truth now will not fall for such tactics
Viva HH
Sunday chanda get a real job!!
Sunday Chanda, No. 1 comedian in Zambia!!!
FACT
Just like week, August 21 2015, BLOOMBERG said on South African Economy
THE SA FINANCE MINISTER might have to revisit the assumptions he made in his first budget in February after the Rand weakened to breach the R13 mark against the Dollar for the first time in almost 14 (Fourteen) years, economists said. This is amid concerns about the tottering economy, afflicted by inflation and slowing growth in CHINA.
The Rand is being hurt by lower prices for resources that account for more than half of exports, slowing growth in China, which is the top destination for South Africa’s minerals, and the prospect of a US Federal Reserve interest rate increase.
Surely Sunday Chanda is a PF media and Publicist chairperson …what else would he say …this is not news worthy!!
I propose that we change his name to SUNDA CHANDA for peeing in public
….failures usually refer to other failures…as a face saver….China’s economic earthquake should not be used as a shield…though its economy has been on ‘slowdown’…the real shake-up was felt just about a week or so ago…countries like south Africa have since intensified production of agriculture produce such as tomatoes onions apples potatoes etc and ready made chips which they supply to readily available market in Zed to maintain their economy equilibrium….what is Zed doing..??..Zuma knows that each time he travels out of SA, he spends equivalent to furnishing a hospital with a six months requisites…drugs, detergents etc that’s why he politely turns down uneconomical invitations….
….Sunday refers to… ‘opposition leaders wrongly believe that Zambians are so…
..cont’d
….Sunday refers to…’opposition wrongly believe that Zambians are so gullible…… well, considering to what transpired in 2011…I meant to believe that the majority are
Comment:Continue dreaming chanda your poor economic policies are yielding results, mineral royalty issues,load sheding,fall of kwacha,massive borrowing,zamtel sagger,uncompleted roads like ndola,mansa township,solwezi chingola,kitwe chingola,watch out for yo exit in 2016
Not once has lungu ever mentioned the fight against corruption. Maybe there is no corruption in Zambia???
Definitely there is no corruption in Zambia.
Only institutionalized robbery of public funds, bonds and loans its allowed.
After all, Zambia is Christian Nation ruled by PF 10 commandments.
I thought this was going to be the best time to reduce the cost of doing things like transport since the oil prices are at their lowest.Also we could use the saved resourses to buy machinery and produce more goods for export and create more employment opportunities and buy more solar power generating equipment.Thats simple economics tome
The scary thing is that Mr Chanda is not the only one with this view
SUNDAY CHANDA! WHAT WORLD DO YOU LIVE IN? SUCCESS? ! KEKEKEKEKE IF IT WASN’T FOR THE SUFFERING THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THIS STATEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE JOKE OF THE YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY THE SUFFERING IS REAL. THE HUNGER IS REAL. THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS REAL AND THE DETERIORATING EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND SYSTEM IS REAL.NOW THE PF THROUGH THIER MOUTHPIECE ARE STARTING TO INSULT THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE. SORRY MANINGI !
JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED ZNBC FROM THE DISTRICT NEWS SUNDAY, SPILL WAY GATES HAVE BEEN OPENED AT LUANGWA RIVER, CAUSING FLOODS IN PEOPLE’S FIELD & GARDENS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? TOOOOO MUUUCH WAATER! AND WHAT IS YOUR NEXT LIE ON ZESCO?
Mental case. You are hereby referred to Chinama for evaluation.