In the face of an ever-rising cost of living and falling Kwacha, Zambians are becoming increasingly alarmed at the state of the economy. This concern is very understandable and justified. After all people across the country are struggling to keep their businesses open, failing to make ends meet and going without meals. I do not need to rehearse the various impacts in this statement, as readers will know the cost for themselves, their families and their communities. The question now is what can be done.
I do not deny that the falling Kwacha and our current economic woes are related in part to external events over which we have little direct control, for example the movements in the Chinese economy which are impacting the global economy and are particularly damaging for the copper prices we rely on for foreign exchange earnings. The UPND does not pretend it is possible to tackle such trends directly. However, we cannot simply blame our current situation on external factors alone and it is laziness and ignorance to do so, just as it is to only blame our current power crisis on low water levels without considering the impact of failed management.
Rather than seeking to blame forces beyond our control, which are just one piece of the puzzle, let me explain what can be done. Firstly, we can take measures to limit the impact of one country or variations in one commodity price on our economy; measures such as diversification and the development of value-addition industries. The underlying potential for these already exists in Zambia, in our large amount of arable land, vast water bodies and large youthful population. Government needs to unlock these areas by creating a stable policy environment that minimises the cost of starting and running a business. Government also needs to consider providing incentives to value-addition industries, after all such businesses will deliver high rewards other than tax revenues as they create jobs and lower pressure on the Kwacha through reducing our reliance on imports. We cannot continue to import everything and export nothing – no wonder there are too few jobs and the Kwacha is weak!
Government must consult business and investors on how expansion of emerging industries can be achieved and supported by Government, and it must use that insight to set out a vision that inspires confidence. They must work hard and quickly to deliver on that vision because time is not on our side. Too many sectors with great potential have been woefully neglected for too long, tourism, manufacturing, agribusiness… the list goes on! If we had spent time building these up we’d be much better insulated from current external events by now.
A second avenue, which must be pursued alongside the first, is to plan ahead for such variations. After all we have been here before when copper prices fell in the 1980s and left us struggling, yet we still depend on the mining industry for the vast majority of our foreign exchange earnings. Preparing in advance for possible fluctuations will enable Government and public bodies to react quickly to minimise the harm of fluctuations and at the same time inspire confidence in its ability to navigate any uncertainty it presents. It is important to know, as any business professional or economics professor in Zambia will already know, that uncertainty and instability come with additional costs and that Government must inspire confidence in its stakeholders if it wants to weather such storms.
It is only with strong, informed leadership that inspires confidence in its vision for the economy and country, and with a Government that focuses its energies tirelessly on creating an enabling business environment, facilitating investment in emerging industries, and providing incentives for value-addition enterprises, that we will find ourselves less and less vulnerable over time. We can take back control and move Zambia forward.
Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President
Solutions are available from citizens and opposition parties such as this one. The problem is, if it is not the ruling party that has thought out the solution, then it is not worth considering because, it believes, people will call it copy cat and withiout a vision. In the end, the country gets to go thirst even when it is drowning just because of fear of bruising egos.
What an intelligent man H.H is. This explains why he’s so wealthy. Soon we will read the exact copy of this analysis from Edgar “me too” Lungu. The man is so blank!
Excellent points. Although to be fair the PF leader ran on the no vision of my own platform and could do with swallowing pride (as opposed to his preferred drink) and putting forward a solution for the economy from across the aisles as opposed to the political one party state politicking.
I see that HH’s heart is in the right place but unfortunately nothing here is new & certainly no solution has been presented here! Everyone even the cab driver in Zambia knows what needs to be done, the question is HOW? Nobody in Zambia is outlining HOW we actually do what we know needs to be done, no one, not the government & not the opposition and until someone does, we are stuck with just repeating ourselves!
@Mobile Phone Gondwe:
The problem is actually with idio.ts and dunderheads like you who cant underrstand anything especially related to economic management!
Of course HH has not only outlined BUT also explained what needs to be done to turn around the economy – YOUR IGNORANCE is amazng can win you medals in the competition for fooli.sness! What more do you HH to tell you? I will simplify t for you the dunderhead – the solution lies n measures such as:
1. Diversification and the development of value-addition industries.
2. Government needs to providE incentives to value-addition industries BECAUSE they deliver high rewards – we cannot continue to import everything and export nothing
3. Plan ahead for ECEONOMIC variations – after all we have been here before when copper prices fell in…
Is why wait for 2016 to work? Even Nawakwi offered her heart to Edgar.
Ba PF fumenipo tubombeko!! We are tired with Mbeba economics.
Had it not been for tribalism and envy, HH would have been in State House even before Sata. He (HH) is a total package, he is young, vibrant, wealthy, healthy, innovative, educated, massive work experience, very smart and inspiring. Do we Zambians deliberately want to suffer when solutions are right in front of us? Is this the Zambian curse?
Just look at how short, yet full of quality information HH has written. Great stuff.
I have respect for PF, the problem is that they don’t get it. Zambia is a capitalist economy and needs someone who understands capitalism. Instead of borrowing to build stadiums, Zambia should have invested in energy.so as to attract investors.
@Chilyata – I have neither the time, the inclination nor the mindset to engage in hyperbole and ad hominem with you. I will however and just for lack of time highlight the one item from your list of, shall I say, oversimplification! Yes this is not just a very simple statement but a very common one too and anyone who reads anything beyond the back off a pack of cigarettes would have heard of this.
1. Diversification and the development of value-addition industries.
That is your line and from that I ask:
1. What are the actual actionables from that statement?
2. What actual practical steps in the economy do we need to undertake to achieve that?
3. What are the main Issues, Risks, Assumptions and Dependencies
4. What in the way of resources, money, human capital,…
@Chilyata – continues….
4. What in the way of resources, money, human capital, infrastructure and or legal framework do we either have in place or plan to put in place to support these changes?
5. How do we plan to finance all this work & effort – where is the budget? What is the cashflow involved? In other words, how much money are we going to need to invest at various stages of these developments and what are our breakeven point?
Or to make all this simple for you – What is the actual action plan? We know where we want to get to but by what means and ways are we going to get there?
This is not as simple as copying and pasting a statement from some economics book. This is where the metal meets the flesh. Your problem is to assume that only you and or HH can possibly fathom…
@Chilyata – continues…
Your problem is to assume that only you and or HH can possibly fathom these simple statements, everyone can my friend but no one yourself and or HH inclusive appears to be able to spell out the action plan. You do like to take people especially Zambians for f00ls because you presume most of them are f00ls. But you must know that no where beyond Zambia can any of these open ended statements from HH be given even the slightest considerations because they lack anything in the way of practicalities, they are just copy and paste statements and every semi-illiterate can do that!
What we need is a fully costed action plan because unless you haven’t heard of this before my friend – “the devil is in the detail”!
@Chilyata – I have neither the time, the inclination nor the mindset to engage in hyperbole and ad hominem with you. I will however and just for lack of time highlight the one item from your list of, shall I say, oversimplifications! Yes this is not just a very simple statement but a very common one too and anyone who reads anything beyond the back off a pack of cigarettes would have heard of this.
1. Diversification and the development of value-addition industries.
That is your line and from that I ask:
1. What are the actual actionables from that statement?
2. What actual practical steps in the economy do we need to undertake to achieve that?
3. What are the main Issues, Risks, Assumptions and Dependencies?
Mobile phone gondwe,,,,,are you writing a term paper? In politics you do not provide the specific ‘hows’ because of the changing environment. Instead, you leave it up to the incumbent to figure that out. Besides, that is what they were promising they electorate they had the wherewithal to do. If they cannot come up with “incentives” to promote the value-added production and create a conducive business environment for the locals, they should step aside and let those who do take the lead. Government is not a training ground for political novices.
@Sattish – actually you do and you must do if you expect to be taken seriously. I repeat, it is not good enough just copying and pasting statements from economics books – these stuff is everywhere on the internet. Why do you need to entrust someone to tell you stuff that with a stroke of a few keys you get off the internet? What we need is someone who can take these statements and turn them into some viable action plan complete with all logistical plans and costing. Then someone like me with atleast half a functioning brain can start to pay attention – otherwise this is just meaningless prattle. Every politician do this, they all come up and with the help of their handlers do some “research” and come up with meaningless statements to pursued the uninformed into thinking they know what…
@Sattish – continues…
Every politician does this, they all come up and with the help of their handlers do some “research” and come up with meaningless statements to pursued the uninformed into thinking they know what they are talking about. But when it comes to it? They fail flat on their faces unable to accomplish even a fraction of what they said they will. WHY? – DETAILS – DETAILS – DETAILS – DETAILS – DETAILS is EVERYTHING and that is what makes or breaks any undertaking.
The incoming president has spoken. And yet some pf *****s will continue saying ati hh doesn’t give solutions. Please give this man a chance. Pf has failed
Watch the corrupt PF kaponya suppoters blame HH for privatisation. That is all they have on him.
It is the cost of production killing Zambia. Locally produced goods can’t compete with cheap imports. Imposing tariffs on imports with out offering solutions is counter productive. PF needs to offer hard core incentives to local manufactures and do some arm twisting on manufactures of popular imported brands so they open plants in Zambia or their brands will be targeted. Like now the demand for solar panels will be high for the foreseeable future, GRZ can talk to manufatures to even open an assembly plant in Zambia with local manufacture of some components locally. But again GRZ is broke, and it is from the high costs of production that they eat from and enrich them selves.
That’s why you need govt to come in and mitigate that. USA subsidizes agriculture for example.
They can’t take your words,they will think they are copying from you sir,by so doing they are destroying the country and people will continue ……
Its only when the ruling party and the opposition are in a mutual working relationship that such well analysed ‘alternative leadership’ can be of any help. Unfortunately, nobody is willing to embrace it but it will just be downplayed as a political mileage seeking statement. The public, after all, is the end loser. Pathetic!
That is true @MAN KENYA.
Who in the PF/GOVT will get that advice and say thank you for the contribution, we will SEE how we can co opt your views in our planning?
They take this as mere political retorhic, and meanwhile they continues saying HH does not offer solutions; only ciriticism.
Pathetic Minds…indeed.
@MAN KENYA
That is a true and sincere observation. However, knowing PF/GOVT they will trash the proposals into the bin, and claim HH is merely politicking.
Meanwhile they will always be fighting him, denting his image and say he is not giving solutions to the economic challenges the country is facing. While the majority ignorant, wako ni wako, will vote for ECL again at the expense of Our down spiralling economy, the real people who have Zambia at heart will be accussed of tribalism and regionalism.
PATHETIC INDEED…
This is exactly what is happening and all these measures are long term the economy is diversifying and it takes time, but how do you expect the PF under ECL to do all that within 06 months. Crazy economist.
GRZ is not lungu alone. PF has been in power for 4 yrs. All thier minsters are corrupt and usless all of them are concentrating on the the most expensive/km road building works in the world to line their pockets.
We expect PF under ECL to do it by WORKING HARD! That is there job we are paying him to do!
Not go on holiday at the coast in Namibia!
Does this man even know there is load shedding in Zambia? He has never mentioned it!
Mediocre reasoning. PF has been in government for 5 years.
The elephant in the room remains the mindset of the citizens. In a way people despair that ‘that’s life’ as they successively get trampled on by the vested interest of others. The economy is the biggest issue biting everyone and the lack of attention to the daily challenges faced by all with force fed ‘we are doing well just wait and see’ is beginning to grate. Add the uncontrolled cadres in the ground to the equation and the pressure cooker is set to explode. Solutions required are immediate. Swallow your pride PF and take that U-turn placing the people first. Otherwise step aside or wait to be pushed aside so someone else can tackle the economy and give our people an alternative reality…
Good long term strategies; and in the mean time? Load sheding
its very easy to see solutions when you are not in the drivers seat. it all sounds good on paper but this guy has never been in government;he doesnt know how it works. good luck
Zambia can not afford to recycle politicians from failed administrations. The next best benchmark is a person’s track record at maybe
wealth creation, community work.
.
You had Sata who had always been in govt, what did do when he assumed the office of the presidency?
I think PF is getting us there, inch by inch. These all season roads under construction are uplifting the potential of each and every corner of Zambia. Tourist destinations such as Nsumbu are being made reachable and the nightmare of delivering farming inputs and outputs is about to come to an end. Trips that previously took hours and hours on end are now covered in minutes, with no damage to vehicle suspension parts, under a few litres of fuel. It’s true, the govt ought to do alot more as guided by president HH, but the initial step of building a far-reaching road network is a prerequisite step in this thousand miles journey to a greater Zambia. Let’s all roll up our sleeves, go out there and realise the boundless petential in wider Zambia. Meet you out there!
Very good analysis of events and how to workout issues for the betterment of the economy and the country. In as much as HH pointed out the issues in simplicity, the PF led govt will not understand these issues and instead will not even dare consider such a solution. When you do not understand how something works, even when it is put in black and white you will not be able to utilize that information.
THERE IS NOTHING NEW IN THESE STATEMENTS..THANKS FOR REMINDING US HH BUT YOU CAN NOT BE A PRESIDENT. DIVISIVE CHAARACTER..KACHEMA
I am afraid HH himself needs a prescription to GET his head sorted out for thinking that ZAMBIANS will still needs Anglo America to come back to the mines to SOLVE our problems. He’s run out of ideas and should pass the button on to GBM. ATLEAST we know GBM is a foo.l with somewhat a business sense to point the country to some right business direction. He’s ALSO Bemba.HH has lost too many elections and needs to go.
Dirty tribalist corrupt kaponya.
There is a crisis in our nation, and advice given in good faith, like the above, from whoever, mostly other leaders, must be considered by those in power. However, taunts do not help, if we are to solicit a change of heart in those we expect to accept the advice.
The copper price is at its lowest $4960, this is not the Zambian crisis but all nations in the world. The Rand is at 14 to a Dollar. HH should put is facts right. Anglo American is not a solution, they pulled out of Africa when we needed them most.
Comment:He has said anything new, the things he is auggesting wont deal with the present situation. Maybe he doesnt want to give the present government ideas. The truth is if elected it will also be trial and error like we did with PF but its not for me to say if he deserves to be president or not, what is key is that we shouldnt invest all our hopes in politicians, let us also, the people of Zambia begin to take responsiblity for our nation.
A news item just in,in the elusive ZWD on their FB site, that OP is finding it difficult to tell LUNGU that his daughter is having an adulterous affair with the Kasama PF parliamentary candidate. How hard is THAT? OP chief should be fired if he can’t simply say “but am sorry boss the National Security is BEING compromised your daughter is BEING sha.gged by a someone you are about to put in a position of trust”. And you also ZWD is Kambwili closing in on you using the FBI and Pentagon?
Its a good piece of writing however to say we can not directly position “‘Zambia’s commodity driven economy to China” is not correct You move the pieces and watch proactively and not passively given the massive exposure in trades You react structurally and tactically to ensure you gain always “‘Remember the systematic and unsystematic risks inherent in the Zambia China and potential opportunities in this structural stiff slow to react economy
The following sentence and what follows to me outlines the solutions short term and long-term
“‘Rather than seeking to blame forces beyond our control, which are just one piece of the puzzle, let me explain what can be done. Firstly, we…
Manage the downside risks and avoid being big losers in the CHINA stock fallout All emerging markets have been effected by the CHINA but those with better fundamentals positioned to china are being rewarded and reaping the spoils especially with Price asset movements in ASIA Take the Edge and Differentiate yourselves amongst the Emerging Markets pack Most EM assets and commodities with exposure to china are likely to suffer Fore instance plot the exchange rates and Capital flows in Shorterm and See the pack in EM with exposure to China
How often do we get to hear the phrase ” easier said than done?” All economies are multifaceted and with limited resources its practically impossible to address all areas of the economy at one go.
last even in the fallout and the rate and exchange for RMB Emerging markets currencies with relative well positioned fundamentals directly in trade with the Chinese but of small size as seen have performed very well and in some cases gained over the USD and Zambia Kwacha even in this CHINESE fallout Its in the long-term also that countries with proper inflation policies and fundamentals will register gains in the commodity trades with China in the current crisis
Since you also have China extension of listed industries Its only normal that those listed Shanghai exchange will fill the strain on capital needs and pressure in the value of there assets effectively hurting the…
Why dont these leaders meet and work together than always opposing each other we are suffering
Since you also have China extension of listed industries Its only normal that those listed Shanghai exchange will fill the strain on capital needs and pressure in the value of there assets effectively hurting the CAPEX
Balance FDI investments therefore and reap the risks to gain across the world crisis
So its not true that you cannot get affected or pay little attention to the Chinese Fallout and relate to other happenings in the The lira Lira and the rupiah currencies have seen to benefit from this why not the Kaunda Kwacha
This is not a policy prescription from HH. Too bad. Missed opportunity.
This is a moment of great uncertainty and he blows it advocating merely “consultation” and “flexibility” to withstand external shocks.
As the great economist once said “It is astonishing what foolish things one can temporarily believe if one thinks too long alone, particularly in economics.”
Is there anything being proposed by HH that the PF government is not doing? If this is indeed what is required, then Edgar and his team are on top of things and there is no need to distract them from delivering. Unless one is being politically blind, you will notice that all that HH is proposing is already happening under the PF.
PF has been only opening shopping malls. After 4yrs in power only the other day dud they realise we import fish from china
This is the man we want ati foward….with a vision
If only the; learned, online bloggers and … could vote in mass, HH could have be Zambian president by now. But I think we are all (upnd well-wishers) missing the point here. Empirical Studies have shown that in Zambia, the poor, the rural dwellers and a majority of the urban poor tend to vote more than in statistical terms the educated few. Sadly, this voting trend is projected to continue in the coming many elections. So if I were an HH strategist, I would bluntly tell him to forget paying lip service (or servicing a learned few online voters??) and instead get down low in the shanty towns of all provinces and not only in a selected few provinces and sale your message there. Remember what happened to Sata (May his Soul Rest in Peace) in 2006 and 2008… The PF forgot to sale their…
When you post something, check through in the evening to see how many positive votes you get and negatives. This will tell you how s.t.u.p.I.d you are and irrelevant your post are. Mean time thanks to HH for the postive contribution, Zambia now needs all our undivided attention. Its in a serious mess
HH keeps waffling and baffling. The other day he was saying he was worried about the death of textile industry in Zambia now he saying value addition and that every business professional and economics professor knows that uncertainty and instability come with additional costs. The problem is these are but mere statements which every Jim and Jack knows. What we want to hear is the HOW WE CAN AVOID OR CONTROL externally driven instabilities and uncertainties. HH has not talked about the because he does NOT HAVE the answer just as he accuses PF. But he wants to keep being heard. To include an economics professor in this statement shows that HH puts himself above university economics professors yet HH is just a bachelors scam with a questionable MBA. This is the pride that eats HH. If indeed…
His track record on wealth creation shows he is above many a professor. The country can use such individuals as presidos not convicted fraudsters who seem afraid to utter the word corruption.
Perhaps what we need to be done is cut down on expenditures, such as taking a pay cut for a certain period, so as to save. Down sizing the cabinet, closing many embassies, we seem to be opening in all corners of the world. We can’t emulate the US which has embassies in almost all the countries in the world. Take drastic legislation to curb never ending by elections, we can never have business as usual type of attitude, We seems to be living beyond our means. God help us!!
Many civil servants have free fuel, free talk time, allowances account for more than their salaries for attending workshops with accommodation. Recently a bill was passed to give MP’ s free loans to buy furniture. Then there is the free 90 days manee in our pockets for caders and ministers also known as citizens empowerment funds. No wonder they will ever manege to balance the budget by borrowing.
If I was Edgar Lungu, I would have just resigned and allow big and credible brains like HH to take over. Otherwise Zambians are suffering bcoz of putting a drunkard in the name of Edgar Lungu to be president. Anyway 2016 is coming and please let’s vote wisely. HH is not only the solution but the answer.
THE OTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT HH DID NOT HANDLE MUCH IN HIS ANALYSIS WOULD BE FISCAL POLICY. THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO ADJUST SPENDING AND UTILIZE MORE OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO STIMULATE GROWTH. THIS CAN BE BE ACHIEVED BY PRIORITIZING GOVERNMENT PROJECTS AND CREATING STRICT AND CLEAR TIME FRAMES FOR COMPLETION. A MORE EFFICIENT CIVIL SERVICES WITH BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST ADDRESSING THE BLOATED AND INEFFICIENT CABINET FILLED WITH “USELESS MINISTERS” AS SATA RIGHTLY COINED THE TERM. AGRICULTURE AND TOURISM ARE SECTORS WITH IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY AND GENERAL WELFARE OF COMMUNITIES. THE IMPACT OF VENTURES IN THESE TWO SECTORS CAN CHANGE LIVES NOW. AVAILABILITY OF GOVERNMENT BACKED FINANCING AT REASONABLE RATES IS ONE EXAMPLE OF STIMULUS PROGRAMS THAT…
AVAILABILITY OF GOVERNMENT BACKED FINANCING AT REASONABLE RATES IS ONE EXAMPLE OF STIMULUS PROGRAMS THAT HAVE WORKED IN OTHER COUNTRIES WE SHOULD TRY THIS. HOWEVER BEFORE WE DO THIS WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE CREATE THE NECESSARY COLLECTION MECHANISM AND DEAL VERY STRENUOUSLY WITH CORRUPTION. All IN ALL WELL THOUGHT OUT SOLUTION THAT WOULD TURN THIS COUNTRY ARROUND AND AT LEAST START HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
I have read this article in context but it’s hollow and shallow. Are these not the same sentiments the junior presidents are generalising? What is the specific solution that this Under 5 has presented here? Nothing and it’s sad that some people honestly believe this man is intelligent.
What the PF Government is doing is to promote innovation in thinking and reason. For instance, what is it that Zambia can identify as unique and focus on it to start exporting? What is the horticultural products that are in huge demand by the West which Zambia can sustainably embark on and export? What do we need to achieve this? Modern airports and National Airline.
These are some but few examples a leader aspiring to lead the Nation should be expousing on and NOT this hollow and generalised ranting…
@ ABEKALA CHALO. WHEN LEADERS OUTLINE GENERAL POLICY ALL THEY ARE DOING IS EXPLAINING A VISION AND GENERAL AGENDA THAT WOULD GUIDE THIER EFFORTS. THE SPECIFICS YOU ARE DEMANDING TO HEAR ARE NOT WHAT HH IS TRYING TO COMMUNICATE HERE. NOT THAT THERE ARE NON. IN THIS ARTICLE HH CLEARLY EXPLAINED THAT DIVERSIFICATION AND INVESTMENT IN VALUE ADDING INDUSTRY WOULD BE A PRIORITY. HE DOES NOT HAVE THE SPACE OR READER ATTENTION SPAN TO EXPLAIN HOW WE CAN TUNRN THE COTTON GROWN IN CHAMA TO A T-SHIRT MADE IN KABWE. ALL HE HAS TO SAY IS THIS CAN BE DONE AND DONE NOW AND MORE IMPORTANTLY BY ZAMBIANS. ALL IT TAKES IS ABLE LEADERSHIP AND WILLING CITIZENRY. WE HAVE CITIZENS READY TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE WHAT OUR COUNTRY LACKS IS…..? (LEAVE IT TO YOU TO BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF AND ANSWER THAT QUESTION)
HH can never be president in our generation because the crop of his tribes mate are still not yet civilized. Its a bitter pill to swallow yet its the fact. You cant have a party where all tallngers are aligned to it just because the leader hails from there. People supporting updn dont support its policies but there tribes mate. If hh was replaced by another say a lamba, that will be its end. You can’t have a party where all sympathizers are rallying behind a man rather than the party ideologies.
Maybe the tongas agree with his polices and proven track recored of wealth creation????.
HH is a dander head
HH is a dander mutwe
That he maybe, a self made millionaire danda mutwe, but he certainly is not a convicted fraudster like ED LUNGU who is even afraid to say the word corruption.
Good thoughts, well explained. However, the proof of the pudding is the policy environment and the will to implement.
my dear president to be come 2016 we want the country to move to a better level with good men who understands what is to be done .people of the land 2016 vote upnd with its learned leadership viva hh via the the people of zambia. go forward.
@Abekala Chalo, please note that whatever HH handles turns into GOLD, without the help and aid of government contracts. All you are saying is PF is doing this and that blah blah blah, is thinking of this and that and so on ad so on. Meanwhile, as they are thinking, the economy and general standard of living gets worse. Wake up man!
@ abekala chalo amano ubunono.
During Mwanawasa’s time, he listened to the opposition and did what they said.
But you
other useless pf cadrs are out of context.
The clue has been given.
Clearly all of you guys have missed the point that he wants you to hear, it is in the last sentence of paragraph 2. What HH is saying is that he has consulted on the causes of load shedding and now he understands, knows and believes that low water levels are the cause of the current power shedding by ZESCO. HH is unable to apologise for fear of damaging what remains of his credibility, so he hides his real message on power shortages in recommendations of “practical” solutions to the economic problems that Zambia is facing. Since when did you hear HH issue such a reconciling statement to his enemies the PF? That should tell you something, git now?
Well spoken HH-UPND. Any normal functioning adult will agree we cannot continue to import everything and export nothing other than raw material (Copper and Maize), and then wonder why there are no jobs locally, and why our Kwacha is getting weaker and weaker.
Why don’t we learn from China’s cottage industry, and then beat China at its own game. Actually, Zambia has an advantage over China because the critical material i.e copper is local . Imagine how many sim cards, switches, ICs, etc… can be made from one Tonne of copper, and imagine the jobs that would be created. Even at a bigger scale than cottage industry, why can we not have more ZAMEFAs?
This is why it was very disappointing when PF Govt sold ‘surplus’ maize in grain form to RSA this last harvest, instead of selling in…
Cont’d …….. selling in mealie-meal form. Imagine how many jobs/revenue we lost at Milling level.
So, well spoken HH – UPND. Value-addition is the way to go.
Mr Cactus, there is nothing new in that, I am surprised that you seem to think that HH is the first to utter such nice sounding words. For God’s sake can’t you practice original thinking without always waiting to praise what HH says? When HH Retracts a statement you are still in the forefront praising him for the mess that he created for himself in the first place, and you expect the rest of us to sing in chorus.
Some people can’t even extract sense out of this statement, where are we heading to in this country? why were we sent to school if our own pipo can’t give us chance to practice what we learnt there…..or do we all need to be in same school for us to speak same language. countries without much resources like Kenya are now becoming far better than us what’s wrong with………. ???????????????
WHAT QUALITIES DID PEOPLE SEE IN LUNGU FOR THEM TO MAKE HIM PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA? LUNGU WAS A WRONG CHOICE, WRONG RESPONSE, AND THIS HAS COSTED US A GREAT DEAL AS A NATION. THESE GUYS IN PF, AND WHO EVER WAS APPOINTED BY LUNGU IN PARASTATALS LIKE VICTOR MUNDENDE OF ZESCO ARE PLUNDERERS! THESE GUYS ARE SERIOUS THIEVES WHO ARE BUSY SIPHON OUR COUNTRY. THESE CRIMINALS SHOULD BE CAGED ONCE THEY LEAVE OFFICE. THIS TIME AROUND, ZAMBIA SHOULD DO IT. ARREST THIS BUNCH OF THIEVES ONCE THEY ARE OUT OF OFFICE.