Eduardo Dos Santos at the presidential palace yesterday. Picture by
ROYD SIBAJENE/ZANIS
Promoters of the Zambia- Angola Oil Pipeline (AZOP) Basali Ba Liseli Resources have dismissed as distorted information suggesting that President Edgar Lungu is involved in the deal to construct an oil pipeline from Lobito Bay in Angola to Lusaka.
Reacting to today’s front page story in the Post headlined “Lungu, Santos strike Oil Deal”, Basali Ba Liseli Resources says neither President Lungu nor his government are in anyway involved in the Oil deal.
Executive Chairman Wamulume Kalabo has told a media briefing in Lusaka this afternoon that the oil deal in question is purely a private sector initiative.
He however says the deal requires the support of both the Angolan and Zambian governments.
Mr. Kalabo says this is particularly that no such business project of this nature and magnitude, whose total investment is about US45 Billion, involving two sovereign States can proceed without the blessing and explicit support of the two governments.
He has explained that following the Cabinet decision of June 29, 2015 to support the privately led Zambia-Angola Oil Pipeline initiative, President Lungu appointed a special envoy, State House Deputy Minister Mulenga Sata to deliver a message of support to the Oil Deal to his Angola Counterpart Jose Eduardo do Santos.
Mr. Kalabo states that Mr. Sata and himself being the Zambia- Angola Oil Pipeline Executive Chairman and in the company of government officials met President Santo on the 10th of August this year.
He notes that contrary to the said newspaper article, once constructed the Pipeline will in fact be able to deliver 100, 000 barrels per day of refined petroleum products into Zambia and not 50, 000 barrels.
Mr Kalabo says the fact that the Oil deal will eliminate the need for middlemen and shipping costs and thus significantly lower the cost of fuel pump prices, it is in the interest of Zambia and that of BBLR to acquire equity in the Lobito Refinery in order to ensure sustainability of affordable petroleum suppliers in the country.
This is good for Angola. Please negotiate for export of Zambian products in Angola.
Angola is already open for Zambia’s agro products, finish working on the railway line and you will be shocked how the synergies will work for the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise. The biggest problem with most African countries is the inability to sometimes work on a single item at a time with the right focus.
We usually have 50 things going at the same time and we achieve nothing in the end. Our current GDP is $22 Billion, this pipeline alone immediately quadruples that and we are focusing on whether the President is part of the deal or not.
What is needed at the moment is the Ministry of Energy working hard to Zambia a stakeholder in the Lobito Refinery because once that refinery comes online and we start pumping that oil through this pipeline, we need another refinery in…
All they want is lungu to fail. There is nothing wrong for lungu to source for cheaper oil all what matas is doing the right things. we know your plans and prayers its this country to fail but it wont lungu will succsed soon and very soon
Hoooo God, these PF wants to get credit where they didn’t sow?
I need to be educated on this one wants wrong about this investment for the post newspaper to be blowing their trumpets.
ba LT can go in details and tel us where the post think the problem is, How was the arrangement,how long is this project going to run and who is the post think I’d behind the all arrangement.
@ seniormostman
Let us start with the cost, $45 Billion? That is 10 times more than pipeline capacity 1 million barrels per day between Russia and China and only for 1,400 km (Angola/Zambia) against 3,200 km (Russia/China).
If you believe that cost, then there is no point discussing further.
Some people have serious hatred for Lungu. One wonders why. Instead of being objective and constructive in our discussions, people are just opening their eyes wide to pick mistakes……Shame on you.
@ University Grad
Well said. By the way, can you open your eyes and pick ONE good decision?
So wait a minute, this deal will cost $45 bn, and it is a private sector deal? I call bovine excrement!
Lungu is not part of anything at all. I would be shocked if he even understands what this project is about.
Denials just lead to more denials. The report in the post did not condemn Jameson except the author wondered why state house & not the ministry of energy were delivering letters. Why did the messenger use the presidential challenger & not a commercial flight into Luanda.
We haven’t recovered from the nigerian oil deal yet. We don’t want another scandal.
We know how Isabel & her father Jose’ run the oil industry in Angola.
So please if its above board we are happy for our country.
I do not subscribe to any of these dictators. This chi Dos Santos has held on to power for 36 years now. Even longer than the Zim dictator.
Nyau this is one of Africa’s evilest men. David bi would have been a much better president
What I said was: Savimbi would have been a much better president
ba Ubushiku,
I heard that. We are so unfortunate here in Africa. Way too many of these blood thirsty dictators. They squander so much and they destroy so much potential.
US $45 billion is twice Zambian GDP. Given this is a huge investment crossing Zambian land, there should have been an announcement at some stage for public knowledge. ZEMA will have to handle this at some point the way they have cleared mining companies from prospecting to drilling. Kavindele has struggled to have a railway line because government has refused. What is special about this one? President Santos has run Angola as a business cartel. What’s in this deal?
Now we know who is “front” for “real cartel” business deal between ECL and Dos Santos
It’s a huge investment, it also seems to be well-balanced in terms of feasibilty so why politicise?
The only thing I personally have against oil deals is that I think we should be investing in renewable energy rather than depletable ones. There is a prognosis indicating the end of an oil-dependency soon as we are now heading for a blue-tech industry and green-engineering era. The wind of industrial change takes a little while to reach Africa but it pays to maximize diversity and put one’s eggs in different baskets.
Is that caption right…Lazy Edgar was in Angola yesterday?
Potential oil deals with Angola have been talked about for years – long before Lungu. Handled properly, it may benefit the country, if it materializes. Do we trust this government with deals?
Were they not talking about getting oil from Uganda a few weeks back? Jumping up and down like chickens from one thing to the other. Is oil a sustainable long term fuel source? Zambia with all its land and water can easily switch to ethanol fuel by expanding sugar production like brazil. right now the immediate problem is electricity and focus on that, this crazy pipeline is going to be a white elephant, also i doubt that figure of 45 billion dollars, russians are building oil pipeline to china which is way longer than angolan one and it doent cost a fraction of that figure, something wrong here.
Nothing wrong, just little “creative accounting”.
$45 billion you can construct pipeline from Zambia to Alaska.
After all, one or two “0” more or less, who cares?
Failed cartel,God is with Lungu.Its a good idea to source fuel in Angola coz it will be cheap for consumers.Please Zambia and Angola Govts support the project to prove wrong critics.This type of reporting is not good.
if your gov’t wanted you to have cheap fuel you would have had it years ago but they are too corrupt and greedy with their flawed tender and procurement systems of crude oil.
PF are really full of conspiracy buffs! It is like a cartel of superstitious villagers where anything bad is caused by a witch.
baba ,
You don,t buy oil from one source for any real development….if you do not agree with me then ASK THE AMERICANS. They shall tell you why. The reasons may be civil, military, political or even natural.
It is more critical for one to LEARN something from one’s life than always hallucinating even before you look & observe. GOD gave you two nose rills, two eyes, two ears, two hands, two legs, kidneys and only ONE mouth. BUT ALAS you seem to have only the mouth that talks even for others just because of your fears.
Zimbabwe has had a totally drained economy, & now look at it… steadily picking up under the same leadership you guys despise. Everything you have is from GOD & therefore don’t fear for GOD is in control…UPND cannot govern because of the panicky in its leadership.
Comment:The big issue that goes along with this debate is Tribalism. look at those who are at the negative side most of them are our fellows from S, NW & W part of Zambia. Whatever Lungu does to the is bad.
The big issue that goes along with this debate is Tribalism. look at those who are at the negative side most of them are our fellows from S, NW & W part of Zambia. Whatever Lungu does to the is bad.
Here comes that Nigerian phenomenon called “bunkering”! Transferring huge volumes of finished petroleum products through a long pipeline will surely attract hordes of criminals, never mind the likely environmental damage that will follow…
Comment: H h won’t be president of Zambia,that i can assure you.
The major difference between HH and Morgan Tsavigrai of Zimbabwe is this: HH wants to return our mines to Anglo-America and Morgan wants return to land to white settlers. HH is an enemy of African progress; he hates to see black people succeed. As we speak the Kenyan and Ugandan governments have finally agreed on the future pipeline to carry the two countries’ crude oil for export. After stormy discussions, Total, Tullow Oil, Africa Oil and CNOOC managed to convince Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to opt for Mombasa as the terminal. Why is UPND condemning PF for making a similar arrangement with Angolan government?
@ Alternative to the cartel
There are 45 billion reasons. Use brain instead of bum when traying to understand. 45 billion dollars!!!
Only 1mbecile can believe that figure. From the postings, it looks 1mbecility has taken roots in Zambia. 45 billions!!! WOW
@ Alternative to the cartel
There are 45 billion reasons. Use brain instead of bum when trying to understand. 45 billion dollars!!!
Only 1mbecile can believe that figure. From the postings, it looks 1mbecility has taken roots in Zambia. 45 billions!!! WOW
LUNGU IS A SLEEPING ON DUTY PRESIDENT. LUNGU IS A WASTE. WHY DID ZAMBIANS MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE TO HAVE VOTED FOR, NAND SUPPORTED THIS SLEEPING ON DUTY INDIVIDUAL/ RUPIAH BANDA WE CURSE YOU FOR HAVING SUPPORTED EDGAR LUNGU IN THE JANUARY 2015 ELECTIONS.