Friday, March 29, 2024

RB support Economic Indaba, but President Lungu says he wont call for one

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Former President Rupiah Banda
Former President Rupiah Banda

Former republican president Rupiah Banda says a national Indaba is imperative in addressing the current economic crisis to make the Zambian people understand what is happening in order to resolve the problem.

President Banda said whenever there was a crisis such as this one all stakeholders must be brought on board to find a solution, including traditional leaders, the church, the labour movement, students’ unions as well as investors from both the local and international community.

Mr Banda said Zambia was not the only country experiencing these economic woes and the only way to make people understand the situation was by Government to engage them in finding a solution to the problem.

“It is not only our economy but many of the economies on our continent especially those that depend on minerals and sale of primary products to the rest of the world like China, United States and Europe, are going through a very difficult period.

“I think we have a problem which every Zambian must be made to understand and get involved in finding a solution, and the only way to make them understand is for Government to engage them,” he said.

Mr Banda said in the 2008 global economic meltdown, his government engaged the people in an indaba which helped bridge the information gap between Government and the people, including all other stakeholders for a solution.

“I wanted the support of the workers, the unions and the mining companies. I needed to be given chance to think through the problems. “I needed the support of every Zambian in order to find a resolution to rectify the problems we were going through. That is why I think it is important that an indaba must be called to help address this problem,” he said.

He said President Edgar Lungu must call for the national indaba to bring people together to help them understand what was going on and what Government was doing in addressing the problem.

And President Banda has castigated those celebrating the crisis, attributing it to the PF Government, as being shortsighted in their approach and concerns for the plight of the many Zambians suffering as result of the depreciating Kwacha among others.

He said such leaders have showed their inability to lead the Zambian people, but advised them to come to the table with possible solutions.

He said President Lungu needed support to find solutions to the economic crisis, and called on the Government to respond to calls for a national indaba.

And Yesterday, President Lungu said it is not necessary to convene a national indaba (conference) to discuss the status of the Kwacha because there are enough experts in government and the private sector to help resolve the challenge.

President Lungu said Government was firmly in control of the country’s challenges, noting that he has a responsibility to provide leadership both in the economy and the political arena.

“I am in control and there is nothing I have failed. Anyone who does not believe in God should stay away from the October 18th day of national prayer and fasting. My colleagues in the political arena should take this day seriously,” he said.

He said people with brilliant ideas on how to salvage the economy should come on board as Government is ready to listen.

48 COMMENTS

  1. President should take this advise seriously. MMD government under Mwanawasa and RB did very well economically. Who ever comes into power now will be faced with these same problems created by SATA.

    • ine shocked!! ever RB admits there is a criss,, wow, wow!!,, chagwa cant see anything,, kaili ma dizzy na hangover ya ku New york, this mind is more clouded than ever before

    • @Ndobo, even me I see no problem. I sent $100 the other day ku Zambia, umwaiche sent me text message back that awe shafulisha, I only asked for K600pin, but bampela K1.3 million ku western Union.
      I was also confused like Edgar, I thought exchange rate was K5.5
      So abena NDOBO, just off-load Euro, We don’t need Indaba with just water on tables.

    • let us pray for the right reasons bane!
      I just hope Bars will not be closed on this day otherwise it is wrong to force individuals to take part in this contest in Dura – Read the whole chapter of the book of Daniel chapter 3. There is a good reason why State and Church matters should never be mixed because religious fanatics will always want to fan persecution and even bloodshed thinking they are doing their god a favour. I really get worried when politicians start meddling in faith matters. The same people who told lies about lake kariba blaming God want to hide in God? My God is not mocked! No wonder we”ll have poor rains the next two farming seasons due to the el Nino effect the scientists have observed. An Indaba would have made sense as RB has observed…..

    • Hahaha the commander in chief of bandits and violence. This how stupid think now , after all he was busy campaign for him been president . Nigeria government is looking for your RB , can you remember your oil deals ? Keep on talking shite .

    • When you vote People in to Power by tribal lines not experience or what they can Offer?? This is the result. Make no mistake PF should be kicked out next year otherwise Zambian will be the worst Country in the world.

      Even Zim with No Currency is doing better?? what the hell has Gone wrong with PF??

    • RB needs to know what PF stands for : Proud Fools. These are the type of people who cheer even as the emperor stands naked. As Nawakwi said, the Zambian house is on fire and PF wants to cook breakfast of finkubala and chikanda in the kitchen. They have no clue that the country is collapsing. To them it is business as usual because their expectations are so low or nonexistent.

    • Lungu alekana ifilelanda ba President! I am scared that he is just inviting to get himself fired pantu ba President RB won’t take insubordination from someone he has mentored and is nurturing! Ukukana ukumfwila abakalamba baimona ukukula ba Lungu pantu nomba bakwata vision.

  2. “President Lungu said Government was firmly in control of the country’s challenges”

    “I am in control and there is nothing I have failed”.

    Is this from this man in State House? Unbelievable! Such ARROGANCE! Such STUP!DITY!

    The first step with any problem is admitting that there IS A PROBLEM! Obviously Lungu thinks there is NO Problem! And he has not made any mistakes!!!!

    Lungu, only GOD is perfect. Human beings are fallible. Admit you have made mistakes and we can start to fix them. If you say you have no mistakes, what is there to fix???

  3. What do you expect of a drunk. RB is making a lot of sense for once but the drunk is showing arrogance. The indaba is way better than the fasting he is calling for. After all majority zambians are fasting everyday because they can’t afford food.
    Does he even understand the meaning of being in control.
    Bwana, you have failed lamentably.

  4. Ba Lungu,

    These are man made problems. Praying and Fasting won’t help us out of this economic morass. Please leave God out of this and do not his his Name in vain. That is a sin you know. Man up and listen to advice from all. I really think the leadership has lost it’s marbles with this reference to God. Burying our heads in the sand as usual.

  5. Since this is a global poloblem, are we focusing these players globally. I am told God doesn’t answer prayers immediately. And so we are in S**T if he decided To answer their or sorry our prayers after Lungu is gone!!

  6. So lazy Edgar’s mentor, campaign manager and chief adviser is dishing out advice and people are applauding. ..wake up from gullibility people.

  7. Lungu is sick in his head. It is better for Lungu not to say anything to journalists because every time he opens his mouth, uncoordinated utterances fly out his mouth like musululo. Very arrogant! If you are in control why is the economy going into a ditch? If you haven’t failed why are you not controlling the economy because people are suffering? Prayer and fasting are useless if not followed by ACTION! This is the critical point where many people who are advocating for the day of prayer and fasting are missing it. Prayer and fasting will be useless without ACTION on the part of the government and the public. Even on the individual level, if you have financial needs, pray and fast, ask God to provide for you, then put your faith into ACTION and do all you can to see that your…

  8. your financial needs are met. Lungu thinks prayer and fasting alone without the indaba will make the economy better. What a moron!

  9. The day of prayers is not meant for economic growth but bitterness hate and insults like the some comments we are reading here.

  10. I support Lungu on this one! Indaba’s are a further waste of the even meagre resources that we have. We had one in 2009 under Banda. What came out of it? Nothing! Rather retrieve the recommendations of the 2009 indaba by a small team of civil servants/experts from relevant ministries to check what has NOT been done but ought to have been done (tweak the recommendations as required) and follow through on a monthly, quaterly etc basis. At least that is ACTION rather spending allowances, accommodation/lodging and travel costs on blah blah blah and blah. Only for the 2015 recommendations to gather more dust! Yawn!!

    • @ Muze you were probably too young to remember, in the early 2000s there was the copperbelt diversification conference/programme headed by Dr sixtus mulenga and the then VP kavindele, they ended up talking about cassava. What came out of it? Nothing. Then RB’S 2009 indaba, also produced nothing. Do you know that farmers have not received inputs for 2015/16 season becoz of lack of cash? Now tell me, what is better _ to spend 1-2million usd on a talking shop for academicians, unionists and civil servants or to spend such money on agric inputs as a matter of urgency?

  11. So Lungu prefers the hypocritical day of prayer and fasting to an economical indaba?? What a shame? A scam president! It’s like you are jobless and your friends asking you to go out looking for jobs but you say you prefer to go and pray for a job. This man is not fit to be a president and it’s sad he is managing to hoodwink some people.

  12. Yes Zambia needs an economic indaba-to share progressive ideas rather than to defend what is happening. Economic and any other challenges always need pragmatic solutions through application of a SWOT analysis. Zambia is a potentially rich country, but this potential can only be unlocked when the country starts realistic planning that puts its interest first as opposed to sentimentality. Why is the country after 50 years of independence importing all its sweets when we have plenty of sugar?. Why is a semi-desert country like Botswana exporting beef to the EU and Zambia with all its greenery is not?. Why is Zambia importing Macaroni, spheghetti, ice cream, tooth picks, drinks etc. etc. when these can locally be produced to save forex and provide employment to young people? . Why doesn’t…

    • What is it that will be discussed at the so-called indaba that we do not already know? Just an opportunity to waste taxpayers’ money? The same people bashing the call for national prayers will show up for the indaba because of free food? There is absolutely no need for an indaba with the same people who are spending all their energy insulting ECL and celebrating at the status of the Kwacha – and busy siding with the imperialist companies running our mines.

  13. To Edgar Lungu, what he means by being in control is that, he is still being called president and still living in state house. That is all that matters to this insane man! How else can one explain the utterances coming from this drunk! “I haven’t failed anything, I’m in control”! What a useless man. To him abnormal load shedding, expensive energy, loss of jobs, mines cutting on their work force and the list go on is normal to this man.

  14. Zambians are not serious and are the most stu.pid people on earth!! You voted for an ID.IOT and that Id.iot started to borrow recklessly and stole all the money and the economy eventually grinds to a halt!!

    After runnng out of ideas and unable to run the country, he decides to call Indaba or even day of prayers – but why? You caused all the misery and now you think God should bail you out?? hope he doesnt because this is deliberate and self inflicted!!

    As long as you continue voting with your An.uses for corrupt morons, you dont deserve and sympathies! You need to live with consequences of your own messep and myopic decisions!!

  15. During moments like this, in our wonderful country, honest and sincere leadership is sought for. Alluding to what Gen Miyanda has been asking for (making political reconciliations etc before national prayers), and now what ba Chikwanda is admitting to be an economic crisis that even his own counterparts (ba Kambwili et al) should desist from commenting on, to now reading that the very RB himself has undoubtedly been whispering to H.E Chagwa “we have a problem” but ignored and thus been forced to declare publicly that “there is need to talk”. This is a very significant development. Hopefully, key players like bo Inonge, and other senior members, will prevail on our humble president to do the right thing…….admit we have a PROBLEM at hand, needing practical steps to take besides…

  16. I hope a lot of you foul mouthed individuals above are not parents. We do not need another breed of no common sense having, delusional crook and myopic offspring for Zambia’s up coming generations. No one stays as bitter as most of you PF and UPND cadres. Zambia is having economic woes, offer solutions, not always insults and disdain.

    Viva president Nawakwi.

  17. In Zambia everything is just thrown to God! Mwe mbwa mwe! Badly maintained roads – a minister suggests prayers at Roads Authority meetings; mismanaged water resources, some crazy pastor suggests prayers… I could go on. When will this folly end? There is that blob of gray matter God gifted on top of the nervous stem, protected by the skull USE IT!!!! God is watching you with arms akimbo! Mwe mashilu mwe!!

  18. One will die with bitterness ,your so called president will break a new record next year by failing fifth time I do not know if it is sixth.

  19. he lost me at church and traditional leaders……this is an economic crisis, not a sundy service
    its a good idea but bring the correct stake holders other wise its a waste of money

  20. Economy naikosa pazed-almost everyone is speaking in tongues or is it that Zambians are more schooled now than their leaders,kikikiki-i think so!Our leaders are far much behind in terms of repositioning & strategic planning!Naikosa pazed,hope there will be no public uproar or civil strife against PF morons soon,but I’m seeing one coming soon!

  21. Hmmmm, firmly in control when the Country is grinding to a halt!

    Myopic visionless, blind drunk who can’t see that we are worse off than the time he took office.
    Many of well meaning Zambians have warned this government not to borrow for consumption but production, to spread the risk by diversity in economy, especially agricultural, tourism, non-traditional export base expansion etc… and then positive yields could surely have been seen by now!

    Zambia is our Country, we get concerned at the rate at which the economy is inploding and soon, very soon, we may end up with a total economic meltdown, … listen a bit to Chikwanda, more to HH and Nawakwi, Musokotwane, Miyanda… and others, you will gather something inspite the spite such advice may come with…

  22. Indaba Or Insaka Or Stake Holders Discussion Wil Definetly Promote Openess And We The Zambias Ar The Shareholders Of The Entity Called Zambia, The President Is Our Employee Who Shud Not Dictate To Us, We Ve A Stake And Say

  23. Lungu is still dizzy, he can’t belive he is a president. He says financial prudence then he hires a private jet to NY and keeps quiet. Mr president, wake up.

  24. let us pray for the right reasons bane!
    I just hope Bars will not be closed on this day otherwise it is wrong to force individuals to take part in this contest in Dura – Read the whole chapter of the book of Daniel chapter 3. There is a good reason why State and Church matters should never be mixed because religious fanatics will always want to fan persecution and even bloodshed thinking they are doing their god a favour. I really get worried when politicians start meddling in faith matters. The same people who told lies about lake kariba blaming God want to hide in God? My God is not mocked! No wonder we”ll have poor rains the next two farming seasons due to the el Nino effect the scientists have observed. An Indaba would have made sense as RB has observed……

  25. As a people we deserve these misfortunes we have made for ourselves on account of our naivety in tempting fate! We have used the name of God in vain which is a terrible sin. We need to do more time in the wilderness to learn good judgement! Let us live with our misfortune!

  26. According to the graphics shown the other day on LT, RB is the only president who did best for the country unlike this guy ECL who has wings now like mpheta/njiba. He should learn to listen or maybe he has good OP telling him the truth that bwana come next year imwe Nikuyabebele.

  27. Edgar Lungu will always chicken out when it comes to meeting big brains because he is empty and he’s scared of being exposed.

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