State telecoms firm ZAMTEL says it is in desperate need of fresh capital to improve its service delivery.
ZAMTEL Chief Marketing Officer Evans Muhanga said the company needs a fresh injection of capital if it is to become competitive.
Mr. Muhanga said the new ZAMTEL management is focused on improving customer service as a way of attracting new subscribers.
‘The quality of service is not as much as we would love it, this is why we are looking for money to invest in the network because the idea is to have a new call centre,’ Mr Muhanga said.
‘In terms of network evolution and to enable us to reach all the places and all you need if you are in a heightened environment, you have to invest all the times and bring new equipment, new machinery and that has been the plan for the management from the time we took over,’ he said.
Mr Muhanga added, ‘Once you go there to look for money and show that you have enough cash flow to generate and pay off all the debt you are going to acquire, that is all anybody who is trying to put in equity or trying to finance you through debt equity is looking for at the market.’
‘They look at the cash flow, they look at the balance sheet if you have a strong balance sheet, then you can borrow as much as you want. In terms of our vision to be number one, we will be number.’
How much is a call centre for God’s sake, Telecom is highly lucrative business and Zamtel should be making enough money to reinvest in the new technologies and expansion projects. The question is,how much money have you been making,and where do you take it?
They use thoe profits to give themselves hefty salaries and allowances. It is sad! So which decision made sense: privatizing or nationalizing? That is exactly what will happen to the national airline PF is so keen to establish against advice.
Totally agree with you Kwifulaminwe.
Just take a look at the Vehicles Managers and Directors drive. you will realize that these guys have misplaced priorities. the Drive cars like politicians. Latest GX, Jeeps, Fords, Hilux…. name them. You will find that with Managers and Directors and Zamtel, paid off by Zamtel. Imagine 5 of those VX toyota. The cost and compare to cost of setting up a call centre.
You should see the vehicle loans/ allowance the award themselves…image someone getting a loan/ allowance to buy a brand new Jeep or Range Rover and this is a govt owned company…it’s disgraceful as this money that should pumped back into the company.
This is a classic example of milking a cash cow dry. Just yesterday Zamtel was a vibrant company under lap green. This case underscores the systemic problems typical of Zambia which is the awarding of jobs to the FBI (friends bululus and in-laws) including girlfriends. The awarding of dubious contracts to companies owned by the very people that are employed by the awarding companies. The appointment of party cadres as board members and the bullying of state owned enterprises to pay for party programmes. This is a government that brags that they are capable of running the mines? More like ruining the mines! One can understand the resentment towards the introduction of IDC the catastrophic results are there already for everyone to see!
To liberate ZAMTEL the following must be done. The current CFO Nchimunya Hachandi is a thief from Airtel days and we know and have evidence of his deeds. Today we can show you what he is doing including the houses he is building and ask ZTE, Huawei and other vendors how he milks the entity. He is at the centre of rejecting capital into ZAMTEL because he was promised of being CEO if HH becomes our National leader. I have nothing against HH but I hate the fact that his moves are heartless and the innocent and poor are affected. So start with CFO to get out and his girlfriend Francine. We know the truth gentlemen.
You have also started joking like your PF leaders! Use your own internal resources to acquire new machinery. Please do not make the nation borrow again on behalf of ZAMTEL. Otherwise it is better we give it back to Lap Green.
Satas stupidity, continued by visionless, clueless Lungu now coming home to roost!
How much ZAMBIAN TAXPAYERS MONEY (OR BORROWED EUROBOND MONEY) have these PF F00LS wasted trying to block Zambian Watchdog and Zambia Reports?
Spend that on improving service instead of covering up criticism and the economy might get better.
Or just give it back to Lap Green.
Fresh capital from where? Zamtel is not offering free communication services, so just get your profits and re-invest as capital. If you can’t do that, then resign!
Just take a look at the Vehicles Managers and Directors drive. you will realize that these guys have misplaced priorities. the Drive cars like politicians. Latest GX, Jeeps, Fords, Hilux…. name them. You will find that with Managers and Directors and Zamtel, paid off by Zamtel. Imagine 5 of those VX toyota. The cost and compare to cost of setting up a call centre.
The problem with some of u comenters u like politicking too much,why cant u ask questions to zamtel managment rather than pf? Live politics aside and then look at solutions that can help the country to go foward.zamtel has given u a platform which is there postion.one zambia one nation
Who appointed these empty tins then?
Mwnanakatwe just knows borrowing recklessly! This is the chap that has borrowed from CEEC with his wife and never paid a ngwee back! He and his wifw also borrowed from a known bank and has defaulted. So even at a personal left, these Mwanakatwes are common thieves NOT fit to hold a public office!! Nobody should let him borrow for Zamtel – let him grow Zamtel if he has any ba.lls!! He is such a menace and an idi.ot!!
So he is the one….they have surely bleeder this company dry.
…bleeded…
What do you expect when you get cadres to run a company?? We advised you and Sata, Kabimba etc when it was still early. Now that you have ‘eaten’ all the money left behind by the Libyans, added more money from the euro bond and finished that as well. You have nowhere to go!! What is next?? Go on and get more money from the public purse and pump it in again lol lol
Capital injection again!! Just return it to LAPGREEN, the true owners or privatize!
This is just laughable. .a Marketing Manager making statements about recapitalisation of the company. ..this says it all. Isn’t this the manager who was giving away a lorry to encourage entrepreneurship yet themselves have LAMENTABLY FAILED to turn a profit. Thsee people are surely empty suits.
Two things I will ask them:
1. What happened to the EuroBond, how was it used? I understand they got a share.
2. PF milks this company for their own selfish use, how do they expect to create confidence in potential investors if we all know they are abused by the government?
VOETSEK! How many times are going to capital injection monies. VOETSEK!
Use—less chaps can’t run anything.busy buying new cars without plans.How can a company like Zamtel fail to make profit?They have fiber internet,pipo buy talk time ect.Just through internet Zamtel can make billions of dollars.Iwe Zambians can’t run a company.They jstt know how to sleep with many women,stealing money and sleeping at work.I get annoyed with such mentality of pipo.How are we going to run Zambian airways sure with these brains in Zambia?It’s not possible,we Zambians are to lazy to make money.Nowonder kwacha has continued depreciating bcoz of corruption.Corruption is the root of everything in Zambia.Fight corruption n will see how things will change.Too many civil servants including ba Malonda are corrupt.kiki My father used to run about copper(70 years ago) as a finished…
Contin:.
kiki My father used to tell me that 70 years ago they were taught that copper is a finished product but the country never diversified the economy.I also learnt about the same thing 20 years ago.civil servants should stop playing at work.Nowonder chiluba sold the govt perestentals coz of laziness among zambians.There is no way Zambia can fail to develop if we had serious civil servants.politicians come n go but civil servants are there always.For me civil servants in Zambia have destroyed the country.They teach ministers,cadres and presidents how to steal from govt coffers.U may change the govt but so long as we have a rotten system nothing will change.U may change something but immediately the serious president goes out then it starts.We need strong institution and good…
Good to hear you are investing…but dont use tax payers’ money, use your profits. Dont just be there misusing the ZAMTEL-money through buying expensive cars and getting loans..no no. Be serious guys. If you cant perform please quit.
At the time MMD decided to privatize Zamtel, the company needed in excess of US$200million in fresh capital. The MMD government decided it would be wrong to get US$200million from the treasury when there are hospitals, clinics, schools competing for the same money. MMD privatized ZAMTEL to raise this money and they did when LAP GREEN came in! PF, the Post, Father Bwalya and others chose to politicize the privatization, grabbed back ZAMTEL, took Mr. Rupiah Banda and Ms. Siliya to court, etc. Mwanakatwe and his friends were excited to get the jobs at ZAMTEL. We knew that with time, Zamtel will be another failed PF Project. We have been vindicated. Mr. Rupiah Banda is now a partner of PF. Ms. Siliya is back as PF member and a Minister! Zamtel under Lapgreen was making profits, but under PF…
Well said. Zambians are too naive and they never learn!
Well said Zambians are just too docile and respond to slogans like puppets. We made our bed now lets lie in it. Ati more money in your pockets, lower taxes, constitution in 90 days etc my foot!!!. Yet there are still characters claiming PF is working because they are using borrowed money to construct cheap roads all over the place. Wait until the owners come for their money in 2022.
Contd: but under PF, Zamtel is loss making. By the way, Lapgreen will claim in excess of US$500million in compensation and damages. Watch the space, this money will be paid using taxpayers’ money. The PF DECEIT has come back to haunt all those involved! ENJOY THE CIRCUS!
Well said. Zambians are too naive and they never learn!
Evans and people at ZAMTEL should stop making noise. MMD resolved this problem in 2010!
Free advice to Mr Muhanga, bring back LapGreen and your problems will be solved. If you are worried about your job talk to LapGreen nicely, they may just give you the job of Call Centre Manager.
Where do you think government will find money to capitalise ZamTel when you can see what is happening in Zambia? Do you live in Zambia iwe?
Why did you accept that job when you knew that you cannot turn the company around? Or why didn’t you tell this to the government at the time when they interviewed or appointed you that you could not trun around the company with recourse to government funds? This is like fraud ba Muhanga if you didn’t know, no different from the cartel.
either to return to last owner maybe even ask for some nominal consideration or privatize afresh. no more tax payers money period.
“Mr. Muhanga said the new ZAMTEL management is focused on improving customer service as a way of attracting new subscribers”.
Isn’t this the same management that was politically appointed some over 4 years ago by PF. How is that new? Reminds of Kambwili who phones radio phoenix says what can PF do in 8 months that they have been in power when in fact PF has been in power for over 4 years now. Some very wrong these failures. Wonder why the country is where it is today.
and madam wina say cadres/ marketeers deserve respect by appointing them to manage assets.. well we have bemba clowns at zamtel, zesco, zra and those are the results, poor service,, appoint people on merit.. or privatise if you have failed.. go to zamtel, bemba from top to down.. go to zra same go to zesco worse,, balance up bane.. not too long, napsa advertised, 5000 turned up, successful candidates, whom i presume are bembas were picked, ask me how i know,.. they used NRC and not names to hide for fear of criticism.. shusha tikunvele. napsa, top to down same pipo. this disgusts me mwe.. no wonder they support blindly ati pa bwato.. nelyo beshibe dwn their hearts
Ever since Lap Green left the job of Zamtel seems to be making of unnecessary tasteless TV commercials and large bill board adverts all over the country. Obviously ssomeon is personally benefitting from these scams. Government should stop them NOW.
When Lap Green was kicked out Zamtel was about to launch. G4 Internet service and was going to be the first in Zambia. Nothing has happened since then. Current management has failed miserably. Fire then.
Let’s also forget about the national airline.
Put the blame on these PF chaps who have run down this company.LapGreen put it back on track but the PF chief DEMOLISH ER Michael cHILUFYA sat A BROUGHT THE company to its knees.
This zamtel is a joke i was in zambia and wanted to open 300 seat call center i have 4 call centers 2 in india one is kenys and one is south africa i asked zamtel to provied us with a hub that can take 4000 lines and we aggred rates and all the payment it was coming to about US$4 million per year than all was ready some one from PF came in my office with police and immigration officer and put us my mangers and all staff of 4 on the next flight and to day i have put a call center of 200000 seates in soyth africa worth $6milliom not i am still wating to kno whar wrong we hace done i still have all my equment in lusaka PF goverment is a jok how do u expet people to come to zambia to inveset i m saying no to those who want to come to zambia they can go to zambia if they want to losse their…
@chombela, if those allegations of tribalism are true, do you know what is also true? That where tongas are in a senior position it will be a series of incompetent tongas all the way down including the affiliate organisations. The only qualification is being a tonga, doesn’t matter of you were a marketeer. How do I know that? They cannot carry out a conversation among themselves without breaking into tonga speak; and they do not hide it at all, they openly say that when they are in power muzachiona. When it comes to tribalism, tongas are no exception probably much worse, just wait and see if HH comes to power.
Point I am making is that we seem to have a country in urgent need of repair, tribally, starting from those who aspire to high office like you and your tribe…. If we can repair…
@ CHOMBELA: if those allegations of tribalism are true, do you know what is also true? That where tongas are in a senior position it will be a series of incompetent tongas all the way down including the affiliate organisations. The only qualification is being a tonga, doesn’t matter of you were a marketeer. How do I know that? They cannot carry out a conversation among themselves without breaking into tonga speak; and they do not hide it at all, they openly say that when they are in power muzachiona. When it comes to tribalism, tongas are no exception probably much worse, just wait and see if HH comes to power.
Point I am making is that we seem to have a country in urgent need of repair, tribally, starting from those who aspire to high office like you and your tribe…. If we can…
Okay! Okay! Okay! I have just run statistics here. No one seems to be in favour of the calls made by this marketing manager (ZAMTEL). Accusation and no counter-accusation levelled against these guys. Government should not then heed Zamtel’s call. This is sickening. Can serious accounting, HR and Operations auditors ; and ACC move in to stop the sacking, ransacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging at Zamtel?
Okay! Okay! Okay! I have just run statistics here. No one seems to be in favor of the calls made by this marketing manager (ZAMTEL). Accusation and no counter-accusation leveled against these guys. Government should not then heed Zamtel’s call. This is sickening. Can serious accounting, HR and Operations auditors ; and ACC move in to stop the sacking, ransacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging at Zamtel?
And when some of us say Zambians can’t run mines some peaple label us unpatriotic. If they have failed to run a companies like Zamtel which are not so capital intensive, how on earth are they going to run mines which are very capital intensive? One thing I know is Zambians are very good at talking and jealous of foreigners when they run businesses sucessfully which we have failed to run ourselves.
Is it true that the Zamtel MD is in the same or similar business as Zamtel? If that is true, how can he run a state firm in a transparent manner? The MD and his team must not make the PF Government and the people of Zambia feel that it was wrong to have taken Zamtel away from lap green. Surely, as somebody as observed, the way of life of Zamtel top management cannot make things any better. To me, they are not patriotic and therefore need to be booted out, period.
To liberate ZAMTEL the following must be done. The current CFO Nchimunya Hachandi is a thief from Airtel days and we know and have evidence of his deeds. Today we can show you what he is doing including the houses he is building and ask ZTE, Huawei and other vendors how he milks the entity. He is at the centre of rejecting capital into ZAMTEL because he was promised of being CEO if HH becomes our National leader. I have nothing against HH but I hate the fact that his moves are heartless and the innocent and poor are affected. So start with CFO to get out and his girlfriend Francine. We know the truth gentlemen.
Observer!!! ultimate responsibility of managing a company rests in the Chief Executive Officer. If the CEO is not seeing what you are alleging why is he still in the Job? don’t skip to the underlings and ignoring the boss. I guess probably an opportunity for you to bring in HH’s name in a negative while pretending to be positive. Its called a low blow in sports.
and some PF characters here say the government should take over the mines. when have you ever heard MTN or Airtel asking for money from citizens through our hard earned taxes. If you can’t run a telecom company, you think you can run a mine. dream on!!!
You appoint cadres and expect zamtel to compete with airtel and MTN? The decision to grab zamtel was a bad one. Under lap grin, the company was paying taxes but now they pleading for cash injections. The problems will get bigger.
Zamtel need to stop giving away money to pay civil servants salaries along with zesco. They do not need new cash. They need financial discipline.
This company should have been left in the hands of Lap Green who had bought it. Tax payers can’t continue putting money in a company which is used by corrupt people to line their pockets. Zambia Railways and TAZARA should also be sold off.