President Edgar Lungu says it is unfortunate that some people are blaming him for the economic challenges the country is going through.
The President said the depreciation of the kwacha and the low rainfall which the country is currently experiencing are natural phenomenon which has nothing to do with his administration.
President Lungu said he is just coming from Namibia where people are equally complaining about the poor rainfall pattern and the depreciation of their country’s currency.
President Lungu was speaking when he addressed the people who gathered to welcome him at the presidential lodge in Kitwe.
He said the current challenges the country is facing can only be addressed by praying to God and not finger pointing.
The president reminded the people that God loves them and that is why the country has remained peaceful through the reign of the various presidents that have ruled the nation.
He has advised the people of Zambia not to listen to those cheating them as they are just interested in usurping power.
He said that his administration is a pro- poor government that is why it is carrying out projects which will benefit the people.
The president wondered why the same people who are boasting of being wealthy are failing to help the marginalized.
He said Zambia needs a caring president not those who just want to get to state house to enrich themselves.
Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu has called on political players in the country to exercise maximum restraint as the elections draw near.
President Lungu has also challenged the church to continue preaching peace across the country and to inculcate values of oneness among Zambians ahead of the polls.
The head of state made the remarks when he addressed thousands of United Church of Zambia -UCZ-Members who have assembled at Nkana Stadium to take part in the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
President Lungu has insisted that violence has no place in Zambia because the country has been known regionally and globally to be a beacon of peace.
The President has emphasized that there is need for every Zambian to work hard and maintain this record.
And President Lungu has appealed to all registered voters to turn out in large numbers on August 11 when the country holds general elections and vote.
The President says he is happy that UCZ has been a pioneer in promoting gender equality.
President Lungu says this is evidenced by many female clergy who have been ordained to preach the word of God side by side their male counterparts.
The President reminded the church that before appointing Inonge Wina as Vice President UCZ had already demonstrated impartiality by putting the responsibility of the Synod General Secretary on the shoulders of a woman.
And UCZ Synod Bishop for Zambia Mutale Mulumbwa encouraged President Lungu and his government that the church is always praying for them because they have a biblical mandate to do so.
“No one is to blame,” says the Buck.
The buck stops here ED. Taking responsibility for not having solutions is better than out and out ostrich head burying. Global leaders face global problems and the better ones know how to know the job comes with eating major humble pie when necessary. It can’t only be about taking credit (even for projects started by previous governments) and looking good. It’s about telling that miner, you lost your job on my shift and I’m sorry but here’s my plan…
A Phiri, 100% correct, Lungu is the custodian of the economy and has to take responsibility. He never wants to take responsibility for anything. Leadership is manning up and taking charge of the situation instead of throwing your hands up and distancing yourself from the problem like he is doing.
Your failure Lungu is how badly you have managed the economy in these hard times.
HH will be the better economic manager
Viva HH
You guys, bring back the bumper harvest you have been exporting ba PF.
If lungu has failed to lead the nation he should move over and let HH who knows how to run an economy take over.
This statement sound like an admission that Lungu has no vision or plan for Zambia.
A lungu taking responsibility is the first step to finding amicable solutions to problems the nation is facing.
HH was absolutely right when he said PF ni ba chimbwi no plan for sure.
VIVA UPND and the HH team.
Edgar Lungu, please take responsibility. Things are bad because you have no skills to run a an economy. In the midst of the worst power crisis you appoint a journalist to be Minister of Energy and remove an Electrical Engineer. Connects like GDP, inflation and depreciation are alien to your vocabulary. You are failed lawyer unqualified for the position you occupy.
Aba bena cisushi fye! Zambia walobele lyauma. Grrrrrrrh
“The price of greatness is responsibility.” Winston Churchill
We don’t blame you when things are bad but the moment things get better you want us to give you credit. Just a few months back the dollar was trading at K15 you distanced yourself saying we should not blame you because it is global. But when your cadres at BOZ did some magic and ofloaded the reserves of dollars in the economy the Kwacha came down to K10.50 and you took credit for it. Even that fat minister of yours kambwili praised you for your effort to stabilize the kwacha. Now we all know BOZ is running out of money and kwacha will climb the ladder again, you have started blaming the world and running away from responsibility.
Mr Lungu me I blame you. You have to put up economic policies that benefit the country. You exported the maize just a few months back and you even justified it…
What is Edgar good at apart from dancing? Just tell me 1 thing. I can tell about HH, but this Edgar, awe mwe… he can’t even manage his wife.. dancing around like a single woman.
The President must be blamed and he must find solutions to the problems that Zambians are facing. Failure to do that, he must give space for someone else who will at least try to bring solutions to the problem. I think nature has also rejected Lungu. Drought is a sign of judgement.
Maybe you should stop those international trips, dinner galas and dancing everywhere and sit down for a change. Do some research, consult others how they are managing, and start firing some Ministers like Kaunda did. Can we at least see something positive for a change other than cheap politics. Auction some of those designer tuxedos and sponsor an orphanage, something worth remembering you for, please!!!
This the most stupid thing i have heard from a president, surely Zambians are there no leaders in this country that we end up with this guy. God help us think beyond our noses and vote the EL out, He is a big let down to our country.
This chap is sick! This has nothing to do with PF, UPND, FDD no this Zambia we are talking about! One must take responsibility when things go wrong!
What more can he say?
This is a public admission he has failed to do the job.
Not only that, it is also a clear that he has not only failed to do the job, BUT HE HAS NOT EVEN UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE IS SUPPOSED TO DO IN GOVERNMENT, and what the job actually requires!
What a clueless clown!
How did Zambia end up with such rubbish in the most important job in the Nation?
God help us!
Namibia despite being a desert, sporadic rainfall and only independent for half of the time Zambia has been, has more to show for than us! Botswana is not even allowing people to was their cars or water their gardens! FTJ was cursed from day one, but he had a lot of goodwill! Even when things went wrong, he took responsibility! He eventually stopped blaming KK! Maybe EL must blame a cobra for lack of someone to pass the buck on!
“Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.” George Washington Carver
This is correct. The people should listen to this son of Zambia, man of peace. Don’t get your heads mucked over by smoothie HH and gangs. PF Hs performed very well since 2011 and given us much needed comedy dramatic moments.
God Bless HE Lungu and fight his enemies off.
Please avail to us the metrics by which you have used to measure PF success and we will gladly support and vote for PF
We need to give you an aptitude test, before we allow you to vote.
President Lungu, we are not blaming you for the economic challenges of the Nation. There were challenges before and there will be in the future. Did you not know that before you took the job?
But we are expecting you to address them and manage them effectively.
NOT THROW UP YOUR HANDS AND SAY IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT!
The first step in correcting a mistake is admitting that you have made one!
How is it possible to fix a problem that you deny exists ????
It’s now very clear Zambia will never progress with this failure in charge. He cannot even SEE the problems, let alone come up with solutions to them !
This failed mediocre PF must go. People are starving, dying from no medicine, losing out on education and not getting any jobs. And he is saying it’s not his job to fix it !!!!
We need someone SERIOUS in charge. Not this useless clown that belongs in a circus !
Zambia has a lot of water tables that can be tapped for irrigation farming. It’s not leaving to God that will improve the situation.
Jobs are created by the private sector. Especially, Small Scale Businesses that employ an average of 5 to 15 people.
We complain too much and yet we don’t want to be creative abd contribute to national development.
We have a lot of failures who simply vent their anger blogging 24/7.
If you really want to contribute to Zambia don’t wait for the government come knocking at your door.
Out of the population of 280 Million, only 22 million people are emoloyed by local and federal government in the USA.
The Small Scale Businesses are the biggest employers and job creators in western developed nations.
Well if the government would create a conducive environment we wouldn’t complain. But they are trying very hard to make life difficult for everyone with their poor decisions.
Leadership is about taking responsibility not making excuses..but since this utterly lazy bum Edgar poses no leadership qualities whatsoever; its wishful thinking expecting such a blundering f**l to accept any responsibility..all they are good for is dancing and drinking!!
Then why do you want to be re-elected? Get serious dude!
“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.” Lou Holtz
“Good men prefer to be accountable.” Michael Edwardes
Is this a joke? This is shocking coming from a head of State. You are the Captain of the ship. How can you not be accountable to the direction the ship is headed just because the wind is blowing at an angle and not directly from behind??. There is a saying “It is NOT the blowing of the wind that determines the destination, it is the angle of the sail”. Should I simplify this saying further?
cactus wandepula
This lungu is a comedian he holds all the files of this land.ati dont blame me
The fall of a currency is a natural phenomena and not in the realm of prudential management….lol.
Don’t argue with Chagwa, the Namibians also confirmed to him that a sitting president has nothing to do with fall in economic fortunes as these are outside human intervention and only subject to laws of nature…lol
Bana sibandya pa nyumba ati don’t blame its global even my neighbor has not eaten also, baza kusiya bana. Children will not listen. You have to be strong to look after people.
Before becoming the President and when you were operating your bar how many people did you help?
President when people told you not to increase the size of the cabinet you did not listen and when you were told to reduce the number of deputy ministers did you agree?
When you hired a private jet to USA tax payers money were wasted.
You are the one to blame sir as you are the one sitting in the driving sit with a lot of corruption as state house
It is the work of the CIA that Zambia is in this state
Global shocks are always expected how you anticipate and plan for them is what makes you a leader! and that is why people vote for you not humbleness and whatever other virtue you claim to possess. I dont think Joseph the visionary in the Bible was completely humble otherwise the treatment of his brothers would have been perceived extremely outside his Character. Lungu, this game plan wont help, you are educated enough to know that such gibberish will only appeal to the Myopic
The man has no vision. They took over power by fighting their own members. They don’t like opposition. They have vision for intimidation and oppression. But the truth will eventually win over falsehood.
Who should we blame? Guy Scott? He was only there for 3 months
Dont blame the President. He has done well in less than a year most of you blaming Lungu ve done nothing to talk about in your lives. Be objective mwebantu , Lungu is human. Now failures are blaming him.
That’s the more reason to blame him!
This irresponsible statement from Edgar Lungu is truly shocking. Is this a joke? You are the Captain of the Ship, So how do you blame the direction of your Ship on the wind just because it is not blowing directly from behind but at at an angle??. There is an old wise saying “It is NOT the blowing of the wind that determines the destination of your ship, IT IS THE ANGLE OF YOUR SAIL”. The Captain sets the angle of the sail, and it is the direction of the resultant force induced that determines the destination.
Yaba! Abena Lungu! Surely is this what you can say? Then move over for someone willing to take responsibility!
Athens, Greece – Hundreds of Greek gold miners and technical staff are preparing to stage “powerful demonstrations” directed against the left-wing Syriza government, unions told Al Jazeera. Their employer, Canada’s Eldorado Gold Corporation, announced days ago that it will lay them off and utilise a key mine in northern Greece after years of government obstruction.
“We’re not going to take this lying down,” the miners’ union chief, Yiorgos Hatzis, told Al Jazeera.
“Everyone is against the government, which won’t let us work. This indignation has gone on for a year. Everyone understands that it is this government that stands between our bread and us,” Hatzis said.
Eldorado will dismiss all but a handful of the 688 people working on its Skouries mine in the…
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Even staunch supporters should be worried by this!!! Why should we even have elections then, lets just pray and our country will miraculously develop. That’s why we don’t seem to have coherent policies. Just recently we were exporting maize now he says we will need to import maize. Instead of finding solutions they are busy praying for solutions. I have never seen anyone succeed by just praying alone. You need to toil hard.
Mr lungu, you thought the presidency was about being Mr nice Frendly dancing guy? I remember when you were first appointed and would be asked questions like the fuel shortage at the time, you would simply say that was not your job. Well Mr president sadly everything is your job as president.
It’s a long established principle that prayer (faith) alone without action (works) is dead. If this is coming from the President no wonder Zambia is a circus of all sorts of prophets yet the country sinks even deeper in quick sand!
You have to excuse Lungu, he is the outgoing president
What a clueless charlatan. Maybe his alcohol problem is more serious than I thought. So somebody else is governing the nation on his behalf, efyo!? As CEO of Zambia akana ukuchita (denied) shoulder responsibility for the economic mess that PF has brought. This statement of his tells me he doesn’t even have basic management skills, let alone leadership. I feel so sorry for the majority non-politically connected people who will continue to wallow in poverty while he and his henchmen drive the nation into an economic abyss.
Just when you thought this man has bottomed up and is beginning to apply himself i.e his recent denouncing of tribal politics, he suddenly re-invents himself and goes back down with fresh and even dumber things a Head of State can possibly say.
Alungu, you are a disgrace, you want the salary but not the responsibility, this is so painful. please relinquish the position so those who know what the job entails can take over. it is obvious that your idea of being president is to fly around and attend every party there is but, with absolutely no vision for the country. How can you compare zambia to other failing nations??? you have food on your table, electricity 24 hours a day, water in abundance, is this not good for every zambian as well???? wow!
When I read the story I first laugh it off and convinced myself that such an utterance can not come from a head of state who, in a somber mind know his job description. Lungu is only a year old in this job and clearly understands his job description.
His denial of reponsibility of a position he fought so had to get and now turns around to say he not responsible for the socioeconomic malaise the country is expering is not only an impeccable offence but treasonable crime as well.
On January 20, or there about Lungu applied for a job for which he clearly knew he could manage because of his drinking problems, his lack of vision and other well known health problems. The chap went ahead assumed the reins of power.
Lungu has failed control inflation, job losses, load shedding,…
I was just driving the car! It’s not my fault that it had no petrol! And guess what? He lived to see the day he said that! I will vote for him! He is the great leader!
Yaabaa…. just when you think this guy has realized what leadership is,that is when he proves to be getting at doing the job!! Is this how he is going to campaign? One year in office as President for a person who was even a cabinet Minister of various portfolios and party national secretary should have made him very seasoned by now!! He is still speaking like some one in the wilderness!! When Sata said he had useless Ministers this is what he meant! How on earth would a Head of State come up with such a response?! EL should know that preaching and calling people is best done by the clergy. His job is political and economic management not telling people to pray! By now he should have concrete road maps to sell to the population on how to resolve these problems not hiding in nature,global…
Firstly, the office of the president comes with the part of being responsible both for the success of the country’s economy and the failure thereof. Thus, if you don’t want to be blamed for a lousy economy, then don’t take credit when the economy improves.
Secondly, depreciation of currency is not A NATURAL PHENOMENON. For instance, if the exchange rate went up K1000 to 1 USD, would that be considered natural? There are economic factors that cause a nation’s currency to depreciate, or appreciate. As President you need to know what these factors are, and then address them.
Thirdly, true that the challenges the country is facing should be addressed by Prayer…but it’s not true that the ONLY thing we need to do is PRAY. If that’s the only thing we need to do, then WHAT DO WE…
Yes, Mr Lungu.
That is why Zimbabwe had an inflation rate of billions of percent.
IT WAS NATURAL CAUSES!
That is why Zimbabwe now cannot feed itself.
IT WAS NATURAL CAUSES!
It had nothing to do with your dictator friend kicking farmers off their farms.
IT WAS NATURAL CAUSES!
That Zimbabwe had plenty of food and exported it for years before that had nothing to do with NATURAL CAUSES!
THAT WAS BECAUSE OF A GREAT PRESIDENT!
Thirdly, true that the challenges the country is facing should be addressed by Prayer…but it’s not true that the ONLY thing we need to do is PRAY. If that’s the only thing we need to do, then WHAT DO WE NEED YOU IN OFFICE FOR?
Felixs41 , Kabila the guy is the pastor at the new tabernacle being built!!
Just control government expenditure and get rid of tribalist leaders in your leadership.
Depreciation of the kwacha, a natural phenomenon? Wow now that is a first! I’m now convinced this guy has no clue how to run the country. Someone please remind him that he’s the President of the country.
Can you imagine if Obama said this when he took over an ailing economy from George Bush?
<strong?And the scary thing is not what he actually said, but the fact this guy will most likely be voted back into power by the ever clueless electorates. In other progressive countries, this admission of failure by a president will be his own exit ticket or 'de@th sentence' to his presidency.
It's painful that I'm actually part of this mediocre as a Zambian, and there is very little I could do to change the status quo.
One lady commented that Lungu should be impeached and tried in court for abdicating his basic responsibility as leader of a country. I agree. So when he told the nation he had no vision he was not only telling the truth but he was at the same time absolving himself of any future responsibility should the economy plunge down. I guess the next statement from his drink-sodden brain is going to be to the effect ‘but I told you I am no good but you wouldn’t listen and you forced me into a job you knew I was incapable of performing, now you are stuck with me until I finish my 5 year term. Get used and like it’. If you have ears to hear this so-called head of state is telling you to go ahead and fire him. He has absolutely no idea what to do to reverse and turn around the economy. One of his…
continued…..
….crackpot ideas to improve the economy should already have told you he isn’t fit for that office; praying to God to fix the nation’s misfortunes.
So now he has even started drinking Jameson whilst in church?
I am sure he was not sober when he mentioned these words.
Very sad for Zambia
Imwe’!! MWAZIONA ALUNGU? MWAONA LELO!!
Who should we blame? U.P.N.D?? Donald Trump??
Man up!! You have failed.
#Chagwamustgo. #Lunguayende!!!
“Don’t blame your father for failing to pay your school fees because your neighbors’ children don’t go to school as well. After all, the walls and floors in your house are well developed than theirs. Its a community phenomena”. However, he pays, congratulate him for taking responsibility.
Where are the ” ifintu ni lungu” crew????
Pleas come to your leaders defence.
The PF has been in power for nearly 5 yeas now with Lungu holding every senior portfolio. Now, if the economy is a mono based one, you diversify to avoid the perils of putting all one’s eggs in one basket. If you know rains are eratic especially with El Nino, you promote irrigation as an alternative to dependence on God who for all purposes and intent died in Jerusalem over 2000 years ago. And Lungu does not see that it’s his stu.pidity and wanton failure to think out of the box that is wrecking both the kwacha and agriculture. Butoto bwa sitoto sa Chipata se bu totobezi!
I can’t believe that a president can say depreciation is a natural phenomenal which has he has no control over, seriously!
I now believe that this lungu chap is indeed clueless and had no vision. The Kwacha’s fall in value is mostly because of your government’s poor policies. You make a decision today after one week you reverse it, this is one of the reasons investors lost confidence in Zambia. Ba lungu is this a natural phenomena? We told you not to sell maize to other countries and you and given Lubinda or your government were warned exporting maize would leave us vulnerable but ka given went ahead telling farmers to sell. Now you want to import, is this how you can lead a country imwe ba Chagwa? Mwalunda amalaiti, mwabweshaya again in February you are increasing, how can you gain people’s support? Trial and error is how you work. Leave out Namibia in your failed service.
@Kayula and @Eddy, come to the defense of your tribal president! I just wonder if your suffering relatives are eating tribe!
@Kayula and @Eddy, come to the defense of your tribal president! I just wonder if your suffering relatives are eating tribe…
You are a failure because amidst an economic crisis you have maintained your extravagant salary and wages, an over bloated government, has kept on expanding government and cabinet. You have also maintained making senseless decisions such as chattering planes at huge costs, creating more districts, splitting ministries, buying sate lite phones for your ministers. The list is endless
Most importantly, you have failed to provide any practical solutions to our problems.
Remember you are not in state house to enjoy yourself but to work- like Magafuli!!!
i can see the bitternes in most of u, u must be Tonga’s! Although leaders must be take responsibility, there is nothing much one can do in terms of nataural causes, take for a example can someone tell me the herb for tallnes? you must be very small mind
I think Lusaka Times is misrepresenting the president because i can’t believe he said that! How can the depreciation of the kwacha be a NATURAL PHENOMENON??
The clown at it again!!! Not presidential material at all. And some sections of the Zambians population have the odacity to say this joker is Zambia’s Obama! Seleni tubombeko back to Chawama compound where you belong!
Run away, run away mr president that’s what you are good at learn to take responsibility of your incompetence.
Maybe the Zambian god is DEAF! I THOUGHT he listens to loud prayers and fasting followers, what went wrong. IS THE ZAMBIAN GOD DEAD? Or is it because he simply doesn’t exist!!!!!!!!
What would Kapwepwe say? Simon would say:
“If your god allows you as president to say stupid things like that, then he is foolish. “
DISPICABLE LUNGU 3
How can the depreciation of the kwacha be a NATURAL PHENOMENON??
KIKIKIKIKI awe sure aba bena lyaku left!
I can’t believe he said that- Lusaka times must produce a verbatim
Run away Mr President.
To be UPND you only have to be ICikopo.
to be lungu you have to be ichikopo
“The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.”
? George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
“it is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do”
Moliere