On Friday the 13th May, 2016, His Excellency President Edgar Lungu held a press briefing whose purpose was to highlight the ACHIEVEMENTS of the PF Government and ask the Zambian people to elect him for a new term of office on 11th August, 2016.
From Mr. Lungu’s press briefing, it is clear that the comfort of State House and the trappings of power have totally alienated our President from the harsh reality of poverty, squalor and degradation that our people are living in. The man is indeed lost in his ivory tower and has no clue whatsoever about the hardships our people are going through.
To try to make it easy for Mr. Lungu to comprehend his failures, as FDD we will respond to his press briefing in a segmented manner.
THE ECONOMY
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BEFORE PF CAME TO OFFICE |
AFTER PF CAME TO OFFICE |
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The flow price of maize for the 2016/2017 farming season has remained at K75 even when the cost of fertilizer and the cost of fuel has doubled; inflation has tripled and the Kwacha has lost its value.
The cost of essential goods and services has doubled while the incomes of our people have either remained stagnant, dwindled or completely vanished. We have thousands of graduates roaming the streets, retirees are dying without getting a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
ON THE CONSTITUTION
Mr. Lungu boasts that he has given Zambians a people-driven-constitution. No, what the PF has given us is not a people-driven-constitution but a PF driven constitution. This regime mutilated several people’s submissions such as the appointment of cabinet outside parliament (which was meant to ensure efficiency and separation of powers); the mixed-member proportional representation (which was aimed at enhancing the participation of disadvantaged groups such as Youths and Women in governance structures of our country) among several other progressive clauses.
ON INFRASTRUCTURE
Former Minister of Finance Mr. Alexander Chikwanda confessed that we are spending three-times more than what is normal on constructing a kilometer of a tarmac. He further attested that there is massive corruption in the Road Construction Sector. Mr. Mulusa, the man Mr. Lungu has charged with the supervision and monitoring of state projects once quipped that most contractors have abandoned their works due to government’s failure to pay them their contractual obligations.
We know and understand why this government has channeled every borrowed Dollar to roads, it’s because emo balila/ that’s where they are stealing from. They are awarding themselves and their friends contracts, and collecting all sorts of kickbacks.
In any case what is the value of the road when the people living along it cannot afford food, rentals, school fees and have no access to water, sanitation and health facilities? This is what we call mesmerized growth. Growth that only benefits the elites leaving the masses in squalor and misery.
ON THE MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKETS
How has PF put more money in people’s pockets when thousands of our people have lost jobs? How have they put more money in people’s pockets when youth unemployment is at all time high? How have they put more money in people’s pockets when the cost of living is beyond the reach of the majority? How have they put more money in people’s pockets when poverty levels are above 75%. In Eastern Province, particularly Simambumbu, the village Mr. Lungu comes from, the poverty levels have reached 84%. How have they put more money in people’s pockets when the Kwacha has tumbled and inflation has tripled? How have they put more money in people’s pockets when they have imposed a two-year wage freeze on public workers? Mr. Lungu needs to be serious.
This is the legacy of Mr. Lungu and the Patriotic Front Government: Poverty, joblessness, Debt, Fiscal Indiscipline, Violence, Corruption and Abuse of Authority.
Surely PF does not deserve another term in office. Zambia deserves a government that is focused on eliminating poverty, creating wealth at household levels and putting people at the centre of development through a robust program of decentralization. And only the FDD has that vision and mission to make Zambia prosperous again.
Thank you issued by:
Edith Z. Nawakwi
FDD President
Some of this bush mathematics meant to drive a political agenda is jaw dropping.
With all due respect Ms Nawakwi, I can make a case that the price of Fuel has gone down under PF in dollar terms. Before PF it was more than a Dollar per litre. Under PF Fuel is now less than a Dollar per litre!!
Numbers don’t lie , What do you say to that?
I think try to stay away from this type of maths, use something else and there is plenty to choose from.
@MMD Chief Bootlicker. YOUR BOOT LICKING IS BECOMING USELESS. I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE YOU TO MAKE THAT CASE SINCE YOU THINK ARE VERY SMART. SO WHAT IF FUEL IS LESS THAN A DOLLAR OR MORE THAN A DOLLAR. THE FACT IS IT HAS INCREASED NO MATTER HOW YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT AND THIS IS NOT GOOD AS IT INCREASES THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS WHICH LEADS TO AFFECTS LOCAL BUSINESSES, AFFECTS THE COST OF LIVING ETC. THE FACT IS THING SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST BEEN STABLE
LACK OF STABILITY SHOW POOR ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT AND THAT IS NOT GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA. PLEASE RELOCATE FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND GO LIVE IN ZAMBIA IF YOU SUPPORT WHAT THE PF HAS DONE TO THE COUNTRY. ALSO, GET A JOB THAT PAYS YOU 3,000 ZMK SO YOU ACTUALLY FEEL THE PINCH. A FULL CART OF GROCERIES FROM SHOP RITE WILL COST YOU 1,000 – 1,200 ZMK FOR AN AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD. NOW IF YOU HAVE RENT FOR 1,500 ZMK. YOU NET SAVING IS 300 ZMK FOR WHICH YOU USE FOR TALK TIME ETC. AND HAVE NOTHING TO SAVE. THIS IS HOW A LOT OF ZAMBIANS ARE STRUGGLING. EVEN WORSE FOR THOSE EARNING BELOW 3,000 ZMK SO THE MAMA IS VERY RIGHT AND HER FACTS ARE UNDISPUTED FROM A MICRO-ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE.
@MMD Chief Bootlicker
Why do you want to talk in dollar terms on fuel. Do you mean Zambians are paid in dollars. What is my benefit if fuel has reduced in dollar terms but increased in Kwacha terms and my salary is in Kwacha.
@MMD Chief Bootlicker or is it PF Chief Bootlicker some times it is important to keep your month shut if you have nothing sensible to say. You are defending PF running down of our economy because you are eating with them. Talk of politics of the belly.
‘MMD Chief BOOTLICKER’ with all due respect sir if you are going to make it a point that we look at it in terms of whether it is under a dollar now then by all means go the full length and make the comparison of how much a barrel of fuel was on the international market before PF took over.
I suspect you will find your dollar comparison will fall short.
Bottom line is fuel is way more expensive now than it has ever been.
… But also just numbers without context is a fallacy.
It means the Kwacha has lost too much value.
Some arguments sure. The point is with K10 one could buy 1.9 lts 5 years ago, now they can only afford 1.02 lts.
I am quite disappointed with you bootlicker. Prior to this comment even though I did not agree with most of the time, you had some intelligent contributions but this one. Awa sure!!! I think you have officially joined the PF and like many of its members cannot reason or articlulate issues
With all due respect Ms Nawakwi, I can make a case that the price of Fuel has gone down under PF in dollar terms.
The argument above does not hold water for the following reasons,
1. the kwacha is being given an artificial value through the OMO (Open Market Operation) which has kept the supply side of kwacha (liquidity) low. Simply put many people are not seeing the kwacha to allow for true trading in the market for them to benefit for the less dollar per liter face value.
2. The fuel price on the global market has fallen to all times low, from above USD120 per barrel to average of USD 40 per barrel. If the kwacha and govt policies were working the pump price of fuel should have been in the range of K7 – K8 per liter.
In the presence of fuel over supply Zambia has failed to…
‘Boot licker’ your ‘dollar term’ justification didn’t do you any favours. Why are you trading in dollars in Zambia, is that the currency motorists pay in when they go to the pump? And perhaps ask why it has gone down in dollar terms and not Kwacha… could it be because the Kwacha has lost value against the greenback?
Ms Nawakwi has articulated the issues well using hard facts and figures as objective quality evidence. In other progressive countries this woman would be in the forefront leading in terms of popularity. I would make the case HH choose her as a running mate.
With due respect Ms Nawakwi’s policy prescription is decentralisation? How will this turn around the economy? Reduction in poverty and increasing household incomes are policy goals not policies (ends vs means). We can all agree on that . The question is how do we get there. Not decentralisation. An old idea being implemented.
Shame that this was a missed opportunity to put forward a policy alternative nt a claim that under FDD things will be better. How?
YES MAMA TELL THEM. I LOVE THIS WOMAN. I HONESTLY WILL VOTE FOR HER.
Well spoken but hh ll bring more harm to this country than what we are going through.
@Chrs why bring in HH when is dont mentioned in the story. Please can you respond to what Ms. Nawakwi said about your beloved PF.
Ms. Nawakwi your response to Lungu’s empty press conference is very articulate. Keep it up Madam. You have responded well. your language is also very mature and have responded with facts.
Some times i wonder whether Lungu is a trained lawyer because of how he behaves and talks. I dont think a person in his right frame of mind can say what he said during his press conference with a straight face.I was surprised to hear Lungu saying Zambian have more money in their pockets when people are wallowing in abject poverty. Im sure he was talking about his PF inner circle minions who are benefiting from rampant PF corruption. Remember that each dog has it day.
Please Edgar you must hence forth stop mocking the suffering Zambians.
why don’t you as well mention how much a civil servant was getting then and how much he is getting now………?
how the roads were and now,hospitals/clinics were and now and so on other than all negatives.
@’popopo’ Why don’t you go ahead and tell Mrs Nawakwi how much a civil servant was getting before PF came into power and how much that same civil servant is making now.
Then when you are done you can tabulate how much that civil servant’s basic household expenditure was and what it is now.
You may just realise your numbers do not add up.
Based on the outlined PF performance record for the last 5 years no sane person would vote for ECL and PF except the few who have benefited from the PF patronage. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give PF a grade of 2 out of 10. Their performance and leadership has been dismal and they do not deserve another 5 year term.ECL the PF leader is visionless and clueless. To make matters worse Lungu has shown his dictatorial tendencies and his lack of respect for the Rule of Law and for breaching his oath of office by refusing to dis-appoint his Cabinet Ministers after Parliament was dissolved in terms of the Constitution Act. Lungu has shown leadership failure and is not a good role model for Zambia.
@mwansa you have hit the nail on the head
I like your analysis and how you articulate issues Wise Commentator; they make a lot of sense.
Thank compared jfk. I think it’s important as Zambian, politician or not to realize that the we have to act in the best interest of our people. We only have one country and we should make it the best. We shouldn’t even be living aboard if you are qualified and can contribute to national development. Our country should be able to care of its people and its resources but this can only happen with the right person in leadership. We live as slaves in our own country and we have foreigners benefitting from most if not all of our resources. Some do not even respect the Zambians (I.e. Chinese)
Meant to say thanks comrade JFK
Useless analysis Nawakwi, we know you cant see anything sensible in what ever ECL says because of your insatiable apetite for power but most zambians know that PF has done a good job despite some failures here and there and it is normal because they are just human. I can assure you PF is scooping these polls meanwhile continue wasting your time on useless analysis.
Manix I think as a Zambian you need to get serious. This election is not about winning but the future of our country. I really wouldn’t mind it been in any of the contenders like Nawakwi or Mutati but not Lungu. He is incompetent and has failed
Thank you Nawakwi, such intelligent & truthful leaders in power is what Zambia totally lacks right now
Sparrow,
Ask the UPND campaign team to print and distribute the table albeit with refinement like the price of fuel on the international markets being less than a half when PF came to power.
Numbers don’t lie unless you cant debunk the obtusfication of the likes of Bootlicker PF is gone, gone, gone….
Nawakwi’s analysis is powerful,truthful and damaging to PF. No wonder with such glaring evidence of poor performance PF govt has blocking opposition parties from openly campaigning. Apart from infrastructure PF has nothing else to talk about. People don’t eat roads so PF has no message to the voters in 2016. They say ECL is godly and humble and yet he is busy trying to steal the vote. ECL has nothing new to offer to voters. ECL and PF must go#
interesting..the man is just dreaming..lol
Well-spoken Nawakwi. Very clear. No one in their right mind would argue with the points she has raised. Everybody knows PF is founded on ‘DON’T KUBEBA’ ideology. Deceit is its foundation.
Time to MOVE ON. Next step, lets have the same clarity on WHAT plans and vision Nawakwi and FDD have for Zambia. Lets hear a well thought-out plan for short, medium and long term for the Country and what vehicles you are going to use to get to your vision. Lets NOT just have a GOOD condemner but BAD planner. Sata was good at condemning but a bad planner. 90 days is still ringing in voters’ ears.
Zambians when they have no aspirations for public office engage in things that come back to haunt them infact they become intelligent over night….we leaders who want the highest office who when granted little power to liquidate a company ‘bought’ the prize catch of that company…another grabbed someone’s husband, engaged Manshe a known crook, held carlington maize saga for maize never delivered, distributed tractors from Jap aid and profited, lastly was at the fore front of wriggling their thin waist in parliament chanting KK alalala as she approved a flawed constitution targeting the exclusion of the then vanquished KK, another self confessed that he smuggled voters…today they want our vote? What more if in office?
You couldn’t have said it any better mama
Mayo kantu kenu
I would take Nawakwi seriously if she also acknowledged the many developments the PF government have managed to deliver in many sectors of our economy instead of focusing on the little things they didn’t do well on. So far she’s just politicking and will leave it as such. Nothing constructive here madam, If you can’t see these progress PF has made come to me and I’ll do the Sontaling for you.
What developments?
Borrowing so much that they have ensured future generations will spend their whole lives in POVERTY just paying back the money they have squandered with their reckless spending and corruption?
That is not development. It is FRAUD, EMBEZZLEMENT AND THEFT!
I wouldn’t take Nawakwi seriously if she also acknowledged the many developments the PF government have managed to deliver in many sectors of our economy instead of focusing on the little things they didn’t do well on. So far she’s just politicking and will leave it as such. Nothing constructive here madam, If you can’t see these progress PF has made come to me and I’ll do the Sontaling for you.
PF iwina utamba kaa! 11 August, 2016 is Lungu nafutinafuti
ama Hule ya mwa kaunda aya.fyayenifye icupo bamayo.you dnt make any difference in politics.
Mayo ban Nawakwi do not explain things in crude way as you are not an economist or former finance minister in MMD. You know what purchasing power of now and the purchasing power before PF came into govt. You also know the grobal situation. You know how you find the price of mealimeal in 1991 and how you left it. If am not mistaken you find it at K215 and left it at K900
Madamas an educated lady try to separate politics and economics which Edgar aims at.
@Political Advisor
Nawakwi is correct and right on bull’s eye. She has compared like with like. How much has been inflation in the past five years…..single digit per year. And the increase in prices of commondities….they have taken a quantum leap.
Why…why….why…..it is because of PF reckless borrowings, corruption, incompetence and grand mismanagement. They have failed the people of Zambia apart from the few who are luxuriating in corrupt tenderprenuership.
God redeem my land!!