Economics Association of Zambia President Lubinda Haabazoka has charged that the London based Africa Confidential is not a credible source of news about Zambia.
Dr Haabazoka said Africa Confidential only speacilises in painting Zambia and Africa in general in the negative light.
“My role as EAZ President comes with a lot of responsibility especially where it comes to public perception about the state of the economy in Zambia. I receive queries on many issues from investors, households and other stakeholders. I have however noted that the source of concern mostly is coming from information being released by a source called African confidential. I have never paid attention to this “media house” until today when a stakeholder sent a query to verify a story published by that outlet,” he said.
“The African confidential on its page mention that they have been publishing since 1960. A brief check on their websites has concluded that they have no article on any African country that is positive. Theirs is to paint a gloomy picture about Africa therefore making potential investors become skeptical,” Dr Haabazoka said.
“Us Africans continue glorifying their reports denting our image making it even difficult for ourselves on the international stage. You want to go for holiday they say you are an immigrant. They come here, they are tourists and potential investors. Let us be wary of such institutions that will always look for negative things but never mention positives.”
He added, “Yes we have our rough patches and we have our good patches. It’s better to report both!!!! I would accept criticism from the Mast, Daily nation, News Diggers, Times of Zambia, Daily Mail among others but not from people that have no idea of calculating wealth in Africa. A villager in Namwala might not own a personal jet but can be worth a million dollars but still leave in a mud house. Cattle is the secret.”
“A shop owner in kitwe might own just one outlet for 50 years without expansion but that does not mean that their business is dead. That business has probably expanded and has built the owner houses, bought cars, send children to school, supporting them he extended family and also developed a farm. Africa is different and we need to understand differently.”
He says ,”In some cases, The Zambian middle class is way better than the middle class of certain western countries.”
Point of agreement, truly African wealth calculation is misunderstood by Western economists.
Mr. Russian Economist, Africa Confidential paints such a bad picture of the African continent because your so called leaders keep going to them with begging bowls almost every other day. So if you don’t want Africa Confidential to stop writing negative stories about African countries advise your leaders to stop flocking to Europe, America and other wealthy nations for alms. But as long as you keep getting their money and misusing it, they will continue writing negative stuff about you. It’s foolhardy for anybody to try and deny the fact that there’s rampant abuse, theft and misapplication of resources in Africa. Mr. Russian Economist, don’t rush to discredit Africa Confidential reports when there’s glaring and overwhelming evidence.
What African wealth calculations?
School them gullible Zambians who think anything foreign is real and better. Africa confidential is as credible as Zambian Watchdog
Habazoka is completely lost. The Zambian economy is at crossroads and I am afraid that a Chairperson of the EAZ can be this clueless
Mpemfu you are sick. Physically, mentally and psychologically. You kiss too much white ass
So what is credible then if there is a vacuum …you have killed off everything even The Post that had a physical address you crushed it…who is privy to those loan contracts being signed in China? So long as there is a vacuum and the govt is not accountable and transparent people will believe anything ..plus the President is a yellow bellied coward who fears questions from the media.
Wiser than little boys on the blog.
Mpefu is the same cockroach. It means that they only know to infest and not how to think.
The only credible thing about this chap is his belly and that is a proven fact. Everything else is dilusional. Chinese or russians do not mean well. Look at even how they treat their own. Dumping prisioners in Africa.
MINDSET,precisely the point habaazoka is making ….they write about africans and not themselves…they lend money as a business…we didn’t force them to create these lending institutions……
That is the spirit, the western devil is hiting hard on Africa, they never say any good that comes out of Africa except to accept our economic immigrants such as Muna Ndulo in US and others. While we call theirs who come to africa as experts ours are just African immigrants it ends there.
Mr. Russian Economist, Africa Confidential paints such a bad picture of the African continent because your so called leaders keep going to them with begging bowls almost every other day. So if you don’t want Africa Confidential to stop writing negative stories about African countries advise your leaders to stop flocking to Europe, America and other wealthy nations for alms. But as long as you keep getting their money and misusing it, they will continue writing negative stuff about you. It’s foolhardy for anybody to try and deny the fact that there’s rampant abuse, theft and misapplication of resources in Africa. Mr. Russian Economist, don’t rush to discredit Africa Confidential reports when there’s glaring and overwhelming evidence.
Difference is Muna is Harvard trained and professor at an Ivy League University (Cornell) why Habazoka is an academic at the unrated UNZA
Haabazoka was born in 1981 and the man looks like he is 60 years old….moreover he is at CBU you think he would say otherwise and risk his job…really laughable!!
@ Mpemfu.
You forgot to mention that Haabazoka is Russian educated. That makes him way below Muna Ndulo. This Haabzoka is a clueless comedian pretending to be an economist who specializes in gibberish. I hear he was just acting monkey comedy when he was in Russia. He was busy embarrassing Zambian and the entire sub Saharan Africa by acting like a monkey in his comedy shows in Russia to the delight of white Russians. This man is a big joke. Don’t we have proper economist from UNZA or other credible institutions who can run EAZ?
PF has been very smart they have placed stooges all over the place LAZ is now in their back pocket unable to provide checks and balance …now you have this fat obese boy who who born in 1981 but looks like a fat American 60 year old.
Well said.
Iwe chi HABAZOKA If you have a big belly, it does not mean the economy is okay and everyone in the country is enjoying. Write facts so that we know if you are a really true economist!! Educated in Russia??? kikikikiki!!!!
This is a useless article because you have not clearly articulated the true state of the economy.
Habbazoka is just trying to stay in his job…..he dares not upset lungu and pf.
Of course western madia will paint a glumy picture of you….54 years independent and you still need aid from the west to survive, you have just borrowed and spent $17 billion on infrastructure yet 5 miles from state house you have people drinking water from wells next to pit latrines and getting stricken by cholera …..only Africans would pay $1 million for a fire truck that costs $380k…42 times with one hand and go begging to the IMF for a bailout with the other hand….where is the good news ?
Imagine you owe me $8billion and you come back again asking for more money …what elese would you be offering for more funds…it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work this one out!!
And this Haabazoka guy is credible? Only in Zambia lol!
Too many house Negros on this site who think African Confidential is credible
Well said Dr Haabazoka! I don’t why we shold drink anything said by western media even when they are blantantly lying about our country. Some people would ather believe a ststement issued in London by a person seated in office than a statement issued by our own Lubinda Haabazoka. Africa Confidential thrives in painting Africa gloomier than midnight darkness, moreover many European countries are not happy about infrastructure development taking place in Zambia
Just look at this man’s CV and make you own judgement ..
cbu.academia.edu/LubindaHaabazoka/CurriculumVitae
Right and some Africans are a let down to Africa. That is why we lag behind other developed countries. Inferiority complex.
As long as the PF government is not transparent, the world cannot be blamed for believing any information that has been verified by various research findings and events that are observable. For example the rate of inflation is fake looking at the Kwacha’s buying power if compared to 2 years ago. The government was corrected by IMF on the debt position after you gave wrong figures. You are reluctant to effect the access to information bill. Who do you want us to believe?
PF has not been truthful with IMF..they have not been accountable to the people, has crashed the independent media …any hack would thrive in such conditions…so its laughable to speak of credibility when you made your own bed.
“HH WILL DIE A BITTER PERSON” says Tayali. I think Haabazoka is one of a few TONGAS that speaks sense. Haabazoka has just confirmed what I said the other day about this African confidential that this media is either anti Chinese agenda or it is an opposition sponsored media. I may not be surprised if it is discovered that HH has invested sum money into this project in order to influence public opinion just like he invested in the Cambridge analytical for the same purpose of winning the elections. Just mark my words this tribalist is behind this African confidential publication about Zambia. He is trying to paint negative about Zambia in desperate bid to win peoples votes in 2021. IT WILL NEVER WORK. 2021 and beyond for PF.
Haabazoka is wiser. The Dept of Mapatizya Formula thinks through tribe first and attack the government without merit. Their boys will support any person as long as he is white and stands against their government. “White is beautiful and right all the time,” to them. That is why they love Harm Nest and Common Health. That is why Pro. Hansoni can write to the Union on his employer’s letterhead without thinking. Reason? The brains are diseased with jealousy and tribalism and their souls are sick as well. They think tribe first before they answer on any matter. Imagine having people who think like this in government! That is why the bodies above would support their agenda. They know some Africans are stoolpidy and sellouts. Childish and his agenda is a danger to Zambia.
@ Alexander Saimbwende. I think Saimbwende helps answer the valid point Dr. Haabazoka raises about the seemingly negative reporting of the London-based Africa Confidential on the African continent. Africa Confidential does not report from without but has its own sources of news from within the African continent. Some of whom may be ‘disgruntled’ members of the ruling elite and opposition leaders who may be positioning themselves for state power and think by giving negative reports of their own countries it may bolster their political fortunes. These are probably the sources of Africa Confidential news that Dr. Haabazoka should address himself to. Also the reason Africa needs its own strong news outlets that tell better stories about itself, the Aljazeera way!
In addition, I must say that the African continent and its leaders have gone to sleep for far too long. They have allowed the West to control the news that is available to ordinary Africans. It is about time the African Union thought about supporting the idea of a news channel that paints a good picture of itself in a more balanced manner.
It is the same africa confidential that brought to light the cancelled Zesco deal of $500 million that lungu had signed prio to 2016 elections. It meangless to have all the news dealing with open news,thats y this news org digs deeper for corrupt deals that affect ordinary citizens.
He has said the truth and He spoke well on SUNDAY INTERVIEW also There is no peer review on African confidential and the paid subscription simply tells you the mission its not 1 accurate 2 objective 3 reasonable 4 misses consensus sometimes when events unfolds 5 no confirmation and collaboration with sources 6. Biased 7. Its secretive with no information asymmetry
Dr Lubinda Haabazoka is just tonga by name!!!This man is very wise and real economist unlike Kainde with a ka degree from UNZA in economics minus any work experience!!!
Look at the f0ol above called “libwesha” trying to laugh at Russian education!!RUSSIA IS A SUPER POWER WITH SPLENDID EDUCATION SYSTEM!!NO UNIVERSITY IN ZAMBIA CAN BE COMPARED TO RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES!!!Dr.Haabazoka has said a right thing.These are the people we need in Zambia.Dr.Haabazoka is always spot on and he only says positive things about mother Zambia!!PLEASE KEEP IT UP SIR!!
When the usual suspects are patting you on the back …be very wry!!
I am very weary when Larry Mweetwa on BoSpakata bark! Goodness, I don’t care because I know neither of them is electable or winnable. Neither of them speaks any sense too which Zambians can follow. That is why he will NEVER be president in Zambia.
Very patriotic of not only Zambia but Africa as whole. What a statesman.
Dr. Habazoka is a real Zambian and a truthful person for that matter.
Thank you Sir.
Dr Habaabazoka thumbs up on this one. This the kind of spirit we need. If Africa was as bad the white people say why did they risk very harsh waters to come to Africa in the first place. We as Africans did not need them but whites came to Africa first and our silly chief started selling our brothers for slaves to go and work in white sugar plantations. And now we have the Chinese buying our leaders so that they can exploit Africa. It is the kind attitude siding with white that has made Africa be were it is today. Zambians will glorify foreigners at the expense of their own brother.
WE ARE SO DISAPOINTED IN UPND FOR A FELLOW TONGA TO SPEAK LIKE THIS, HE MUST BE BOUGHT OFF BY PF HOWEVER WE KNOW THAT A TONGA IS ALWAYS A TONGA SO HE IS IN PF TO GET DATA FOR US TO USE IN 2021, FURTHERMORE HIS VOTE WILL BE ON HH…FORWARD
All Africans think if a muzungu says something about their country then it is true. It is our inferiority complex at work. We always think whatever the muzungu tells us must be believed but what we tell ourselves is rubbish.
Where was this young man all this long. Africa needs him. Zambia needs him even more. I salute you.
He was a lecturer at CBU very recently and he taught me at Msc in Project Management. He was extremely critical of the current state of the economy, just about less than two years. Let us thank UNZA for pumping sense in our Doctor.
There is need to heal from most of our African brothers and sisters sickness of self hatred.. it is a disease that emanates from slavery.. apostle Paul wrote ” be not conformed to worldly things but be renewed in your mind.. that is where we must start.. heal the mind.. have some self worth and say no to things foreign and domestic that you do not need.
Dr Habazooka makes mention some critical facts that need to be clearly understood and developed further.. my brothers and sisters in Africa and beyond, please use your minds for creation. We need solutions to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.. let’s be pragmatic and lead by example.
When was the little boy Gay Jay born? 2001?
The only credible thing about this chap is his belly and that is a proven fact. Everything else is dilusional. Chinese or russians do not mean well. Look at even how they treat their own. Dumping prisioners in Africa.
Lubinda I thank you for being real.you got an education in your field so you can use it to straighten issues.am disappointed to learn that Tonga’s and UPND are disappointed of you.problem these people think they are the only ones with brains, its a shame of how they portray them selves.
i Have had an interesting read from both author and Bloggers. First things first. The editor has misrepresented photo file.The photo file was a photo (pose) by Lubinda when he was invited(personal capacity) for some paper presentations at Don, Russia last year (December) city. The author quite highlights what was European thoughts years back, thats not true nowdays. Stats & research are all out there, which locally we are not privy to.E.g How come the recent Mopani thieving has not been captured by our local outlets lest, we had tale tells from these European outlets with their concerns. In short the author is trying to hoodwink the public for some ‘ hidden ideas)- this stems from his sharp u turn in his economics spurts recently.I like bloggers who have come out with open mind. This is…
I agree on your assessment about his sharp U-turn on his views about the current state of the economy. Dr Haabazoka was very critical of the state of the economy in his lectures of Post graduate studies at CBU. Maybe his relocation to UNZA in Lusaka has put more sense in his head. This is indeed positive for our country. Look at the way Antonio Mwanza was wasting his talent with Nawakwi