By Sunday Chanda
We find it extremely worrying that the Secretary General of what is supposed to be the Country’s main Opposition Party, United Party for National Development (UPND) Mr Stephen Katuka could comfortably, with intent to mislead and misinform, trade such ignorance in the public space.
Every objective observer and Zambian citizen, including any serious Opposition Party will attest to the fact that since the UNIP Government of the 1960-70s, no subsequent Government has developed as much road infrastructure, bridges, invested in alternative power generation investments, and massive infrastructure development in health, education and communications sector – as the PF Government has managed to achieve, in only 8 years (2011–2019)!
During the official opening of the National Assembly on 13th September, 2019, His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu said:
“We have procured debt for development… We can see it in the road infrastructure, bridges, alternative power generation investments, including but not limited to massive infrastructure development in the health, education and communications sector. This we all can see and attest to.”_
Mr. Katuka and UPND may wish to know that Zambia exists and operates not as an island within the global economy. This means that Zambia’s economic performance cannot escape the effects emanating from global economic currents. We invite the UPND to give Zambians what they consider to be implications for an economy such as ours in light of the current adverse global economic currents, according to the IMF, include the USA-Sino Trade War, U.S Auto Tariffs and No-Deal Brexit. Is Mr. Katuka even aware that this has led the IMF and World Bank to cut global economic growth forecasts for 2019 and 2020, with countries such as the USA *seeing a significant economic slowdown in 2020 to only 1.9%.?*
While it’s understandable that UPND is still in denial of Climate Change, they would be wise to know that another adverse global current relates to adverse climatic conditions and weather patterns, which in the case of Zambia, have combined to negatively impact the agriculture, energy and other sectors, and consequently the whole economy.
Does Mr Katuka know about the various economic interventions that the Government has instituted since July 2018, anchored on the Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) and Medium Term Debt Strategy (MTDS) as follows:
i. Postponement of the contraction of all pipeline external debt until the high risk of debt distress is brought to a moderate level.
ii. Cancellation some of the contracted loans that have not disbursed, in order to reduce the debt service burden.
iii. Undertaking an asset liability exercise on selected loans to extend the maturity profile and attain lower interest costs.
iv. Cease issuance of guarantees to commercially viable projects.
v. Cessation of the issuance of Letters of Credit and Sovereign Guarantees to institutions that are technically insolvent until their balance sheet challenges are resolved. (Source: Ministry of Finance, Zambia).
Mr. Katuka may wish to know that through the above and other measures, the PF Government continues to constrain the primary balance while attracting concessional financing for the Budget to mitigate the adverse implications of high debt service in the medium term, by; curtailing the accumulation of debt and reorganizing the current debt portfolio in order to minimize costs and mitigate the risks associated with it.
As a responsible Government, the PF did not start implementing these measures in 2019, but has been implementing these economic interventions in line with its 2017-2019 Medium Term Debt Strategy (MTDS) which outlines PF Government’s plan over the medium term with regards to fiscal and debt management. In addition to this, control of the fiscal deficit is a high priority for the PF Government. For example, in 2018, without measures being undertaken, the deficit would have been higher at over 9% of GDP. Over the Medium Term, the current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) currently under preparation has taken into account the measures and adjustments particularly on the pipeline debt. (Source: Ministry of Finance).
These and other measures by the PF Government have mitigated the adverse effects of the subdued global economy and the resultant lower capital inflows to Zambia.
Mr. Katuka is not even aware that the PF Government has been implementing various measures aimed at achieving macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability; fiscal restraint to achieve low levels of primary balance deficit through the current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), to mention only two.
We wish to draw Mr. Katuka’s attention to President Lungu’s promise to the nation on 13th September 2019 when he said:
“In view of the current economic situation, the Government needs to work more prudently and to do so, the focus should be on ‘managing for results, by doing more with less.’ This is the new mantra that my Government is working with at all levels.”
Maybe to help Mr. Katuka, we shall borrow one of Mr Chishimba Kambwili’s mantras in responding as follows:
- He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool; shun him.
- He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a student; Teach him.
- He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep; Wake him.
- He who knows, and knows that he knows, is Wise; Follow him.”
For now, we ask can only ask Zambians to forgive Mr. Katuka, for he knows not what he is talking about and we do not blame him.
Katuka is ugly ayi. Imagine how beautiful the child will look if he married Nalumango.
Sunday, akalupala naka shupa. Hid bum is also getting bigger. What an irony, because his grey matter is reducing
Chanda has just exposed himself by providing lip service. Truth be told: PF has no road map unto economic recovery after leading us into this ditch of debt and massive corruption, theft and dictatorship. This article is nowhere near what PF is doing. You decided to invest in thin over stated roads from which you mercilessly stole instead of visionary alternative power sources. See the darkness outside? We have huge water deposits underground but you are busy building malls and unidentified houses. You are global trotting while Magufuli develops Tanzania. You have corrupted police, judiciary and there are no medicines in hospitals as people die. Budget is sickening to the core. What are you yapping about?
Small minded rhetoric. Soon they will be saying we are governing better than UNIP as can be seen by the availability of cell phones. The argument has always been that the level of development is significantly low, relative to the debt acquired. You guys borrowed enough to build a house, yet you continue to argue/brag that you built a ka ntemba.
QWajimona kikikikikikikiki. You just made my day. I was wondering the same hahahahahaha.
Wajimona, why don’t you talk about your mother? You are a brat.
Development is welcome under the PF government. The concern is at what cost? (Value of toll gates structures, life span of roads, unaccounted for 48 houses, helicoper priced fire tenders etc,..etc.)
On climate change; the concerns raised have been misunderstood by those its directed at.
What people are saying is that inspite of advance global and local weather focus warning of an impending shortage of rainfall in the year under discussion, acumen was missing on the part of government on how to respond. In the bible it is narrated that when the prophets revealed that there shall be several years of abundance and similar years of drought, the nations prepared on how to mitigate and survive in the period of hunger.
One chap said this,…. “Nomba twakulalya imisebo?” That is what…
Yes!
He who knows, and knows that he denies reality, is not ready to form Government; make sure that the corridors of power eludes him and his party forever.”
Isn’t it out’a reality checks and balances that you form informed decisions and traverse in the right direction?
Isn’t it out’a reality checks and balances that you stir the nation in the right direction?
Oil prices are going up worldwide.
Climate change is raveging places across the globe.
Zambian Assets are in that hands of wrong characters, thanks to the poofter h².
The PF is constructing good road countrywide.
This is reality.
Yawn…
This man writes needless long articles. Clearly he sees himself as the cream of PF. The articles are so monotonous, predictable that I doubt that even PF members read them.
Just to alert the good people out there, for every borrowed dollar, 63 cents is stolen. With the sheer magnitude of PF borrowed dollars, any fool can do what the PF has done. But an intelligent person can do 3 times more than what PF has done, honestly.
By stealing 63% of borrowed money, PF has done more harm than good.
Katuka needs deliverance.
His heart is full of hatred and bitterness.There is nothing that PF can do to please katuka.Imagine If UPND can form government with heavy hearted men like katuka and his Ayatollah.
I see why my comments disappear, when you use words like “f00l”, “stup!d” your javascript performs a text search for such terms even if you are not insulting anyone. So people resort to wrong spellings to insult others.
It is better to use machine learning to identify really insulting comments or even natural language processing. Otherwise the algorithm you use is very primitive and will punish people for no reason.
I wonder who drafted this for Sunday. The actual writer sounds well informed above external events.
Over-inflated structures built by the Chinese who are slowly invading us. You cannot compare that to Kaunda who did it without having an invasion of the Chinese. Kaunda has free education, healthcare, and subsidies. MMD left a good economy that you have utterly destroyed now there is hunger which you wanted to deny. Tell us which is better roads or food, I will choose food because you can’t live without it
What we know is most Egg-heads are intelligent but this particular one called Sunday uyu awe sure! He’s such a pain in his own A$$!
if any thing its the other one who requires deliverance because this other one is stating the truth.
A very hollow desperate statement from a propagandist of a failed party.
Give credit where it’s due. This is a well presented article, people need to familiarise themselves with matters of the country not always giving negative comments. Excellent job Chanda! Keep up the good work.
Boring….
FATBOY LIPSTICK BELLYMAN SUNDAY HAS SPOKEN AGAIN!!
All this Brute spews is Rubbish (Muzungu -Jona anikonde) tripe.
Stop wearing Lipstick iwe’ Changa, & for once comment on relevant issues ie Mysterious 48 P.F plunder houses, Invisible ancient Fire Trucks collected by Mama Jona & her whole village relations @ great expense to the taxpayer, BUT Never arrived in Zambia, loadshedding, famine, whilst P.F sells our grain reserves to fund P.F campaigns. Fatboy -Red Lips, talk about P.F officials depleting our game reserves for a quick Corrupt Dollar. Fat Boy Lipstick, tell us more about Jona buying a Gulfstream Jet, to ferry Valden to Kenya, & other places, when retirees, teachers, & nurses are NOT paid for months. I’m sure you are paid monthly to ensure your A.R.V’s don’t run out!…
Cont;
Fatboy Lipstick Chanda, please comment, & enlighten us as to why your “humble Boss” Jona Chakolwa, has a Special assistant in Violence & Corruption Kaizer, who he’s NEVER Fired despite Kaizer maiming a Woman Police officer in full view of his Drunken Boss Jona @ Gabon Disaster Stadium, & assaulting & abducting innocent Citizens of Zambia? You cannot spin this one Red Lips, as these matters are currently in Courts of Law, & Jona was present when his resident State House pugilist Kaizer assaulted a Female officer, unless you are confirming Jona is always Drunk on duty, & never sees what’s going on around him.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES ZAMBIANS WANT YOU TO ENLIGHTEN US ABOUT, NOT BROWN NOSING BA JONA, IF YOU KNOW WHAT THE TERM BROWN NOSING MEANS, LIPSTICK BWOY!!
Sunday, Kateka and other brainwashed cadre blind followers of Akainde do not understand the language you are using. Try to simplify for the sake of their simply minds to understand.
How much is Sunday being paid to obscure or write nonsensical replies when every country is measured by GDP. Has seen how much unemployment there is? Shame that no one in PF can talk about the real fundamentals. The road infrastructure started by Michael Sata with good intentions has now become a source of corruption. when we have individuals who are naive like Sunday Chanda is so sad
be right for a change
Useless Upnd panduts, wait for 2021 so that your HH cries his eyes out. Honestly most of you appear blind not to read a clear message on the wall, that the PF will sweep clear the 2021 elections. Don’t argue based on your ignorance & feelings. But read the development the PF have done across the country. You cannot compare your depleted Upnd to the mass development currently underway in the country. Just start mourning before the campaigns start. This time around Upnd must put in place 100 emergency ambulances at HH’s residence to ferry him to UTH once he collapses of the impact of the election results. Its gonna be a clear walk over. Look, what can Upnd point at now. No vice-president, unstable structures, dwindling membership etc. Wapya PF awina.
this is a big fool sunday chanda