Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia’s Government System is Broken and Needs fixing – Nevers

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Nevers Mumba
Nevers Mumba

By Oliver Chisenga

THE Zambian government system is broken and needs to be fixed in earnest, says Nevers Mumba. Speaking on Hot FM yesterday, Mumba the MMD president urged President Edgar Lungu and government to speak to the nation on various matter affecting the governance system than assume that people would know on their own.

Mumba, however, urged government not to speak to Zambians like they were talking to children as they address pertinent queries arising from the governance kerfuffle.

He warned that former President Kenneth Kaunda would not have lasted 27 years in power if he was not communicating to Zambians.

“The energy problem is a small problem that can be resolved once leadership makes a decision,” he said.

Mumba, the former Republican vice-president, recalled that under president Levy Mwanawasa, the government then was faced with the $7.2 billion unsustainable debt but it was solved because of the will and determination of the team of leaders at the time.

He said under Mwanawasa, the shackle of economic debt was broken because his team concentrated on it.

Mumba insisted that the PF had no option but to sit down and resolve the issue of the energy crisis like yesterday.

“This PF government needs to find a solution, Israel does not have the Victoria Falls, does not have the Chishimba Falls but they never have load shedding. It’s these things that frustrate me…. To depend on rain so that we can have electricity and we are going to depend on rain then we should preserve the water during the rainy season so that in the dry season it does not run out, that’s our responsibility,” he said.

Mumba added that if Zambia was not going to provide power because the water levels had gone down then government, without excuses, must find a temporary solution.

He noted that the temporary solution would cost the government a lot of money but insisted that they had no choice but to do it so that the industry can continue to thrive and business to run.

He noted with regret that the status quo of the power deficit was crippling the country economically.

Asked if he was in favour of importing power when the government was broke, Mumba said, “They have no option, they have to import it. It will cost a lot but they have to do it, they have to find a way to resolve this because that’s what leadership is about. A problem comes, you have to solve it.”

He added that with the gravity of the energy crisis, Zambians were not going to listen to any excuses.

Mumba said the PF had taken too long to resolve the power deficit issue.

“They have really taken long, they are assuming Zambians are a very understanding people but I think it’s a wrong assumption. If I were there, I would have given this process not longer that 60 days to really deal with it. It was going to be costly to find immediate solutions but if you let this thing continue the way it’s continuing, there will be very little productivity in this country. People cannot work because there is not energy to do so and therefore the economy will ground to a halt,” Mumba feared.

He further said money had to be invested so that citizens could work and help the economy to move.

Mumba said a leader should not allow load shedding to continue without any sign of ending it.

“What I would have done if I were in government, if I know that this crisis would take three months, almost every week or month I would address the Zambia people and tell them the progress we are making and ensuring that the Zambian people work with us until we achieve what we need to achieve. I would not keep them ignorant, this it too big an issue not to be told about as a people of Zambia,” he said.

Mumba added that governance was about taking information to the governed and not allow them to speculate in bars, nightclubs to formulate their own personal policies and philosophies.

He noted that if there was no information coming from the governors to explain what people were facing then there was a risk that whatever was being discussed in beer halls would start to progress against the government.

Mumba said the government’s failure to talk to the people could fuel instability.

“I don’t think Kenneth Kaunda would have lasted 27 years if he never spoke to the people. Kenneth Kaunda had difficult times but I would remember that when things were really bad, in 1986 when there were riots and mealie-meal prices shot up and I thought this is it, KK is out, people were angry; breaking everything and looting but what amazed me is that in the middle of that confusion, pain and anger there was an announcement of ZNBC that tomorrow at 10:00 AM His Excellency Dr Kenneth David Kaunda shall address the nation. With anger in our hearts, we went to listen…when KK is speaking the whole Kitwe would be quiet and he went, fellow countrymen and then he breaks it down, bringing the Zambians into the pain, difficulties and challenges of life and invited them to work with his government to achieve what they were all looking for,” Mumba said.

He further said Dr Kaunda was a good communicator.

Mumba, a Pastor, counseled President Lungu and the PF that problems would always be there but there was a need to address the nation.

“You can keep your marriage longer if you talk to your wife. The reason we have these marriage problems is because as husbands we just think that our wives should understand…women thrive on information and if you don’t give it to them, you are going to have hell in your own house but the moment you start to explain things to them, everything changes. Even if you don’t have money when you talk to them everything changes.”

Mumba added that not talking to Zambians makes them feel disrespected and that should be avoided at all costs.

He said how they talked to the citizens also mattered.

He advised the government to avoid talking to Zambians like they do not think or reason.

He further said while he agreed that climate change had affected the entire world, the voters did not care about the water levels but wanted food on the table, affordable mealie-meal because leaders got into government not to explain problems but solve them.

30 COMMENTS

  1. “THE Zambian government system is broken!”

    1. When did you realize it?
    2. WHY did u not fix it when u were in GRZ?

    • Nevers Mumba sir you don’t have to be a Politician to help Zambi….so why can’t you just be an ordinary citizen and contribute….plus pay back the money you stole in Canada….plus the Embassy furniture you shipped to your house in Zambia..kawalala

    • The headline is contrary to the narrative in the story.
      All nervous Nevers is saying is that POTROZ ECL has not informed the nation over the power crisis in the land. Oh! Hasn’t he? Hummh! That’s hard to digest. I thought the president already did.
      Secondly, Sekwila wants it to be running on the TV and Radio that Zambia is developing power below pa. Ok, I get that but information dissemination of the KK error is different from what we have.
      Thirdly, what is Government doing about it? ECL was excited when he was commissioning 300MW Coal Fired Power Plant (CFPP) established at Maamba. Has the project added any value? If it had Can’t we replicate coal power generation and couple it with solar? Importing power is sounding weird. But this is indeed Government’s baby and they have to…

    • …sort it out immediately.

      Indeed the Zambians need not be told that until Kaliba Dam water improves that’s when loadshedding hogwash will end.
      Don’t import, invest in Power Generation now. Don’t do the Foreign Direct Investment on power. It is Government’s duty.

    • He is 100% right. It wasn’t as broken as it is today. During the mmd there was law and order. The police had more power than cadres. Presidents used to have press conferences to address the nation which we have never had in the last 8 years. All government agencies were better run than now. We were better of than. Economy was good and so business was good so more people were employed. Government policies were good. Nobody can deny that and nervous was part of that. Whatever you say, you cannot take that away from him.

  2. Why should God’s favourite country hv a broken dwn system of govt? There’s something not making sense here. The country was handed and dedicated to Christianity. Wht do we hv to show for Christ’s presence in our country?

  3. The next GRZ should start implementing asap 3 things to keep ahead of the curve …

    They need to start constructing dams and irrigation canals to farming blocks

    They need to start implementing a serious local solar assembly/manufacture

    They need to target planting 1 million trees a year with citizen participation…

    The current ‘lungu long fingers” PF GRZ is not capable of any of that…..

  4. Kaunda called us ‘stup!d !diots’ when he wanted to ‘communicate’ with Zambians. He could be right, or how else do you explain intelligent Zambians electing punks that now inhabit and pollute government offices? There isn’t any sign that the drunkard and his bunch of misfits will turn things around in Zambia. Is there?

  5. Brilliant Pastor Nevers Mumba. What you have said addresses the Presidential concern about social media. PC’s biggest weakness is telling lies on things that they should address with truth. Everything they as if truth would take them out of power. They only think of votes, but votes are more assured with truth than lies. If you dont give information, social media will, over the bar counter information is readily available.

  6. True Dic, fake news is as a result of no news. People want to hear what their government is doing about a crises, bena ziii. Look at the way people are interpreting K Zulu’s simple sentence (it is better to lose an individual than to lose power to govern). You will understand the frustration.

  7. The issue of importation is important decision to consider and make without adding more but to grow the economy and revenues but if you can see other quicker and cheaper options including Financing methods in those imports without loading over the fragile economies then the cost and benefit analysis of importation will work but simply to import and light the lights will not add value But better Invest now in those importation costs long-term like the Japanese Solar Company Investing than consume the less than USD 62 Mw of the 300

    It’s a climate risk issue that should be managed to have power and still grow the economy It’s not the issue of Zambian debt levels and or no…

  8. or more of those and no money. I think the comments and issues of Zambian debt must be carefully invested into explained and people get to understand and see
    others how well we have at least managed not to add 2 Billion per year in debt given the
    fragile and revenues we record There is also a lot of news and misguided comments on Zambian debt situation with misguided policy pronouncements counters that gives solutions on how deficits on the fiscal plans and budgets can be eliminated by “earmarks” abuse or fraud etc. You will need to see at what growth rates and revenues rate should we triple to re-balance and achieve reserve It should a review of the…

  9. It should be a review of the situations and fiscal plans that have got us where we are and those different moments and what is the outlook to say 2030 if those proposals to sustainability will be sound and be reliable to be taken as a basis of proper policy decisions
    It’s also misguided approach to embark simply on cutting expenditure (discretionary and other) at this state of the Zambian economy (fragile) and importantly Civil servants emoluments and others because you may want to attract more skilled and competitive staff and avoid the outsourcing
    These questions will always be asked at any particular time in those debt discussions . Do we have the revenues sufficient to run the…

  10. economy without contracting debt or further, if not how do we Finance?? ,by how much can we
    effect revenue increase and expenditure cuts and still perform the economy //Can we increase taxes or reduce expenditure by 10%, 25% ,50% or other What is the optimal level of cutting and reduction of expenditures before affecting growth and Government delivery negatively In this case Cost of Importation
    Its commonly understood that the effective way of cutting levels of debt should be in efficient REVENUE MOBILIZATION more than by cutting expenditure. This also should be at basis points that will not regress the economic growth and activities These should be well thought after or…

  11. after or modeled and the real options or future economic scenarios much more emphasized because economic history may be different now
    Most of these comments on Zambia debt situation solutions and real options have not been critically and objectively made even befitting a simple LAFFER CURVE analysis to see the economics at play
    Increasing expenditure was ideal and is ideal especially in infrastructure developments projects ,because the premix is to create a quicker turnaround of the economy and support growth sectors to create more Jobs and increase the revenues much faster than the growth of spending and debt
    There should be no loss of control and focus on these expenditures on…

  12. on infrastructure because it’s in them that-the Zambian economy is premised to perform for long-term Such spending on renewable energy projects that will give you quicker Mw of power for long term if by investing in such Infrastructure in alternative energy and other you drive the economic growth faster than current then you will manage to repay and restructure the debt to the levels of common sustainability The opposite is also true you slow the economic growth either by ineffective modelled expenditure including importation and revenues methods to do not compensate ,you grow the deficits and debt levels further So it’s a balancing act and You will need to carefully…

  13. model those expenditures and revenues to effect a growth rate that is needed to effect positive reductions in those debt levels otherwise it will keep on growing with every successive years Governments and Presidential individuals and not necessary or this one current It’s not also possible at this level of Growth and Revenues to repay all sovereign debt to Zero, some will have to be restructured ,managed ,and eventually in years to come as revenues and conditions improve be paid off

    Thus said the issue of energy is also a political economy but the issues of debt must be seen in their proper context and see the issues objectively otherwise the intention to spend on infrastructure…

    • Nevers was part of the Levy GRZ that bragged daily about bringing the most FDI but failed to realise that those investments will gobble a lot of power. PF inherited your broken system and have set up the construction of 2 major power plants while solar from Turkish and Japanese investors will bring in 500 plus NW and ZESCO will set up their own solar plants. Nevers is a political failure with a poor cv and a conviction from the money he stole in Canada. Zambia needs better opposition please!!

  14. was and has been sincerely been to active the economy and create the Job numbers needed and none of these political parties will do it differently given the Zambian economic outlook So how you spend those imports or Invest must be to grow the economy reduce the excesses and systematically reduce the debt levels and restructure to sustainability So far the PF is thinking properly and must be commended and any other political party that says and makes sense fit into the Zambian economic prospects

    • Iwe chi zambian citizen, don’t give us excuses of pf inheriting this and that. We were much much better off during mmd than now in all aspects. Pf have had 8 years of office but day by day the country is going down and id**ts like you are cheering on. Don’t you love your country? Whoever fails should be removed and someone else should be allowed to govern by vote ofcourse. Who cares about which party and which president. All we need is good services and a good country. It should be Zambia first.

  15. Its interesting to observe also that when the importing country power ultility is under power deficit ,be it planned or unplanned outages,the first call is to sensitive and practice ROTATIONAL LOAD shedding with clients participating WHILST saving the deficit of 60 USD /Mw that could have been important Sometimes say of more that 3000 Mw in a typical cycle load-shedding “Power Balancing” Their first call s not to import indiscriminately to say shorter term needs but to invest in Variable Power Generation methods and power Plants that could be there for a long-term Investing in people to self generation of power and capacitating the IPPs local with those power…

  16. imports savings They understand the nature of short-term energy security economics especially as they impact struggling utilities and the beauty of the Treasuries saved

  17. Bayende uko naweve awo mwe! I think we just need to scrap the slate clean of anyone who has held political power in Zed and start afresh. Enough mwe! Wene Prof Mwenda and company should now step up and try their luck mwe. Talema navo vaboza ivi.

  18. I would like to counsel our govt if the powers that be can invest in solar power in every district around the country at least if every district could be able to produce at least 40megawatts for its consumption and connected to the national grid this will be a onetime investment to mitigate power outtages

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    Zambia’s Government System is Broken and Needs fixing – Nevers
    October 26, 2019 483 28
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    Nevers Mumba
    Nevers Mumba
    By Oliver Chisenga

    THE Zambian government system is broken and needs to be fixed in earnest, says Nevers Mumba. Speaking on Hot FM yesterday, Mumba the MMD president urged President Edgar Lungu and government to speak to the nation on various matter affecting the governance system than assume that people would know on their own.

    Mumba, however, urged government not to speak to Zambians like they were talking to children as they address pertinent…

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