Thursday, March 28, 2024

Fuel hike a Christmas gift from President Lungu, says HH as he condemns Electricity Tariffs Hike

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HH speaking during a radio programme on SUN FM
HH speaking during a radio programme on SUN FM

UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema has described the current fuel hike as a Christmas gift from the Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

Condemning the over 100% hike in power tariffs effective 1st January 2020 and hike in fuel prices blamed on the depreciating Kwacha and increase in prices of crude oil, Mr Hichilema said typical of thieves, they strike in the night.

Petrol prices rose effective midnight 26th December 2019 from K15.98 to K17.62, Diesel from K14.23 to K15.59, Kerosene from K13.02 to K15.39 while Low Sulphur Gas rose from K16.52 to K K17.88.

Mr Hichilema said this is a clear indication that the current Government is incompetent and has said that another gift awaits on January 1, 2020.

And All peoples Congress Leader Nason Msoni has predicted further hardships for Zambians in 2020 following the upwards adjustment in fuel pump prices and power tariffs.

Mr Msoni accused the PF government of squeezing Zambians because they are broke to pay back the many loans they have acquired.

He described the adjustments as evil and will create misery among Zambians adding that the PF does not consider the plight of the citizens.

43 COMMENTS

  1. Finish! If anyone still doubts that Lungu and PF have failed then you need serious help. Time for change of government. HH warned you about this long time and you called him names. Viva HH and UPND

    • @Art ah: YOU ARE RIGHT. THERE IS NEED FOR CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT. UNFORTUNATELY WE SHALL NOT MAKE A MISTAKE OF CHOOSING HH OR UPND. I PRAY THAT WITH TIME, A MORE CREDIBLE OPPOSITION WILL RISE BEFORE 2021.

    • If I use my heart to think, I will definitely side this h² on this occasion. I will still continue to use my brain instead. It is safer that way. But I think he is an ailing economist, and detaching politics from the subject, we don’t rig for oil and surely our route to importing is miles and miles away.
      On electricity, I stand with the kleptomaniac h² point of view. PF has failed in terms of the Energy policy more so on electricity much like the preceding Government. But forget preceding Governments. I agree with VJ 2019 has been rough for Zambians. I hope dear PF understands this. My heart is with you Zambians regardless. Does Nkhuwa need to maintain his job? Morally I think not.

    • i, personally will vote for PF! i want all those who voted for them in 2016 to feel how we are feeling! elo by the way, has anyone seen JK? kale

    • My gals and I will still be voting PF until an able opposition emerges. This is the feeling of most Zambians.
      Otherwise we were warned beforehand about tariffs increases why is bo hichilema complaining about.
      I think Government is right. It is high time we were embarked on cost reflective tariffs.
      We need to consider alternative transport systems and promote electric cars to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and alternative electricity sources to clear Zesco.

  2. Ichibemba chitila “ushimwikete atila ati mufutule tuleya”. Meaning that “the one who is not involved in the fight says beat him fast so that we go”. When you are not in the system and you are in the terraces watching you may think and conclude it is cery easy. It sounds very simple for us including the people in the opposition to see things as being porridge to handle but when you go there and you’re behind the wheels of driving the national economy then you will realise how difficult it is for you to do it.

    • H² did you get that?
      I thought h² should be celebrating this state of affairs. But people still fail to resonate with him.

      Nevertheless citizens gotta come to terms that crude is always a dollar su.c.ker for Zambia. Crude import will always rip us apart dollarally until we begin to mine or rig it here in Zambia. Let’s embrace alternatives to clude oils.

  3. More money in our pockets.
    We would not be in such a situation if we had wisely invested some of the Euro bonds into solar energy projects and not the limping Zambia railways. Kavindele’s rail project would have been feasible as an alternative to ZR as less trucks would be damaging our roads enroute to Durbsn and Walvis Bay with tonnes of minerals.

  4. Drought, hunger, load shedding fuel, and now…electricity hike? indeed happy Christmas and a prosperous new year to all Zambians!!

    • Thank you on behalf of Zambians.
      God bless you kid.
      Indeed on crude dependance may God open the people’s minds.
      Angola is near yet we still choose Saudi Arabia and its fellow Middle East countries. South Sudan is also near.
      Is their crude more superior to Africa’s?

  5. What is happenning down there in Zambia is not good for a common man. Last time i checked it was hard for a common man to put food on the table. On the street big men were asking money from me that “ati shaniko kasusu bakaamba” ladies at night were like a swam of bees. The nation is in Shambles.

  6. Now we are await the eminent increase in prices of various things. Bus fares will increase as well as other essential commodities. 2020 begins on hard note for all except those in the PF. However my message to all is don’t lose hope nor panic but plan and budget wisely. Tough people navigate tough times efficiently and effectively because tough times come to an end whereas tough people live on.

  7. Hichilema you are right as usual but it is the more reason we are determined to bring new leadership with fresh drive and energy in 2021 you will see who we as thé voting people of Zambia unveil we don’t need a savior we have one already we shall employ a leader

  8. Owee more money out of people’s pockets. PF are just pathetic liars anyway enjoy thier ride. While common man will become more poorer PF will have loads of money to sustain their selfish lifestyles and keep thier bululus in employment. Tasila lungu will now build more mansions.

  9. The people who voted in tribal lines are now in deep shame to see and imagine the predicament they have also fallen in.

    u csnt govern a country on selfish lines and expect to develop.

    Even they that support this party are suffering and their earnings are now drained.

    This country, it feels very unfortunate to be zambian.

    even LT…..that announce increase of power and gas by quoting haksibde a name in it.

    Why.

    • You sound wise.
      We all voted on tribal lines and never saw potential alternative leaders other than the ECLs and h²s of this world. This unfortunately will repeat itself.
      My vote was to negate tribal h²’s rise to power. It sounds tribal. I am geared to vote this way again until SP begins to give other people votes. Imagine this, h² – 39,000 votes; EN – 2 in SP and surrounding areas.
      That aside, the dynamics in world trade politics makes fuel prices unstable.
      You can rightly blame PF for their failed Energy policy. Let’s not beat about the bush PF energy policy is a sham. I submit.

  10. If you still support pf then you have to go for mental-up.It means something is wrong with you.
    This is a failed government.Lets just brace ourselves for more hardships.

  11. Am tumbuka and am voting for UPND, its simple last time i voted for PF and they have disappointed me. I dont believe in the so called die hard if you fail i dont vote for you simple. I use common sense…and if you think pf has improved things then you can vote for them but am not crazy am a normal being so i make use of common sense.

    • I’m Bemba but also voting UPND. It’s not rocket scienceMy husband is from the east he is also voting UPND. We are not looking at tribe, we are looking at removing this kabwala in power!

    • Thanks tumbuka man for taking a stand. Making it sound simple and straight forward sounds like you’re also pretty much convinced against all manner of reason advanced by the politicians for their decision.

  12. No matter what, please NO Trible HH!!!
    Other options are welcome, and must come in time for 2021.

    This Trible HH has refused to apologise for 2006 and yet he wants our vote – total arrogance but typical of the boy!

  13. The demand for charcoal will seriously increase as most low and mid income households will avoid stoves for cooking and go charcoal braizer. This will in effect increase the country’s cutting of trees and thereby bring more climate change. We will die while we are seeing. The govt has to work extreme hard to balance the equation.

  14. Painful as it is, I reluctantly accept the hikes in fuel.
    Same for electricity, but if government was serious about making Zesco efficient, they would also replace the entire management promptly with a professional and competent team. But we know they are not serious, it’s all about cadrer-ism rather than transforming the company for the better good of all Zambians.

  15. Incompetent as compares to who? Book economist!You are number one incompetent opposition leader we have in this country.ou can’t even be compared to Siwale

  16. It is good to see PF supporters getting disappointed with turn of events in their leaders. All these happenings fuel electricity going up, hunger, non payment of retirees, etc etc HH warmed you well in advance, they have come to pass. HH is rich and has brains. Here is a person busy campaining to be re-elected with such fails on his back? Shame PF. This time around vote for HH. We made a big mistake to vote for a broke poor leader more money out of your pocket thing. Lungu if you have ears pay retirees.

  17. VIVA Edgar Chagwa Lungu for 2021. Possible running mate candidates
    1. Bowman Lusambo
    2. Alexander Chiteme
    3. Brian Mushimba
    4. Stephen Kampyongo
    5. Nkandu luo

  18. ERB: what exactly do they regulate if not just to effect increases on energy tariffs. For them to approve a 100% hike all at once means they don’t have much in their arsenals to counter the demands of the utility firms. This is like one last round brutal knockdowns in a boxing match. Will Zambians survive the count? And how inappropriate for them to do this on Christmas in a Christian nation! Only God knows

  19. Am Ngoni from the East … proud to vote for the son of the soil HH. I love this Tonga bull . Abash f00li5h tribalism and backward thinking from Pathetic Failures. It time for change. No amount of rigging will save you this time .

  20. mmmmmm look at his face real……….check on the sings of a frrrrrma……n ……..up’ndown.
    wina azalooza again.

  21. Currently ,I see no potential leaders unless the term leadership has lost its true meaning. All I see are people with dreams of becoming presidents or those with dreams .a true leaders is one who is supposed to feel for the Zambians .Mr President E.C.L , if he was a true leader he would have welcomed everyone with good ideas of raising the economy , Mr HH would provide some help for his country if he felt for the country , but since they all want the other to fail ,and bring the country down so they use that as an advantage to attain that presidency position . We all have e no leaders ,this situation of complaining will always repeat itself if you don’t believe me ,take your time and analyze Zambia’s political history. At times , the Marxist rule really is In play

  22. How do you raise tariffs on power which you are supplying sporadically(15-20 hours load shedding) and not according to your own schedule? Just explain the cost of the fire engines and the Lusaka Ndola highway, how it was the cost arrived at? 1000km stretch of highway cost less than half in neighbouring Zimbabwe, ours must be the highway to heaven. The most expensive highway on the planet

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