The government has given UZZI up to next month to start operating as forth mobile telecommunication company or risk having the license revoked. Minister of Transport and Communication Mutotwe Kafwaya says the government has extended UZZIs license twice and yet the mobile company has not made progress.
Mr. Kafwaya said that should UZZI fail to start operating, ZICTA will be directed to look for another company to operate. The Minister was speaking in Kitwe when he featured on Radio Icengelo as part of the COVID-19 sensitization. Mr. Kafwaya said Zambians are in need of cheap data to enable them to access Information on the COVID-19.
Brian Mushimba, the then Transport and Communications Minister in March 2018 announced UZZI Mobile had finally been given a license after meeting the requirements from ZICTA.
UZZI committed about US$400 million investment to set up a new network across the country which would also come with 400 direct jobs at various levels.
Mr Mushimba said the government was excited that a new mobile service provider would join the already existing three in the country namely Samuel, Airtel and MTN.
The fourth mobile service provider in Zambia comes as a response to outcries by local service end-users over the inept services received from the existing companies, Airtel, MTN and state-owned Zamtel.
In 2017, UZI Zambia won the licence to enter the local market after the telecommunications regulator, the Zambia Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ZICTA) floated a public tender.
According to economic experts, the UZI Zambia investment would contribute to the growth and development of the telecommunications sector in the country through the implementation of the latest LTE technology to provide reliable and high-quality products and services through a national 4G network, and investment in 5G network in the near future.
“UZI Zambia Mobile will create new jobs and opportunities in Zambia and will focus on the training and development of all its employees as well as building its relationships with the local communities through its social responsibility programmes,” John Kasanga, an independent trade and economic consultant said.
According to reports, former Angolan president Eduardo dos Santos’ daughter, Isabel, Africa’s richest woman, is believed to own a stake in UZI Zambia. According to commentators, Unitel International Holdings BV, in which Dos Santos owns a 25% stake, had initially pledged to invest more than US$500 million through a local unit to be called UZI Zambia Mobile Limited instead of the proposed US$400 million.
The investment would, however, be increased based on the expansion of the business in the country, given the increasing interest in mobile communication services including money transfer services being maximised by the three service providers.
Last year, an Angolan court placed a freezing order on the Angolan assets of Isabel Dos Santos, her husband Sindika Dokolo, and one of her executives, Mario da Silva, accusing the three of engaging in transactions with state-owned companies that led to the government incurring losses of $1.14 billion.
“Freezing my accounts prevents me from being able to manage and recapitalize my companies,” Dos Santos, who has been living outside Angola since 2018, said in an emailed statement to Bloomberg. “As such, they have all but been sentenced to death.”
Ms SAntos amassed a fortune during her father’s almost four-decade rule and has an estimated net worth of about $2 billion, Bloomberg data shows. In Angola, her business empire includes stakes in Angola’s biggest mobile telecommunications company Unitel, two of the country’s biggest private lenders, Banco de Fomento Angola and Banco BIC, a supermarket chain, a beer factory and a cable company.
This year the BBC run a documentary that showed leaked documents revealing how Isabel dos Santos made her fortune through what was described as exploiting her own country, and corruption by getting access to lucrative deals involving land, oil, diamonds and telecoms when her father was president of Angola, a country rich in natural resources. The documents showed how she and her husband were allowed to buy valuable state assets in a series of suspicious deals.
However, Ms. Dos Santos said that the allegations against her are entirely false and that there is a politically motivated witch-hunt by the Angolan government.
It is not clear whether the delay in launching UZI in Zambia is a result of the troubles that Isabel dos Santos is going through.
But has she been cleared by the courts of law in Angola? If not, let them not operate in Zambia. We have enough confusion, we do not need more drama!!
She will not come to Zambia. She is in deep trouble for stealing from the Angolan People. Why do want to bring a thief to our our country?
The likes of Lazy Lungu and that knucklehead Brain Mushimba got bribes from Isabelle all that flying to and from RSA…remember when Lazy Lungu turned up at the gates of new RSA President Cyril Ramaphosa to cover up when he flew to RSA undercover. This is what corruption does, this company should have been kicked out and started over again the bidding process….this is going to be another LapGreen where the owners will be faceless and its assets ceased in the home country. The part owner of UZI Zambia is in hide out and Unitel International Holdings BV is registered in Netherlands these are future problems PF and Lazy Lungu is passing on to the next generation.
Next month is just around the corner. These UZI jokers should just go. Government have another chance to make sure a serious Investor is given the licence this time.
Zodiac – Portugal has ordered a freeze on the bank accounts of the billionaire businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, who is currently the subject of a criminal investigation in Angola, she is in Europe probably at her London home where she calls home. Its not surprising that Lungu a thief himself has given the green light for this to go ahead…that corruption its a cancer.
Is there any need to put Isabel’s photo here? I have met her and she is a very genuine woman with a big heart. The western world are trying hard to tarnish her name as a powerful black African woman. Lusakatimes don’t fall into that trap. You can add a picture of uzi offices. Kz
And we get surprised when such companies engage in tax evasion later..!! Anything built from questionable resources is simply a problem. Empower local biznesses and give them even better tax breaks as they will stay forever.
Again the vile man child impostor has posted nothing of substance…Isabel is hiding in the same Western countries you are based, when you steal that’s what happens to you and its Angolan govt following up criminal investigation into the misappropriation of funds from the state oil company, Sonangol to name a few.
Kaizer to you she is a good woman because you are both Corrupt human beings.
Any way its nice KAIZER ZULU (although he is children with very dull comments) and BOWMAN LUSAMBO are taking time to interact with bloggers, where are the other Ministers?
LOL, of course Kaizer Zulu with his inferiority complex and strong desire to seem relevant will claim that he has met this woman, or anyone of some importance.
The woman is corrupt, and extremely so, that is why she is in hiding! Alas, I dont think anyone expects you to objectively judge a corrupt act, seeing as you think there is nothing wrong with ECL receiving a mansion in Eswatini, when the law clearly prohibits the President from taking a gift valued at more than K1000.
The day Kaizar Zulu sees corruption (in anyone other than the UPND leader and people in the diaspora) is the day it wil rain milk.
@ Patriotic, thats not the real Bowman, the man can write can quite, he speaks nonsense but is writes better than whoever is impersonating him here, they are very entertaining people, whoever is behind the Bowman Lusambo account.
Mr Mushimba said the government was excited that a new mobile service provider would join the already existing three in the country namely Samuel, Airtel and MTN. Can some one help me remember this third mobile already existing in Zambia in the name of “Samuel network”. !!!!?????
If it was anybody else this licence would have been withdrawn a long time ago. Look how swiftly they threaten to withdraw licence of mopani and Kcm but since this company belongs to a fellow thief who used bribes to win this tender, they have to keep on postponing until the bribes stop flowing.
Birds of the same feathers flock together. Thieves attract thieves
What Angola is doing to her we must do to the entire PF starting October next year.
But this Kainyo Zulu really likes dropping names, who the hell are you trying to impress by claiming you know Isabel? I spoke to her just a short while ago and she said she does not know you foolish lab technician. I was in the same electrical engineering class with her at King’s College in London. She actually got to know Sindika through me! But that does not take away the fact that what she did dtealing state funds was terrible. To put it simply, Chagwa got into a deal with her to do this UZZI Mobile Operator thing but all her accounts are now frozen and she is liquidless! You could have only met her when you and Chagwa struck the deal, but its all dead now thanks be to the new Angolan president João Lourenço.
Uzi to create 400 jobs, while prime tv created less than 300, please mr minister extend the deadline for corona’s sake, zambians need jobs not those fake jobs for fake analysts of prime tv.
Roy you are a very small boy with no clue what you talking about. Those imperialists have brain washed you into thinking a black African woman cannot legitimately be a billionaire. I will not argue over whether you have met isabel or not as it is plain childish. Just like her we people in the public eye meet various people including riffraff such as yourself