By Nevers Mumba
Fellow Countrymen,
I trust that by now, most of us would have had time to listen in and perhaps take in the meaning and impact of the address by the Republican President.
Without much ado, I would like to put on record the following as our official response.
1. ECONOMIC RESCUE
In his speech, the President made it very clear that his basic strategy was to try and preserve life, while also putting in place an economic rescue package of sorts to save the business houses and the economy in general.
OUR RESPONSE
While we wish to commend the effort to save the selected areas of business, we wish to point out that the PF government has so far made key pronouncements including the K10 billion rescue package from the Bank of Zambia, and the other Economic Rescue interventions announced by honourable Bwalya Ngandu, Minister of Finance.
We notice that all these interventions are aimed at saving the “big businesses” with little or nothing to be felt by the poorest or smallest businesses and at the household level.
We know that some of these stimulus packages such as the K10 billion come with an inherent moratorium, which allows some period of time to pass before the banks have to pay back, to effectively cushion the negative impact of COVID-19.
However, WE DO NOT SEE how any of the benefits of these rescue packages are going to benefit the MAJORITY ZAMBIANS who include the self-employed, young people and the poor in the compounds.
Our suggestion is that the President must follow up on these interventions and make a pronouncement that will either CURTAIL or REDUCE the following across the board:
- RENT
- WATER
- ELECTRICITY
- FUEL
The logic behind this is that these four expenses is what gives most Zambians headaches in their quest to provide for their families. While we expect an outcry from landlords regarding this, it must always be made clear that EVERYONE IN THE ECONOMY has suffered the same fate and have had their income somewhat CUT or totally lost, Landlords CANNOT BE THE ONLY ONES GOING ABOUT WITH business as usual.
In fact, under the stimulus package offered to the banks, most banks are under obligation to also pass on the benefit of the soft loans to their Loan DEBTORS, among which most of the landlords fall.
We demand a reduction to at least 1/3rd of whatever everyone pays as at present.
STILL NO LOCKDOWN/ REOPENING OF PLACES OF WORSHIP
Our position on this matter has been and continues to be very consistent.: MR.PRESIDENT, PLEASE LOCK DOWN THE MOST AFFECTED CITIES LIKE LUSAKA.
I know that some sections of the society and especially the liberal church might disagree with this and cite various reasons why we must be celebrating as the church. Our position is that NOBODY KNOWS the direction, speed, and momentum that this deadly Corona Virus pandemic is going to take. It is, therefore, more expedient even for the body of believers (the church) to treat this as a plague. We should not risk our people’s lives.
In the Bible, God told the children of Israel to go on LOCKDOWN, and place blood on the door lintels and side posts in order to preserve the life of their first borns when the Death Angel would pass. So Even though God had promised them deliverance, he still required obedience and submission to his will at household level for them to survive. Every life in the homes that were on LOCKDOWN was preserved.
It is no different today. We call ourselves a Christian Nation and we have prayed and stopped COVID-19 from having the devastating EFFECTS on the lives of our people as we have no capacity to deal with it in large numbers. We believe that this is true, but we must claim the blood of Jesus on the door posts of our hearts, and stay IN DOORS on lock down, until the death angel passes. Only in this way shall Zambia be Saved from the extreme spread of the virus.
We insist that the government should follow through with the declaration that we are at war as the President said exactly 4 weeks ago. But we must follow through and do what a nation at war does. Spare no means, SHUT DOWN, PRESERVE LIVES, AT WHATEVER COST.
To ask the church to go back to normal services at the height of the Pandemic is as good as leading God’s people to the slaughter house. This is not time to backslide. To the contrary, it is time to step up by declaring a total lockdown.
Having said that, we also recognise that the President has the power to take the country in whatever direction he deems fit, that is within his authority. None the less, we also wish to place on record that we can provide leadership as opposition leaders by giving timely leadership advise in matters that affect the going concern status of the nation, matters such as this.
How come Pastor Mumba start thinking 4 times better than Ba Edgar this year. Where is this revival for Mumba coming from, and why Ba Edgar’s mind deteriorating at an alarming speed?
Some opposition leaders think this is a hiphop or rap battle, seeing from the irrelevant responses. Mr mumba should concentrate on sorting his house there in mmd before trying to sort national issues. If you can t manage your home usakwanisa ziko bwanji?
Waikata kuli rent yandi……wapya!!! Mumba landako fimbi!
Ba Mumba…lets be realistic. What is K10billion? Do realistically Zambia can be rescued with K10billon? In this can K10B you close all markets in the country or even just LUSAKA and feed all all the marteteers with food parcels …for how long? Ground all minibuses and feed all the drivers and their call boys? Pay on behalf of all tenants in Bauleni, Kanyama Chilenje Goerge, Kaunda Square,Ndeke etc. Pay all the pastors the tithe on behalf of the Church members. Pay all the owners of the Bars and other tentembas. Pay you Mr. Mumba and your central comitte? Pay Zesco for all Zambians etc…. LOCK DOWN CAN NOT WORK? Lungu is right lets tread cautious but keep the economy running.
When HIV came thousands of people died….was there a lock down? Did anyone go around closing bars and whipping prostitutes? No!! we were all just encouraged to use condoms. Same as now …corona is here to stay….lets use face masks and move on with our economy. Ais killed thousands …Corona has just killed 2. Will you close the economy for 2 deaths sure!
Mr mumba charity begins at home.Sort MMD problems before
You advise the country. Sort out
Your differences within MMD.Build
Your party to be a force to reckon.
K10 billion is USD $5.5 million. This amount can only buy 666,667 house holds mealie meal. Zambia needs $1 billion dollars to provide cushion to 10 million households with free mealie meal for 8 months in addition to Dr Mumba’s suggestions
Observer, that is quite a dumb comment to compare HIV to Corona. You can opt-out of HIV by abstaining or using a condom. You can’t opt-out of breathing or eating for you to avoid Corona! Even wearing masks and all other prevention measures such as washing hands just provide minimum prevention. The only true measure is complete self-isolation from everyone, which is not practical in the mid to long term!
so imwe ba guy party becomes more important than the nation? nowander cadres have more power than police and other civil servants
Dr Nevers Mumba has all the obligation to suggest on any matter that affects this nation. All off you commenting have one issue or another to deal with, but that cannot stop you from commenting on matters. This is cheap thinking from those that are telling Dr Mumba to first sort out issues in MMD, then that is when he will qualify to comment. I would like to support the suggestion he brings out of curtailing or reducing the following: Rent, Water, Electricity and Fuel. These would easy up the family budgets somehow. This could could be say for three months only. We need measures that relieve household budgets directly. I dont understand why people who say the fight against COVID-19 should not be politicized, but when Opposition Leaders make Suggestions, you instead of value wing their…
Mr. President let me correct you on the issue of the Landlord-tenant relationship.
1. It takes quite a bit to build a house and have somebody rent it and usually the resources so employed are from one’s income which is already government taxed.
2. Government already takes 10% of what was built with already taxed income.
3. For every tenant there is a landlord. Some will argue but let me explain. Some landlords own more than one house but equally some houses are owned by more than one landlord. Let me explain again. If you are 6 in your family and you lose both parents and you decide you are going to rotate in getting the rentals, how many people own that house again? 6.
4. For emphasis every house you see that is rented behind is a landlord who depends on it and so where as it looks…
4. For emphasis every house you see that is rented behind is a landlord who depends on it and so where as it looks like a politically prudent thing to say you will gain 10 votes and lose 10 votes.
5. Some Zambians have retired and abandoned their nice houses in town and have gone to live either in the villages or less attractive locations and use the money for the rentals as their means of survival. Tell me how those individuals will survive if you tell the tenants not to pay.
6. If anybody wants the tenants not to pay to easy pressure on them as a result of the COVID-19 it’s easy, let whoever is proposing this pay the tenant to pay the landlord. If its government as I heard Ms. Siliya suggest the other day, I would say government should directly pay the landlords and tell the tenants…
6. If anybody wants the tenants not to pay to easy pressure on them as a result of the COVID-19 it’s easy, let whoever is proposing this pay the tenant to pay the landlord. If its government as I heard Ms. Siliya suggest the other day, I would say government should directly pay the landlords and tell the tenants to live there for free.
7. The tenant-landlord relationship is governed by contract law. It’s a contract between 2 parties .i.e. Landlord and Tenant and government has no legal right to vary that contract. Government can go to Parliament to pass a law that states what? That whosoever occupies rented property shall not pay? Individuals shall not pay LAND rates to the councils also? How is that?
8. In conclusion let me point out that whereas this seems to be a lot of politically…
8. In conclusion let me point out that whereas this seems to be a lot of politically correct Rhetoric it’s a damn idea. Think through it and think through it with deep reflection.
And one last thing Mr. President this statement “Landlords CANNOT BE THE ONLY ONES GOING ABOUT WITH business as usual” feels like landlords are evil and therefore its evil to own a house and rent it out. I hope you did not type this yourself. If you did I would be very dissapointed with you. Please do not promote socialism in a capitalistic economy. You are indirectly promoting laziness, somehow giving an idea to people that if there is trouble government can make things free for them, paid by another citizen. Its a damn idea.
Ba One billion USDollars needed to rescue people – Revise you mathematics, K10 billion is not $5.5 million but about $550 million.
Thank you Dr. Mumba for your critical crystal clear and responsible message to the nation.