By: Anthony Bwalya – UPND Member
The ferocity with which ZCCM-IH is defending the gold Joint Venture with foreign companies should have every patriotic citizen gasping for breath. If the ZCCM-IH Board are not careful, we will not only be calling for the recalling of this scandalous, politically motivated JV but also demand for the immediate dissolution of the entire ZCCM-IH Board.
Zambians have had enough of captured quasi boards playing the role of that useful idiot who facilitates the criminality of political actors at the expense of Zambians.
We have seen this with the Energy Regulation Board (ERB), a quasi institution that has continued to aid and facilitate the diversion of economic gains away from the Zambian people by relentlessly keeping the pump price of fuel high, a pattern of criminal decision making that entrenches corruption across the fuel value chain.
Today, Zambians are staying paying a savage K18.62 per litre of petrol when all indications are that our pump price should be a maximum K10 per litre under global market conditions, despite a 30% plummetting in the value of the Kwacha against the US dollar.
It is also the same kind of criminal manipulation which the ZESCO board has been engaging in, by relentlessly sacrificing the local economy through the calculated manipulation of energy production, local and export distributions, deliberate price distortions and blatant deceptive conduct targeted at protecting the criminal behavior of politicians in the PF government.
This is the same ZESCO board that has been used by the PF regime to launch an illegal assault on the Bulk Power Supply Agreement with the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC), in an attempt aimed at hijacking energy revenues arising from the mines. It is this kind of institutional stupidity that has contributed to the destruction of the general mining investment environment as business environment uncertainty has made it incredibly difficult for companies to plan long term, resulting in mass job losses for our people.
The same ZESCO Board, rather than engaging in professional negotiations with CEC over the BSA, they succumbed to political pressure and allowed the PF Secretariat to dictate the tone of what should have been professional negotiations. But in essence, there are no actual negotiations going on. It is a front to sabotage close to $1bn worth of private investments and drive the control of CEC private assets into the hands of PF operatives.
We have also seen and witnessed the hasty taking over of private mining assets at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), again by PF operatives and without the proper professional due diligence. This has turned the current “KCM” liquidation process into a total looting machine with revenues now being used to fund the political party activities of the PF through irregularly awarded, inflated supply contracts to PF cadres.
How else does “the liquidator”, explain a $132m energy expense hole to CEC, the same private entity the PF regime are after, when we are being made to believe that KCM is performing far much better under a PF liquidator than previously? Where is the liquidator diverting production revenues?
And this is how the PF have planned to sabotage CEC. KCM, under Milingo Lungu, will never be able to pay off the $132m electricity bill to CEC. CEC will try to terminate electricity supply to KCM and then this will be used as a trigger to completely take over CEC by the PF in the “national interest.”
The general citizenry must now be very awake and careful and realize that now is never the time to give the PF regime a hallpass.
The country is under attack by sponsored criminal cartels who have identified political power as the ultimate prerequisite to carry out their dirty war against an independent Zambian Republic.
We must all be united in saying never again, and certainly not over our dead bodies, shall we allow our Zambian Republic to be stolen for the benefit of criminal capitalism.
When it’s all done and dusted…. it will be too late
Ati humble leader
Anthony Bwalya is good, but he eyeing for a wrong constituency, Labushi is not worthy it, try to grab failed Sports minister Mulenga seat. Why should he worst energy to fight that MMD die-hard Lusambo.
The real problem with upnd is that they are out of touch with the common Zambian. That’s why western province is becoming quick sand for them. N/western is looking tricky too. The corruption narrative is dead news as Anthony and other upnd donkeys have since 2015 failed to nail a single corruption allegation into a conviction. Such stories will excite upnd donkeys but fall flat on realistic minds. WHAT A S.T.UP!D ARTICLE….
Citizen, you are truly a blind fool in a COVID19 minefield. Like you sister Dora, may you soon step on one, I just hope you will have a ventilator when Coronavirus clobbers you, chi,kala wa kantu yebo.
There’s is thief in statehouse and that’s Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
We have to stand up and defend our natural resources.
I’m on the ground to recruit the youth who is future is the blink of collapse due to mismanagement of our resources.
To those youth who are still dancing dununa reverse song of thieves, think twice or thrice. Your future is in a messy situation.
Edgar Lungu and his thieves want to be super rich through gold mining.
It’s up to you to defend these resources.
PF must go!
You only wonder why some pipo see stupidity in an article that makes sense. State asset capture is well documented and the way cec , Zesco and kcm are being managed purely shows even to the blind brained cadres that these assets are being raped by those who know well. If God is dead, the culprits, whoever they are will go free. Congratulations for being asset rapists.
“…. We have to stand up and defend our natural resources. I’m on the ground to recruit the youth who is future is the blink of collapse due to mismanagement of our resources…” kwekwekwekwekwe….see what I mean??? If madilu and Anthony are right, why are western province councillors resigning from upnd and PF, with a” thief” as president, winning by-elections there???
You must be smoking a strong substance beyond hashish. I doubt if you understand what you are writing.
PF is busy buying councilors in western provinces and you tell me they are resigning genuinely.
If economy is doing well in your pocket and your small extended family don’t think all are benefiting ok.
You are the very thieves who have ruined our economy and stealing with impunity as if there is no tomorrow.
I told you the other day what we intend to do the economy when in power.
1.reduce fuel prices
2. Reduce food prices
3.create employment
4.pay retirees on time
5.improve Agriculture sector
6.reduce rhe international and domestic debt to sustainable levels.
7.fight corruption vigorously.
Main more on our agenda which PF had an opportunity to act on…
Zambian Citizen
Even RBs MMD were winning by elections right up to the end ……..
With this government anything is possible. It could be that they are hiding in the name of the Sudanese mining firm when in fact it is theirs. Zambia sure! Who bewitched this country kanshi?…..
I also think Kaondes and Lundas must stop being too sleepy, do you really think if this gold was in Chipata or that jungle called kwa naBwalya those Nyanjas and Bisa/Katangese would allow Tongas/Lozi/Kaonde to partake in the spoils? This One Zambia One Nation stinks, me I’m done with it, now I believe in Zahao ki Zahao! If this was in Barotseland there will be no such nosense of Wild West Style where all thieves from Chipata and Chinsali are now congregating in Solwezi to plunder.!
Spaka, madilu: so if PF is buying these councillors, then there’s no hope for upnd. Mukose, pantu 2021 muzalila anso. But people can analyse these things and choose who to vote for.
Former President of Sudan, or rather incarcerated former president Omar al-Bashir was also scheming the same kind of dirty gold and oil deals in the Darfur Region and South Sudan when the army came knocking, overthrew the genocidal stinker from power! They found him with millions of dollars and rands in his palace. Now here is where the story takes a very sweet turn, they charged him with genocide and now are keen to hand him over to The Hague to answer for his war crimes in Darfur and South Sudan. When he appeared in court on 19 August 2019, he was put in an iron cage like the animal that he is. I can’t wait to see Chagwa languishing like that too, we will see for how long he will last with all his ailements when we stop giving medicine for him to swallow!
This dirty Gold deal smells of possible dirty oil deals with the Sudanese! Any wonder why PF’s ERB refused to give Zambians some relief? Why do we suddenly have Filling stations everywhere?
Open your eyes Zambians and see the toilets PF is building on our heads – aka Kudyelana Masuku Pamitu!
This kajamu lifestyle will not take this country anywhere, only wall street style of business works in this world.
this why this country needs BOQ= BALLY OF QUALITY.
On the gold deal I agree with you Mr Bwalya…… but on the cases of CEC and KCM, I 100% disagree with you sir. Government has done well to put a stop to Agowa theft in KCM…the Indian invested nothing and kept on externalizing our money from KCM. The CEC deal was so flawed as there is no way a company can be riding on the back of ZESCO. They never produce power but they get profit from selling what ZESCO produces. That’s day time theft and we know why this company was established. – It was for the purpose of enriching the selfish people of the privatization era such as your HH and other privatization criminals well known in Zambia. Hope you are not among them .
It’s a good article but I think the writer meant to title it, SKIMMING BEYOND GOLD, because Zambians across ALL POLITICAL DIVIDE, are being skimmed by SUCCESSIVE govts NOT PF. PF, has merely joined the trend laid down by Mwanawasa, especially who followed on from HH’s strategy of privatising our common wealth. The truth is, ZESCO and Petrol overcharges are the only way the govt can CREAM off ordinary citizens towards much needed GDP because our common resource wealth is given to shareholders of businesses that give hard cash to the govt to retract the minerals which then disappears into the ether………whooosh! Sorry Anthony, but this is an HH formula. I agree with your general and very cleverly compiled article but your politiking lost it veracity. As a UPND Gambit to rubble…
It’s a good article but I think the writer meant to title it, SKIMMING BEYOND GOLD, because Zambians across ALL POLITICAL DIVIDE, are being skimmed by SUCCESSIVE govts NOT PF. Sorry Anthony, but this is an HH formula. I agree with your general and very cleverly compiled article but your politiking lost it veracity. As a UPND Gambit to rubble rouse, it’s done nothing but confirm UPND SPEAKS WITH A FORKED TONGUE. LETS FIGHT TOGETHER! Don’t be funny, UPND will up this modus operandi.
The article is too intelligent for a grade 9 like myself. But the root problem here is that people in Zambia go into politics to get wealthy. Remember that from childhood, some even inflated their school fees and swindled their poor parents. Our culture has a very bad relationship with money people like fast cash. Even muma private companies you find people in purchasing departments doing deals with vendors and getting filthy rich in the process. Can we first change our values before we even touch our politics. Even Adam Smith wrote about morals before venturing into his work on capitalism because an immoral person makes a terrible, corrupt, and evil capitalist.
Our politicians should develop the mentality of ‘PAYING IT FORWARD.’ We cannot be starting all over again each time we change govts. Chiluba left us in a mess, nabo ba Lungu has done his own damage. Then what are we doing as a nation? Infrastructure is dilapidated! Security is at its worst! We need to see proper policies that will stand the taste of time then truly we can say with you ‘SONTA EPO WABOMBA.’ This opportunistic political culture in Zambia is very depressing. Our politicians remember that your two terms in office are not the end of the nation, 50 years, 100 years down the line we will still have a Country to pass on to our kids as you lie comfortably in your graves. It will be they that will inherit a failed state.
Sometimes you even doubt if some of these guys are truly Zambian going by the way they loot with impunity. Let’s investigate them properly coz someone who’s ancestors were Zambian would feel the pain for his/her people.
If you tie Gold issue to politics, you completely dilute a good cause for scrutiny.
I don’t really wonder why upndead is so boring and dull. Especially when the likes of Anthony and the four others start to 6u$#!+. Crap! Damn it!
Our Thinktanks have become watchdogs for the ones who want to sit at home and make allegations.
This does not, in any way, reflect the thinking of the common Zambian. It has come to light that the Joint Ventures initiated in gold mining like the CGCZ JV between ZCCM-IH and Karma, the CGCZ and Array Metals Joint Venture, and the incorporation ZCCM Gold Company, all are pro-miner initiatives taken by the administration. In none of these ventures, have any rights been created where the companies gain control of any mines at all. They only get to process gold. They don’t own anything. Instead, they have to teach our miners the techniques that will enable better, safer, and more fruitful mining. In all of this, the beneficiary is the miner. Good to know. Proud of the Government’s effort and…