Information and Media Minister Chushi Kasanda has called on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) management to utilise the pieces of land it has by partnering with business entities in setting up business ventures that will generate more revenue for the corporation.
She says the institution has massive land that can be used through Public Private Partnerships (PPP).
The Minister noted that this would address some of the operational challenges that the institution is facing.
“You have sufficient land which can help to generate revenue if you take advantage of it,” she said.
She said this today during the conducted tour of the 125 hectares piece of land for ZNBC in Shorthorn area in Chilanga District and 32 hectares piece of land for ZNBC in Bauleni area of Lusaka.
The Minister was accompanied by Lusaka Central Member of Parliament who is also Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe and Chilanga Member of Parliament Sipho Hlazo.
The two pieces of land for ZNBC are located in the constituencies of the two Members of Parliament.
Chilanga Member of Parliament Sipho Hlazo agreed with Hon. Kasanda that the ZNBC land in Shorthorn area is underutilized.
He urged ZNBC to come up with innovative ways of making the land more productive.
Lusaka Central Member of Parliament Mulambo Haimbe said the land at Twin Palm transmitters has a potential to be used for various projects for the benefit of the residents.
“This is an exciting sight because it will benefit Lusaka Central residents and ZNBC if they work together,” he said.
Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Director General Malolela Lusambo said the corporation is eager to partner with investors to develop the said pieces of land.
Ba chilolo land isn’t DeadNBC core business. Give them advice on how to make money via increased information and news products. Advice not instructions by the way.
Chilimo limo chi gal chakwa hh. She is not fit for that office though
Useless minister this one…she thinks ZNBC is a small katemba once upon it used to produce tv shows for the region which is far more lucrative and creates skilled employment.
Ba Information Minister, this is too much of creativity !!!, So ZNBC should now go into farming???
First of all, ZNBC should NOT be owning that land, they should be urged to sell it off. The core Business of ZNBC is information and news. Even if you are consdering diversification, it just doesn’t click with ZNBC core business.
I am curious how this will evolve.
#4 is of course right: ZNBC should not own land, it’s a broadcaster, for crying out loud. Sell off the land and use the money to grow into a REAL broadcaster because at the moment NOBODY watches or listens to the most obsolete programming ever!
I agree, this Chishi is the worsted appointment so far. The girl is dull.
What a beautiful woman, I always notice that. But I strongly disagree with most of her statements.
ZNBC is created by an Act of Parliament and it’s duties are listed in the Act.
Ministers offering advice to sale land or partner with businesses reeks of corruption already, how do we know that the MPs have not made deals with potential buyers of the land?
Chushi should, once again, listen to technocrats who ought to employ new media into making ZNBC profitable, and everything else needs to be left to the board.
She should be talking about reviewing contracts with the Chinese and Muitli-choice TV …not this useless talk about pieces of land. I dont know what HH7 saw in this young lady she fails to tick all the boxes for his selection into this role as he outlined in his first press conference…she is not competent. This is very important!!
Hey I left a reply. Where’s it?
Unless if HH is deaf and blind. If he is not, I fear that she could be the first minister to be demoted or fired. She seems to be completely out of touch. Every time she opens her mouth, what comes is constant embarrassment, irrational and thoughtless comments.
The money that ZNBC is seeking has to come from being creative and innovative. The money is in their heads/minds sitting idle. Creative Power is the source of all Wealth and Money. She needs to encourage ZNBC to create better content, programs and advertising revenues.
HH, surely is this methodical and thoughtful appointment that should be the voice of the government or the nation at large.
ZNBC is shackled by the partnership with the Chinese. …..
The Chinese made sure they have their hands in all revenue streams ………
The land not used might be the only revenue stream that could be fully owned by ZNBC
ZNBC is lambard by the partnership with the Chinese. …..
The Chinese made sure they have their hands in all revenue streams ………
The land not used might be the only revenue stream that could be fully owned by ZNBC
The partnership with star Times of China is really fixing Zambian national broadcaster……….
They can’t claim full rights to any creativity……
The partnership with star Times is really fixing Zambian national broadcaster……….
They can’t claim full rights to any creativity……
LT , fix your filters, lungu is gone….
They can’t claim full rights to any creativity……
Star Times is waiting……..
Spaka – Lazy Lungu may be gone but his roaches are still here not giving up on their corrupt master!!
Too many dull chaps on this platform. Very smart advise by the Minister. They so much they can do with that land….including tech-infrastructure that can earn them a lot of cash.
They can lease out the land not sell it! What happens if in future there is need to expand infrastructure? The Minister should sit with the board and management and devise plans that can improve ZNBC revenues through broadcasting beyond real estate!
I actually don’t think it is a bad advice… land is more lucrative than any digital content you can create out there. Having an idle land is not good and they should be able to benefit from that. I think she is thinking outside the box which is creativity in itself.
I haven’t seen any evidence to suggest this minister is incompetent… where are bloggers basing that judgment on?
@Jigga, just change your name and remove all that extra stuff.
Land is more lucrative than digital content? You surely don’t know what you are talking about. ZNBC needs to modernize, they have reporters around the country and some outside, they keep thinking analogy and fail to see the future.
Are you aware that the tax returns of Mwebantu media suggests the company makes 20, 000 per day on average? That is a one man team.
What will ZNBC be making if they decide to use social media creatively? This thinking that land is Supreme is old and outdated. What has UNZA made from selling land to Eastpark?
Chiza Chirwa, so you would swap your your land for an episode of Kabanana? You don’t know that land is the greatest asset you could ever have that doesn’t fade or depreciate? You are thenkind who sell the country to the Chinese for pieces of silver.
Who said ZNBC can’t modernize if they utilise their massive idle land to earn money? The 2 are not mutually exclusive. ZNBC can make use of that land to earn Capital to invest in digital content. It requires money and capital to modernize… Netflix invests a lot in creating content that attracts customers who subscribe. This lady is telling ZNBC to raise capital to invest in content as opposed to relying on government funding. FYI most public broadcasting companies rely on government funding so they ZNBC is not unique it. But yes they can…
But yes they can utilize the land and modernize at the same time. Hope that helps. I definitely know what I’m talking about without telling you what I do for a living.
Jigga – what you talking about is nothing compared to the revenue ZNBC can bring in if they improved content and infrastructure…its laughable that we are even having this debate.
This young woman needs a very experienced PS to guide her before she opens her mouth
@Jigga, please respond to my issues, don’t ask questions that have nothing to do with the discussion.
Perchance, I think you misunderstand how media companies are making money now. I say this because you give a ludicrous example of saying swapping land in exchange for an episode of Kabanana. You really do not understand how modern media make money.
You raise an issue by assuming I would opt to sale ZNBC to China. You have no basis for assuming that.
Did the minister say they should raise money to invest in content?
Please just dont build shopping malls leased for 50 years…..and dotn build those ugly housing ‘complexes like napsa did…yes a modern green tech infrastructure that can offer advanced journalists, produce films, house all those who want to produce programs, open for public to buy shares and sit on the board can bring much needed resources
There is no point for ZNBC to sell part of their land dotted around the country but ZNBC can do better to modernize and improve its news content and can earn a lot money. That land can be reserved for future use may be partner up with some high tech companies to put plants for production of media /ICT items not housing units or shopping mall as earlier suggested. Or still govt govt can turn that earlier into a forest reserve as its part of the source of Chalimbana river to mitigate the effects of Forest No.27 by heavily fining those who have encroached and channel the money for tree planting.
YOU ARE SPOT ON TARINO.
SHE NEEDS AN EXPERIENCED PS. TO GIVE HER PROPER AND RIPE ADVICE.
UNFORTUNATELY YOU FIRED MALUPNGA BEFORE FINDING A REPLACEMENT.
IT IS A CASE OF A BLIND LEADING ANOTHER BLIND PERSON.
Yes, ZNBC can invest in real estate, which would be an additional revenue stream. The minister is right!`
The people who keep yupping about improving content and infrastructure haven’t said a thing about how Capital will be raised to fund that content. You need money to invest in infrastructure; attract talented producers and actors. Before the public can buy that content and even export, it needs to be created with lots of money. Their current govt grants isn’t enough to invest into anything modern.
I have mentioned before that raising money from their idle land isn’t mutually exclusive to creating content. Really closed minds in here. Just look at the videos of that Tanzanian musician Diamond Platnumz and see how much money he puts into them. Look at the budgets of all the successful movies and shows and see how much they invest into them. As usual we just imagine the finished product…
…As usual we just imagine the finished product but don’t look at the process of how it was created.
By the way it is not just about selling land for ugly housing or shopping mall. It could be about building studios and media centre, hubs and platforms to attract talent… partnering with business houses to bring about needed Capital. People let’s beyond our shallow mindedness and see the big picture.
The Minister is right. That land can be used to create studios for acting etc. Dull people have a problem comprehending such things. We can have something akin to Disney land. You need land for such things. Dull people will first think of selling the land.
Sometimes its baffling to see how some Zambians criticize just for the seek of criticizing with no clue of what they are criticizing. this advise is the best , ZNBC can enter in to PPPs and develop these pieces of land, they can even build schools of excellence in journalism and radio engineering in partnership with private institutions to offer hands on training in all fields related to what broadcasting and journalism. Al jazeera does this and has even got investments silicone valley for development of technologies required in broadcasting including satellite technologies. CNN, CGTN, BBC all have such investments. So that land is very critical for the future of ZNBC…they can do hotels, highrise office spaces, malls, schools of excellence etc .
The new dawn government does things different.The president took time to appoint his ministers so that he appoints ministers who will represent the interests of the Zambian people and to use his words servants of the people.But z some of the Zambian people are watching.was this appointment made to please some UPND sponsors like Dr Jangulo ?