Thursday, March 28, 2024

Every Big Heist has a Diversion: Questionable Secret Deals being done under HH’s administration

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By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

I have seen this script before. While we were chasing the wind, they stole the mines. When Zambians were being shown a tantalising movie about the ZAMTROP, designer suits, shoes from croc leather, and jet skiis, the biggest scams in oil, maize and mine deals were being done.

In 2003, while they were chasing Frederick -Jacob Titus Chiluba for alleged theft, they were engaged in some of the biggest frauds of the land. Konkola Copper Mines, valued at $650million was being sold to a little-known Indian mining firm for $25million. The theft was so sophisticated that the World Bank pledged $20million in development finance to support the orchestrated transaction!

At the time there was State House linked scandals, an oil scam involving Trans Sahara Trading oil imports which were guaranteed by ABSA and ZANACO where $100million was lost. There was also the scam involving the importation of maize worth $7.5million by alleged friends of the President while Zambia had a bumper harvest.

NEW MINING AGREEMENTS

President Hichilema poses with staff at Royal Zambezi Lodge after he attended a meeting organized by the Brenthurst Foundation on AFRICOM.
President Hichilema poses with staff at Royal Zambezi Lodge after he attended a meeting organized by the Brenthurst Foundation.

Similarly, Zambians may take interest in the recent Mining Agreements being signed especially the new one between Zambia and First Quantum Mine. On 1st April 2022, President Hakainde Hichilema was at the Royal Zambezi Lodge in Lower Zambezi attending a “secret” meeting in which the extremely high-level guests were not disclosed and were kept out of the public’s eye. This meeting was so secretive that it was NOT reported by both ZNBC, or the President’s social-media pages.

If it were not for the excited staff at the Lodge who took a group memorabilia photo, we wouldn’t know anything about it or the secret presence of the President in Lower Zambezi. The Lodge is owned by First Quantum Minerals, who also own Royal Zambian Airlines. What are the details of this new mining agreement especially in relation to taxes? If you have nothing to hide, publish the Mining Agreements.

We may take interest in what will happen to Mopani Copper Mines and Konkola Copper Mines especially in the absence of a transparent process detailing how government is handling these national strategic assets.
Because the commodities; copper, lithium and cobalt present the immediate future of the world electric motor vehicle industry, there is heightened commercial and global interest about them. The global electric vehicle market was valued at $163.01 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $823.75 billion by 2030.

ZESCO/CEC BULK SUPPLIER AGREEMENT

Zambians may also take interest in the recent signed Bulk Supply Agreement (BSA) between ZESCO Limited and the Copperbelt Energy Corporation. How much will it cost for ZESCO to supply power to CEC? What’s the duration of this Agreement? We remember that CEC was a subject of a UK state-owned development finance institution, the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) Group’s plans to acquire the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) for US$450million.

CDC expressed interest to acquire controlling shares of the utility. CEC is majority owned by Zambian Energy Corporation (“Ireland”) Limited (“ZECI”) which holds 52% shareholding whilst the balance of 48% is held by various institutional and retail investors. The bid failed because CEC couldn’t obtain a new Bulk Supplier Agreement with ZESCO. But now this has been done and on 1st April 2022 ZESCO and CEC jointly announced the completion of successful negotiations.

Shortly after the ZESCO and CEC Agreement, the UK’s Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford visited Zambia from 5th to 7th April 2022. She stated that she was in Zambia to continue building the “modern partnerships” between the United Kingdom and Zambia. If you have nothing to hide, publish the new Bulk Supplier Agreement between ZESCO and CEC.

You may not know! The Ministry of Justice has become the biggest hub of suspected corruption and probably the new cost centre against government domestic revenue as numerous and strange out-of-court settlements are being made, compensating huge sums of money to individuals and entities. If you have nothing to hide, publish the Consent Judgements and out-of-court settlements being made since September 2021 so that Zambians can understand what they are paying for.

While we are preoccupied with trivialities, side-shows and diversions, some things of critical national interest are being perpetrated under the radar. Under Ministry of Justice, Agro Fuel, owned by a well-known close business associates of President Hakainde Hichilema, has been paid in excess of $26million.  This payments relates to a court dispute on the cancellation of the concession and expulsion of Agrofuel from Mpulungu Harbour in 2005. The Concessioning of Mpulungu Harbour Corporation was done in the year 2000 to Agro Fuel Zambia for a period of 25 years.

In 2005, Government cancelled the Concession citing exploitation, breach of the Agreement and general poor performance. Remember, under the privatisation programme, state-owned enterprises and public utilities that government had reservations to privatize, were encouraged to enter into public-private-partnership concessions. Hence the concessions of; Zambia Railways to Railways Systems of Zambia and Mpulungu Harbour to Agrofuel.

According to the Zambia Development Agency 75% of the PPPs that were entered into by the government of Zambia prior to the promulgation of the PPP Act of 2009 were all cancelled. These include: the Kasumbalesa Border Post, Mpulungu Harbour and Railways Systems of Zambia with an exception of the 65 year concession of the Luburma Market (popularly known as Kamwala Market). The cancelations were all attributed to failure to fulfil pledged investments, failure to disclose incomes and general poor performance.

Since the enactment of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Act of 2009, there has not been a single successful PPP transaction entered into between the Government of Zambia and any private sector entity under the PPP Act of 2009. The Act has defined the types of PPPs to be implemented in Zambia and are; Concession, Build Operate and Transfer (BOT), Build Own and Operate (BOO), and Supply Operate and Transfer (SOT). It is for this reason that the naive optimism being displayed by the Minister of Infrastructure, Hon. Charles Milupi over PPPs believing that the private sector will deliver infrastructure development, is amusing to watch.

And while our attention is focused elsewhere, matters of interest are brewing at ZESCO, Department of National Parks and Wildlife and in the Mining Sector.

BRENTHURST FOUNDATION, GREG MILLS AND STATE HOUSE

Of worry is the role of Brenthurst Foundation and its Executive Director, Dr. Greg Mills and his influence on President Hakainde Hichilema. Dr. Gregory John Barrington Mills popularly known as Greg Mills, heads the Brenthurst Foundation, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Brenthurst Foundation was established in 2005 by the Oppenheimers ( of the fame of Multibillion dollar corporation; Debeers and Anglo-American Corporation) to strengthen “African economic performance”.

Since President Hakainde Hichilema’s election, Mills has been a constant feature at State House. President Hichilema even travelled to South Africa to launch Greg Mills’ book; “EXPENSIVE POVERTY; Why Aid Fails and How It Can Work”.

Information has emerged that a team of private advisors and private media outfit are on a private payroll at State House and BRENTHURST Foundation is being named as one of the organisations funding this.  State House and the Presidency are sacred institutions, and a seat of power in Zambia but appear to have been defiled by the presence of these private activities. Kindly publish the details of the role of Brenthurst Foundation at State House and these private activities.

All biggest heists have a diversion, and therefore don’t fall prey.

28 COMMENTS

  1. No sense, right now we need to be talking about the PF corruption you were a part of. You can’t full us by typing up this drivel and expect us to focus on your imaginary issues. Feel free to present your evidence of corruption to the ACC. We need constructive opposition.

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  2. To me these details seem to make a lot of sense only that they are too scientific and detailed to be understood by the ordinary people in the street. Mr. Mwamba is a genius and should be supported by well meaning Zambians.

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  3. Emmanuel Mwamba you forgot the US$20M Winter Maize Scandal. While they persecute Bowman Lusambo our wealth is being plundered with impunity. By 2026 there’ll be nothing left. Christ come quickly! These bazungu have no respect, how can they turn our great leader into a Chola Boy?

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  4. I am not getting the substance here. Is there corruption or what ? Sounds like you just want the public to know that you know a lot how state operates. Be careful you may be sued by others for some of these innuendos.

  5. Mwamba is very right….. this country is being auctioned to the foreigners and as Zambians we should be worried. Does the president have the interest of Zambians ? Watch the space.

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  6. It is also beginning to brew in the UPND corridors of power. Most senior members of the party are being sidelined in these deals. The president would rather talk to these foreigners than to the senior members . Most senior members are kept in the dark on these deals and are realising that they have been duped.

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  7. Instead of being on the high table discussing these deals…..some senior leaders have been sent to hunt for Kachasu brewers.

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  8. What I do not see in all this is how all this is to the detriment of Zambia. Firstly, while politicians favor the current impasse at KCM, the fact remains that people remain unemployed and having the mine operational at full capacity is ideal. The Bulk Supply Agreement between Mopani and ZESCO is common sense. ZESCO does not have its own assets to step down the power needed by the mines, actually, the mines have been requesting of government to produce their own power. What I fear is a nation that mistakes nationalism for patriotism.

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  9. “…….Konkola Copper Mines, valued at $650million was being sold to a little-known Indian mining firm for $25million…..”

    But I read somewhere KCM was owned by Anglo American with GRZ as a minority share holder at the time of sale ????

  10. Mamba has correctly point out areas where Zambia is being duped. We, Zambians have the duty to stop this carnage.

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  11. If those people are genuine investors……..

    Anglo, Brenhurst, openhimours , who ever , who ever , …………..

    What’s the problem ??????

    Are you only intrested in Chinese
    investors ???????

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  12. Mwamba , in his timeline of financial losses suffered by GRZ………..

    Has conveniently left out the 10s of millions PF and lungu lead GRZ supposedly paid out to contractors for universities that don’t exist……………

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  13. NO ONE CAN EVER OVERTAKE THE L00TING AND DAMAGE DONE BY PF
    IF THE ECONOMY ONLY INPROVES 10% ITS A START
    SO FORWARD WE MUST GO

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  14. NOW MWAMBA ALL OF THE SUDDENLY HAS BRAINS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CHECKS AND BALANCES. RULING BA PF HEHE FORGET
    TELL ME HOW YOU USED TO SELLI MUKULA TREES?

  15. Mwamba apelelwa nomba. First he told us to lay off the president. Give him some breathing space hearted us. A few days later perhaps seeing this wasn’t working as no job was forthcoming from community house he was doing the opposite of his advice. In efforts to impress the next PF convention?

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  16. BOP or simply Build, Operate and transfer is what Milupi wants and not loans to build roads. Foreigners of course their cronies will build roads and put toll gates and collect money for 35 years before they hand over to Government. Meantime, they will have a percentage for those 35 years. Their children, grand and great grand children will be eating from this heist while they are long dead. Zambians wake up. smooth criminals using white collar criminology are on the loose.
    Case in Point, he said Lundazi road was “not viable”. Building that road and put toll gates will yield nothing. Mangani and other hopeless chaps who opposed Lungu were left with a bitter pill in their mouths. Malibu yakuilombela.
    Indeed Mwamba is right, they are crying corruption by PF while they are stealing big.

  17. Zambians please wake up. Mwamba is out on a very big propaganda mission. He will twist facts to favour his agenda and mostly, he will spice up his write ups to try and convince the reader First, he won’t disclose what agendas were muted by PF, How Chinese loans were acquired and many other issues too many to mention. The case of how certain compromised characters found themselves frequenting State House and turning the Presidential jet into their air taxi. Secondly he won’t shade any light on the misuse of military planes used to ferry pf cadres on none national errands because he benefitted from the system.

  18. Mulibamulomo bankunsa.

    Alemiposha muleseka. At least our predictions were true. Zambia mukose. You have a pompwe in STATE House. The stakes are high.
    We warned, you would not listen.
    Enjoy the ride.

  19. Some of the characteristics of conmen is that they create a situation that favours them and they get support for it while they are looting. This article will not be understood by those referred to as ” if you want to hide something from them write down” We do not have a culture of reading so this article will not make sense to a lot of people and yet this article is the very essence of why we need to be carefull when we vote for our leaders. But we are quick to run with the smoke and leave the real fire behind. If it was a one sentence roumour about someone everyone jumps on it. but a detailed catalogue of facts does not appeal to a lot of people. This article should form a basis for hard questions about this Govt. so called the “new dawn”

  20. Every Government has beneficiaries. In this case these people have promised to bring in investments, so lets wait and see. In PF times you guys just spent money on buying Zebras, antelopes, collecting old fashioned american cars like Chitotela, building mansions upon mansions; soon to be boarding houses.

  21. @Mulenga Wesu both Mwamba who was in MMD and HH in charge of privatisation can tell us a lot about the 1990s

  22. Most recovery companies will take your money again. I personally think they are the same set of people that run all of them, seems like an unending cycle and its too sad. The most crazy thing about the whole internet thing is how you can clone a website to make it look like the real one, I discovered so many people fell into this kind of scams. The only recovery company I know that works is mattdunham928 at g mail dot com, I have been to their physical address to meet them before and the good thing about them is that they will let you know if they can handle your case or not. So they will not just take your money when they already know they wont help you out

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