Thursday, March 28, 2024

Emmanuel Mwamba Condemns President Hakainde Hichilema’s Private Jet Hire, Economic Challenges Persist in Zambia

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Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba has issued a post on his Facebook page condemning the actions of President Hakainde Hichilema, pointing out various issues that have caused public concern in Zambia.

The first issue raised by Mwamba is the hiring of a private jet by the government to fly President Hichilema to a SADC meeting in Namibia. Despite promising to reduce the cost and frequency of travel, President Hichilema has taken over 30 international trips in 16 months. The use of a private jet has raised questions about the President’s commitment to his promises.

“The plane, registration ZS-SGC is a 1990 Bombardier Challenger was hired from ExecJet Lanseria, a private jet charter operating from South Africa. Zambia owns two presidential planes, A Challenger and a Gulfstream G650. President Hichilema has repeatedly claimed that he would reduce the cost and frequent of travel to the extent that he will use commercial flights. But he has since taken over 30 unrelenting international trips in 16 months, ” his post read

The second issue is the recent increase in the pump prices of petroleum products by the Energy Regulation Board (ERB), which has caused a record hike in the prices of diesel, petrol, kerosene and jet A-1 fuel. This is likely to impact the economy, as Zambia is an import-oriented country.

The third issue is the termination of the concession contract for the management of the Dry Port Facility at Walvis Bay by the government due to alleged poor performance and underutilization of the facility. This decision has raised questions about the government’s involvement in business interests, especially in light of their past actions and compensation payouts for canceled concession contracts.

Despite sinking $5 million into the development of the port facilities, office buildings, warehousing facilities, and harbor equipment, the government alleges poor performance and underutilization of the facility as the reason for termination.

It should be noted that the termination of the concession contract raises questions about the government’s ability to cancel agreements they are not a party to. The facility had been considered a key route for exporting from Zambia by organizations such as First Quantum Minerals, as alternative routes through Dar-es-Salaam, Durban, Lobito Bay, or Beira were more costly and complicated.

The cancelation of the concession contract appears to be politically motivated, with a perceived fall-out between Ndambo and President Hakainde Hichilema. The Brenthurst Foundation, a charity organization owned by the Oppenheimer family, known supporters and funders of Hichilema, had expressed interest in the Walvis Bay Port and the Zambian facilities. This cancelation is reminiscent of the cancelation of the Mpulungu Harbour Concession in 2008, which resulted in the government paying millions of dollars in compensation and damages.


The fourth issue is the announcement of record profits by ABSA Zambia, which has contributed to the treasury, but the Auditor General’s report has revealed irregularities and poor performance among parastatal bodies and statutory institutions. The report showed a total of K3.4 billion in irregularities, including failure to remit statutory obligations and failure to collect revenue.

The fifth issue is the continuous depreciation of the Kwacha against major currencies, which has lost value from K16 to K19.2 per U$1 in just three months and has become one of the worst-performing currencies in the world. This will further impact the economy negatively.

Finally, the rising mealie prices and the anticipation of a poor harvest and crop failure due to the late distribution of farming inputs and the outbreak of army worms, has led to concerns about food security and increased cases of hunger among vulnerable and rural communities. Vice President W.K. Mutale Nalumango’s advice to resort to roller meal, a cheaper but more nutritious option, has been criticized as reminding Zambians of remarks made by former Patriotic Front Chairperson, Ng’onga Mukupa, during a similar crisis.

The Facebook post by Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba has brought to light several pressing issues in Zambia, and it remains to be seen how the government will address these concerns.

21 COMMENTS

  1. These are the things the Opposition Party should be highlighting. This is real Checks and Balances. Not malabishi that Tembo and even Mwamba himself sometimes you say things that are nonessential’s. This is excellent. These are genuine concerns.

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    • Mr Know It All, check your facts. Who has paid for the flight and what is the purpose?
      Mind you, if you want results you needed to put in the hours and miles otherwise bazaku gonga big time. No wonder he is successful, he won’t wait to feed his “cattle” on the day of sale. The other guy was always dizzy parting, the country was being run by the likes of Amos Chanda, Kaizer Zulu, Kampyongo… He literally subcontracted the presidency, but he was smart to keep you at a distance by throwing you into SA.

    • William Banda.
      you have no right to tell Zambians what they say about the governance of their country, every Zambian has a stake in what they think concerns them , if you are concerned about travelling that is you as an individual .
      Some Zambians are concerned about the cost of living flying so high so much above what an average Zambian can afford , you know Zambians are hated and are concerned in that area, so you have to allow them air their concerns , Zambia doesn’t belong to you alone even if you are in government but the twenty million of individuals.

  2. Its ironic that this man is mentioning the AG’s Report and the so called poor performance of the Kwacha something that was normal under PF…but this chap never said anything then because he was busy enjoying our money in RSA and Ethophia as a Zambian diplomat.

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    • He is talking about the current situation not the past, provide answers to suit what is prevailing in the economy right now. Not blame games all the time without providing solutions. we are fed up

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  3. UPND cadres accept the fact that our President is hypocrite he says one thing and does the opposite.Do you know the cost of hiring a private jet? And we have the Vice President telling people who can’t afford breakfast meal meal to buy Roller meal.These guys are out of touch with people suffering

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    • And if majority cannot afford roller meal, what shall they do?
      Resort to eating maize leaves?
      HH government is really disappointing.

  4. Praise singers say something, HH is the worst president Zambian would ever be led by.

    Does it make sense to hire a jet when you have two jets which are extremely good. The pressure to pay back is coming from his funders. It’s pay back time. Hiring a jet is paying back through exaggerated hiring fees.

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  5. Which public concern is this self-proclaimed know-it-all but good-for-nothing Mwamba referring to? Pompwe Front cadres??

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  6. Give Emmanuel Mwamba power and he will do the same thing even trying to outdoor HH on wasting taxpayers money…thats how wicked Politicians are…quick to point out vices….we need more Managers and less Politicians to run our Government…HH IS A FAILED PROJECT

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  7. So US$42000 per hour by 24 hours….plus Airport fees…you looking at o over a million dollars just in one day…ZAMBIA IS A VERY RICH COUNTRY…WOW…our leaders travel in style….meanwhile Zambian citizens are being washed away in floods and drowning every day…..isn’t that great??? Oops and the Livingstone to Sesheke road…it’s world class isn’t it…!!!!!

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  8. If this is true then we have a cold and calculating m0nster in plot 1. A country with 2 presidential jets but you still go and hire a private Jet…what happened to our security? Surely is this not a justification of why we bought the other Jet? Zambia never cease to amaze.

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  9. I am UPND but hate to be told what to eat, if I want to eat breakfast mealie meal I should and it should be affordable. I get more nutrition from other sources of food so why should we be steered towards mealie meal, if this statement is not reversed or massaged through a proper PR exercise it will come to haunt us, ignore this at your peril.

  10. its very unusual for Mwamba and the gang to do proper checks and balance…….well this one has impressed me, yah lets condemn whats wrong and praise were its due.
    seriously i agree with what his concerns are. Mr President check what you promised people and dont derail

  11. Everthing done by our small ” all knowing god” is ok because the small god has explaination to everything they do wrong_ the PF. Conmen hide but for a very short time. Hakainde is a very scared man if only he could be more sincere and work with the people that voted him to power. Unfortunately that is the character of our African leaders. Vote them to power they use you as a ladder to greater heights and leave you behind wallowing in abject poverty.

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  12. Abena Vasco Da Gama tompwe tesana. The man does not live by his words. He thought leadership is as easy as ABCD. He is now seeing the reality of being a leader. It takes someone with balls of steel to run the nation. It is delusion of grandeur to think that abena Vasco Da Gama will improve this nation. Praise Singers have started realizing that they put in a counterfeit as a president.

  13. The only valid point that needs attention is the exchange rate. Once the kwacha gains all the other things such as mealie meal price, fuel hike etc will reduce so upnd just needs to work on exchange rate. Magande was the right man for the job not situmbeko.

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