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As we have consistently been warning, our country’s economy has collapsed.
And one didn’t need to be an economic expert to foresee the consequences of the irrational path that was being pursued by our rulers – unbridled borrowing and irrational expenditure.
All the advice given to them – even by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and their other multilateral and bilateral partners – was ignored and arrogantly scoffed at.
Today they are like soaked chickens – humbled by the reality they can’t ignore or conceal and do not know how to resolve.
We are clearly headed for very serious economic challenges. Our economy is shrinking at a frightening rate.
Next year’s budget has been reduced by 47 percent. This means that the 2021 budget will only be K56,180 bn. The government’s wage bill was K25,601bn at the beginning of this year. And debt repayment was K33.726bn. This gives us a total of K59,327bn – which is K3,149bn more than our 2021 budget.
This means that without very serious downsizing, retrenchment, or massive international assistance, the government will only barely manage to service the debt and pay salaries in 2021 and nothing else.
What does this mean for the Zambian people, especially the poor? More suffering, more agony, more poverty, more despair!
Zambians have no sensible alternative but revolutionary change if they have to harbor any hope of a reversal of fortunes. And only a revolutionary party – the Socialist Party – with a revolutionary program can deliver the nation out of this hell.
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) Lusaka district youth chairperson Archritius Mwanakayaya said that youths in Lusaka will not allow police to do whatever they did in 2017, arresting their leader in a brutal manner.
Mwanakayaya said that it is clear that the Patriotic Front (PF) had conceded defeat in the 2021 general elections hence maneuvers aimed at silencing the strongest opposition political party.
He reminded youths not to give up the fight against injustices and that it was only the UPND and it’s leader Hakainde Hichilema that could fix the mess the country was in once elected into office in 2021.
Addressing youths that went to show solidarity at Mr. Hichilema’s residence in New Kasama, Mwanakayaya told the youths to be alert with the issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs) that were being issued ahead of the much-awaited voter registration.
Welcoming the youths at the ‘community house,’ Mr. Hichilema said the PF had cheapened the politics in Zambia and that there was a need to raise the bar to issue-based.
The UPND leader told the youths that they needed a leader that will demonstrate that land belongs to Zambians and not foreigners.
“The people of Zambia need a leader that will provide jobs and create opportunities for the youths, women, and other citizens of this country,” Mr. Hichilema said.
“You must feel proud to belong to the UPND, we have been resilient and survived the brutality of the PF,” He added.
Luapula Minister Nickson Chilangwa has charged that only common thieves or criminals will defend the ugly legacy of privatisation in Zambia.
Mr. Chilangwa said there is nothing good that privatisation has left especially in Luapula Province apart from a trail of destruction on all the companies that were sold.
He was speaking on Friday when former Mansa Batteries workers met at the defunct company premises to push for their benefits.
Mr. Chilangwa said some of the economic woes that the country was going through can be attributed to privatisation which was carried out by selfish individuals.
“For us in Luapula we know what privatisation did to us. Our people here know very well that criminals who sold their companies have regrouped to want to take over the governance of their country but that will not be tolerated. If Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Companies were not sold, government would not have spent millions of Kwacha to revive them today” complained Mr. Chilangwa.
He said it was unacceptable for some people to blame some of the economic woes that the country was going through on President Edgar Lungu.
The Minister said President Lungu has revived Mununshi Banana Estates in Mwense District and Kawambwa Tea Company in Kawambwa District.
And an ex- worker of the defunct Mansa Batteries Frighton Musukwa has said it was impossible to trust those who carried out the privatisation process in the country with the governance of the country.
Mr. Musukwa said he and his colleagues have suffered since they were sent on forced leave in 1994.
Home Affairs Minister Mr. Stephen Kampyongo has described UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema as a liar who thrives on lying against Government and President Edgar Lungu
Mr. Kampyongo said that Mr. Hichilema should quit investing in propaganda to cover up his questionable track record and that the Ministry of Home Affairs and all its departments have no intention of killing him as he claims.
Mr Kampyongo, who is also Patriotic Front PF Member of the Central Committee, said that the ruling party will defeat Mr. Hichilema without any difficulties in the 2021 Presidential elections.
“He is just seeking sympathy by claiming that we want to arrest him. We have no time to waste on Hakainde who as far as we are concerned is a political nonentity who has lost elections 5 times,” he said.
“He is just guilty because he knows that Ms. Nawakwi is a well-respected person who knows a lot as she was a Minister of Finance at the time he participated in privatization, ” Mr. Kampyongo said.
The Minister said that the fact that no one is planning to arrest him at the moment, Mr. Hichilema should not begin to think he is above the law and can break it with impunity.
“It is not President Lungu’s interest to punish his political competitors. We will not lock up anyone in order to block him or her from participating in the 2021 elections,” Mr Kampyongo said when he featured on Kasama Radio yesterday.
He said those agitating to engage in lawlessness in defending Mr. Hichilema will face the full wrath of the law and.
“Let me warn all those UPND cadres to want to break the law with impunity in their misguided defense of their boss who has failed to account for his wealth, that they will be dealt with severely” Mr Kampyongo warned.
Chipolopolo goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene has collected his third successive South African league championship medal on a dramatic final day of the 2019/2020 season.
It is Mweene’s fifth South African league championship title, all with Sundowns since he joined the Pretoria club in 2013 from Free State Stars.
Sundowns roared from second to overtake season pacesetters Kaizer Chiefs win the crown, dashing all hopes of the latter’s dreams of a first league title triumph in five years.
Mweene’s side beat Black Leopards 3-0 to finish two points clear of Chiefs who were relegated to finish second after a home draw with struggling Baroka.
Sundowns finish the season on 59 points while Chiefs, who drew 1-1 with Baroka, dropped to second to finish on 57 points following a season of promise.
Mweene started his fourth successive league match for Sundowns on his way to collecting another gold medal to add to his honours cabinet.
But compatriot and striker Lazarus Kambole, who came on in the 70th minute for Chiefs with the sides already level at 1-1, settled for silver in his debut season with the Soweto giants.
Apple Inc. of the United States of America has donated 3 million face masks and 1 million face shields to the republic of Zambia, Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya MP, MCC announced during the COVID-19 routine update on Saturday.
“On behalf of the President of Zambia Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu we would like to gratefully acknowledge receipt of 3 million face masks and one million face shields from apple ink of America through the Global Fund,” said Dr.Chilufya.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. It is considered one of the Big Tech technology companies, alongside Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.
Dr. Chilufya has since expressed gratitude for the support and was quick to mention that the materials will be distributed to health and community workers who are in the frontline in the fight against the pandemic.
“We are extremely grateful for this support and we would like to assure apple and global fund that these masks and face shields will be distributed to the health and community workers who are in the frontline across the country,” Dr. Chilufya added.
Further, the Government has received support worth USD 25 million from the global fund towards the procurement of PPEs, COVID-19 testing kits, and health promotion activities.
“We would also like to acknowledge the global fund for providing support worth USD 25 million in the response against COVID-19 in Zambia and this is going towards the procurement of PPEs, COVID-19 testing kits, and health promotion activities,” Dr. Chilufya stated.
Meanwhile, the country has for the first time recorded 2 cases of re-infection of COVID -19 since the outbreak of the pandemic. Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya disclosed the development during the COVID 19 daily update.
Dr. Chilufya also announced that the country has recorded 70 cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and also discharged 96 people from admissions.
He said currently 45 patients are admitted in various isolation centers with 33 admitted at Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital of which 14 are on oxygen , while 12 patients are admitted outside Lusaka with 7 on oxygen.
Dr Chilufya said the country has also seen the geographic spread of COVID 19 to Zambezi and Katete district bringing the numbers of districts affected to 77.
The Minister has since urged the public to strictly adhere to health regulations to avoid contracting or spreading the Coronavirus.
And Infectious Diseases Director Professor Lloyd Mulenga said in spite of the high recovery rate from COVID 19, those that got infected are still at risk of getting re-infected.
Green Party President Peter Sinkamba has asked the Chief Justice to set up a special court to prosecute all privatization and other economic financial crimes committed between 1992 to date.
Mr Sinkamba has since written to the Chief Justice Ireen Mambilima and President Edgar Lungu to revoke article 133 sub 3 of the constitution to pave way for the creation of a special court.
He says he has written to President Lungu so that he can facilitate the creation of the court and put the terms of reference for the judges.
Speaking at a media briefing in Kitwe this morning, the Green Party President says the special court will give powers to the citizens and the Director of Public Prosecution -DPP to bring charges against anyone who could have committed crimes during the privatization process.
Mr Sinkamba noted that the issues being raised by various stakeholders on the country’s privatization process are serious and should not be treated as a joke.
He said the special court must be mandated by law to handle all privatization and other economic financial crimes committed between 1992 to date to maintain law and Order in the country.
Mr Sinkamba added that it is imperative to find a way of dealing with the corruption allegations regarding the privatization of national assets by some individuals.
President of the Opposition Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) has said that he doesn’t know anyone who has accused United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema of being a shareholder in Sun International (Zambia) Limited at the time of privatization
Reacting to Mr. Hichilema’s interview clearing himself of the allegation from FDD President Edith Nawakwi, Mr. Tembo said that the allegation was that Mr. Hichilema the was a DIRECTOR in Sun International Zambia at the time that he, as Negotiating Chairman for the Zambia Privatization Agency, decided to sale Mosiotunya Intercontinental Hotel to Sun International Zambia at a lower purchase consideration of $6.5 million when they were other higher bids including $26 million, $20 million and $10 million and failed to declare conflict interest, which he said was a criminal offense, which if convicted can attract a fine and jail time.
Mr. Tembo further said that during his interview, the UPND leader Mr. Hichilema failed to refute that he was appointed as ZPA Negotiating Chairman for the sale of the hotel around July 1997 and that while he was ZPA Negotiating Chairman, he incorporated Sun International Zambia Limited on 18th November 1997 and in March 1998, he sold the hotel to a company that he had incorporated and in which he was a Director.
In a post on his Facebook Page, Mr. Tembo said that his view is that these are very serious allegations regarding his conduct in the sale of the hotel and that Mr. Hichilema would do well if he answered them at his earliest opportunity.
“The people of Zambia would like to know; was he the ZPA Negotiating Chairman in the sale of the hotel? Did the sale of the hotel commence around July 1997? Did he incorporate a company called Sun International (Zambia) Limited on 18th November 1997? Did he, as ZPA Negotiating Chairman sale the hotel in March 1998 to a company called Sun International (Zambia) Limited which he had incorporated a few months earlier, for a lower price of $6.5 million when they were higher offers as high as $26 million? ”
Below is the full Post
ABOUT PRIVATIZATION: THE MOSIOTUNYA HOTEL MATTER
By Sean Tembo MBA, BAcc, FCCA, AIPZ, FCPA, FZICA – PeP President
Yesterday morning l was very happy when l heard that the UPND Party President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema was going to be featuring live on a special Hot FM program to provide further explanations to allay the allegations that had been leveled against him by Honorable Edith Nawakwi, the Party President for FDD, who at the time of privatization was the Minister of Finance under the FTJ Government. Like l have always said, these allegations of misconduct against Mr Hichilema are very serious, especially given his position as an aspiring President of this Republic. That is why l was not agreeable with Mr Hichilema’s initial approach of seeking to downplay these allegations by responding to them using Facebook and Twitter memes. I have always insisted that Mr Hichilema needed to explain himself in the same detailed manner that Honorable Nawakwi made her allegations. And am sure that l am not the only citizen that demanded for him to explain himself in detail. You see, the assets which Mr Hichilema is alleged to have misappropriated are national assets, and as a bonafide citizen of this Republic, that makes them my assets too. So l have every right to pursue this matter to its logical conclusion. The fact that l am a practicing Statutory Auditor, Chartered Accountant and Insolvency Practioner, gives me a privileged position to better understand the issues of corporate governance that are at play here. I would be failing in my duties as a citizen of the Republic if l did not use my privileged position of being qualified and experienced to actually help in explaining this national matter to my fellow citizens who might have the knowledge to understand it by themselves. That is the reason why l have written two articles on this matter since it arose last week, and this one is a third of such an article.
When l wrote my last article a few days ago, Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s lawyers had just written a demand letter to Honorable Edith Nawakwi. In that demand letter, they also sought to explain, on behalf of their client, three specific allegations. The first allegation was that Mr Hichilema had bought his Kabulonga house from Lima Bank which he was liquidating, the second was that he had undervalued RAMCOZ assets during privatization and the third was that during the sale of Mosiotunya Intercontinental Hotel, as Negotiating Chairman, he had ignored higher bids of $26m, $20m and $10 and instead sold the hotel to a lower bidder Sun International Zambia at $6.5m, which lower bidder he was a director in and has remained a director in. Like I indicated in my previous article, based on the explanations that Mr Hakainde’s lawyers had proffered on his behalf in the demand letter to Honorable Nawakwi, my view was that Mr Hichilema had reasonably been exonerated on the first and second issue, but not the third issue involving the sale of Intercontinental hotel. And so, during his Hot FM program yesterday, my attention was specifically directed on what his explanations would be on the last issue, and not necessarily the first and second issues.
Although the interview started a bit later than scheduled, l made sure that l remained glued to my two-band radio. I was happy to note that Mr Hichilema was very prepared for the interview. He did not only provide detailed and specific explanations, but he also backed up his assertions with documents, which was very commendable. However, this was only with regard to the Kabulonga House and RAMCOZ issues. On his sale of the intercontinental Livingstone hotel, Mr Hichilema failed to explain himself for the second time.
Mr Hichilema’s argument regarding his sale of Intercontinental Hotel is that he was not a SHAREHOLDER of Sun International Zambia, which bought the hotel. However, the allegations are not that he was a shareholder but that he was a DIRECTOR in Sun International Zambia at the time that him as Negotiating Chairman for the Zambia Privatization Agency decided to sale Mosiotunya Intercontinental Hotel to Sun International Zambia at a lower purchase consideration of $6.5 million when they were other higher bids including $26 million, $20 million and $10 million. During his entire protracted interview on Hot FM, Mr Hakainde Hichilema did not at any given time deny that he was the ZPA Negotiating Chairman in the sale of Mosiotunya Intercontinental Hotel in Livingstone. Neither did he deny that he sold the hotel to a lower bidder of $6.5 million when they were higher bids of up to $26 million. During the entire interview, Mr Hichilema did not deny the allegation that he was a Director in Sun International Zambia Limited which is a subsidiary of Sun International South Africa, and which was incorporated in Zambia on 18th November 1997. Neither did he deny the allegation that the process to sale the hotel started as early as July 1997, no that the sale was only concluded around March 1998.
The summary of the timeline of the allegations that were leveled against Mr Hichilema regarding the sale of the hotel, which Mr Hichilema failed to refute yesterday are that he was appointed as ZPA Negotiating Chairman for the sale of the hotel around July 1997 and that while he was ZPA Negotiating Chairman, he incorporated Sun International Zambia Limited on 18th November 1997 and in March 1998, he sold the hotel to a company that he had incorporated and in which he was a Director. My view is that these are very serious allegations regarding his conduct in the sale of the hotel, which Mr Hichilema failed to categorically deny yesterday. He would do well if he answered them at his earliest opportunity. The people of Zambia would like to know; was he the ZPA Negotiating Chairman in the sale of the hotel? Did the sale of the hotel commence around July 1997? Did he incorporate a company called Sun International (Zambia) Limited on 18th November 1997? Did he, as ZPA Negotiating Chairman sale the hotel in March 1998 to a company called Sun International (Zambia) Limited which he had incorporated a few months earlier, for a lower price of $6.5 million when they were higher offers as high as $26 million?
Now, let me address Mr Hichilema’s arguments regarding his role in the sale of the hotel. His first argument is that the Sun International offer came with a $50 million dollar investment promise. However, we are told that the Sun International offer was not the only offer that came with a promise of reinvestment. All the other offers came with comparable reinvestment promises, so there was nothing unique about the Sun International reinvestment promise. Mr Hichilema’s other argument is that the sale of the hotel to Sun International (Zambia) Limited is one of the few privatization success stories because it had remained operational up to now. Well, firstly there are plenty of the privatized companies which are operational and robust today, including Zambian Breweries, Zambia Sugar, ZANACO etc., and secondly the fact that a privatized company is robust and operational today does not excuse the illegality that might have taken place in its privatization process. The third argument that Mr Hichilema puts forward is that he was not a Shareholder in Sun International (Zambia) Limited. Like l earlier said, l have been very keenly following this privatization issue since it caught momentum last week and l don’t know of anyone who has accused Mr Hichilema to have been a shareholder in Sun International (Zambia) Limited, but a Director. So the quest by Mr Hichilema to answer an allegation which was not leveled against him and instead ignore one which was, is akin to that student who walks into an exam room and finds that none of the things that they had studied have come in the exam. So in order to show the examiner that they at least know something, they just begin to answer questions that have not been asked in the exam, simply because that’s all they can manage to do.
Allow me to now address the issue of whether the fact that Mr Hichilema was not a shareholder of Sun International (Zambia) Limited but only it’s Director would still mean there was a conflict of interest or not. The answer is a definite YES. There was a conflict of interest. The only question is whether Mr Hichilema declared interest or not. My take is that he most likely did not, because if he had, he would have been gleefully waving the declaration in front of the camera during his interview yesterday, in the same manner, and fashion that he was waving his title deed for the Kabulonga house. The next question is whether such an apparent conflict of interest would amount to a criminal offense or whether it is just an ethical and moral issue? Well, section 11 of the Zambia Privatization Act Cap 386 of the Laws of Zambia states “if any person is present at a meeting of the Agency or any committee of the Agency at which any matter is the subject of consideration and in which matter that person or his immediate family or his professional and business partners, is directly or indirectly interested in a private or professional capacity, he shall, as soon as is practicable after commencement of the meeting disclose such interest and shall not unless the Agency or the committee otherwise directs, take part in any consideration or discussion of or vote on, any question touching on such matter”.
Indeed, section 11 of the Zambia Privatization Act, Cap 386 of the Laws of Zambia above is very clear. Therefore, if Mr. Hichilema did not declare an interest, which l doubt he did, then he possibly committed a criminal offense. If indeed he committed a criminal offense in the sale of Mosiotunya Intercontinental Hotel in Livingstone, the next question is what are the penalties? Well, this question is answered by section 48 of the same Act, which states “a person who knowingly falsifies any information or KNOWINGLY DOES NOT DISCLOSE ANY MATERIAL FACTS or solicits for his own use or as an agent of any other person any confidential information relating to the privatization of a State-Owned enterprise shall be guilty of an offense and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or to both”. There you have it.
Shepolopolo are looking forward to the two international friendly matches against South African giant Chile.
The Zambian women face Chile on November 28 and December 1 in Santiago.
Zambia top striker Rachael Kundananji said the team is eager to return to action against Chile after a lengthy international break induced by Covid-19.
“This friendly against Chile is a very good preparation. We have been away for some months without training or playing matches as a team,” Kundanaji said.
“I believe each and every player is coming back with full force because we have been training individually,” said the Kazakhstan based player.
Chile are ranked 37th in the world while Zambia stands at 100th place.
Shepolopolo have qualified for the delayed Tokyo Olympics now set for 2021 in Japan.
Red Arrows may have lost captain and midfielder Bruce Musakanya to Zesco United but the good news is that veteran striker James Chamanga has committed to the Lusaka club.
The 40-year-old has extended his stay with the 2004 champions for a third straight season after winning the 2019/2020 Golden Boot with 16 goals.
“The 2019/2020 Zambia Super League Golden Boot winner will stay at Nkoloma Stadium for another season,” Arrows media officer Mike Kalembwe said.
Chamanga joined Arrows during the 2019 transitional season following his return to Zambia after over 15 years overseas.
Meanwhile, Arrows also got another 2020/2021 pre-season boost when Cameroonian defender Elvis Bissong extended his contract with the Lusaka side for two more seasons.
Arrows finished 10th last season on 40 points, ten behind champions Nkana.
Zesco United have swooped in on Red Arrows winger and Captain Bruce Musakanya.
The 26-year-old Chipolopolo forward has joined the eight-time champions on a 24-month deal from Arrows.
“I am very excited to sign for a big club like ZESCO United Football Club. My aim is to work hard and help the team win the league and qualify for CAF next season,” Musakanya told Zesco United FC’s official website.
“It is my mission to win my first career league title with ZESCO United. This is a big opportunity for me. I will work hard to make everyone happy at the club.”
Musakanya returns to the Copperbelt for the second time after a loan stint at Nkana six years ago.
He is Zesco ‘s first high-profile signing in the 2020/2021 off -season as the Ndola giants begin their gradual rebuilding process following a forgettable 2019/2020 season that saw them relinquish their three-year hold on the league title and failure to qualify for continental football for the first time since 2013.
The Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Project will soon be injected in the national grid and may reach 300 mega-watts by the end of the year (2020) before peaking at 750 mega-watts by May 2021.
Project Director Wesley Lwiindi told a visiting ministerial delegation that the long awaited hydro-electric energy from the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Project will soon commence.
Mr Lwiindi said a total of five turbines, each with a production capacity of 150 megawatts (total 750 mega-watts), will be installed in the power house at the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Project.
He said two have already been installed successfully and the remaining three are at different stages of completion.
This came to light on Friday, when Finance Minister Dr Bwalya Ng’aNdu and his counterpart at Energy Mathew Nkhuwa visited the project site in Kafue.
The Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power ProjectThe Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power ProjectThe Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Project
UPND President Hakainde Hichilema has filed a lawsuit against FDD leader Edith Nawakwi demanding for three million US dollars in damages for libel arising from defamatory words uttered during a radio program on Hot FM and Kwithu FM.
In a writ of summons filed in the Lusaka High Court today through his lawyers Malambo and Company, Mr Hichilema is also claiming for an order directing Ms Nawakwi to retract the defamatory words as well as an injunction restraining her from causing the publication or broadcast of the said defamatory words of the plaintiff.
The opposition leader is also claiming for the reimbursement of the sums expended in mitigating the effect of the defendant’s conduct towards him arising from the publication of the defamatory words as well as any reliefs the court may deem fit.
According to the statement of claim,the defendant did cause to broadcast during a radio program on Hot FM and Kwithu FM defamatory words in relation to the plaintiff’s acquisition of the property on 14/3/A/F488a Serval road in Kabulonga, Lusaka.
Ms Nawakwi is during the same program said to have accused Mr Hichilema of having sold for himself a house once belonging to Lima Bank,a company he was appointed to be a receiver during it’s liquidation process by the government.
The plaintiff further adds in his statement of claim that the words in their natural and ordinary meaning showed that he was at a material time a thief,corrupt person of questionable character guilty of numerous offences relating to the dissolution of Lima Bank and sale of it’s assets.
According to the claims the plaintiff refutes in his statement saying the said property never belonged to Lima Bank and was acquired two years prior to the commencement of the process of winding up the said Bank.
The plaintiff further said the defendant’s claims that she was speaking from an informed position as a Minister of Finance were calculated to lend credence to the defamatory words and thereby creating an impression in the minds of the public that they were true thus damaging the plaintiff’s reputation through ridicule, embarrassment and contempt.
The plaintiff also said in his statement of claim that the defendant has failed,neglected and refused to retract and apologise the said defamatory words despite being formally asked to.
United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has categorically denied allegations levelled against him during the privatisation Process.
Speaking when he held a press briefing on Hot FM and Diamond TV and other electronic platforms to address the allegations of his impropriety in the privatization process and his accumulation of wealth, Mr Hichilema said that he had no hand in the privatization of any mine particularly the mine in contention, RAMCOZ which was a private firm when ZANACO appointed a receiver and a private firm cannot be privatized.
Mr Hichilema further denied being a shareholder in Sun International at the time of privatization and further said that his Kabulonga house was bought through a tender process before privatization.
Mr Hichilema hoped that there is now sufficient fatigue over the rehashing of issues which peculiarly only surface at the time of elections, and at the expense of discussion over more pertinent issues affecting the nation.
UPND Youths at HH’s Residence to show Support
Meanwhile, UPND youths yesterday afternoon held a solidarity march to President Hakainde Hichilema’s Lusaka residence in New Kasama where they assured him of uninterrupted support in the wake of numerous verbal attacks from defunct Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) leader, Edith Nawakwi and the ruling Patriotic Front (PF).
Leading the youths that were drawn from the seven constituencies in Lusaka, Mr Anderson Banda who is leader of the youths in the Lusaka told Mr Hichilema that the collusion between Ms Nawakwi and the PF to remove him from the 2021 ballot had prompted them to march in solidarity with him as a way of sending a signal to the PF and its surrogate political parties that the youths would not allow any aggression against Mr Hichilema.
Mr Banda charged that it was now evident that after failing through various means to disadvantage and lessen Mr Hichilema’s chances of being a Presidential candidate for 2021 such as the failed Bill Number 10 of 2019, the PF have resorted to using its hired guns such as Nawakwi to discredit him, a situation he said would not deter Mr Hichilema from being ushered into State House in 2021.
“We shall stand by you, President HH until you are ushered into State House come August 2021. You are not alone in this fight and we shall not allow the PF Government to touch you again. We are aware of schemes by the PF to cook charges against you after realizing that they have failed to remove you from the ballot using Bill 10, we shall not allow that,” said Mr Banda.
Mr Banda also stated that the youths are resolved to stand by Mr Hichilema and that they’d stand by him and his family to ensure nothing bad happens to them.
He also stated that the country’s youths are eagerly waiting for him to become President of Zambia so that he could help in ending the numerous economic hardships that the country’s youths are going through.
“Mr President, we know that you mean well for this country; and we admire your business skills, as such, we pray that you rule this country so that we the youths can tap into your wisdom for a better Zambia. We are waiting for your leadership so that those who have stolen from the poor through the tenders, ambulances and 48 houses can account; so that FIC report findings are adequately addressed and the perpetrators are dealt with accordingly as well as how the Eurobond was used and the findings of terrorism and money laundering in the FIC report,” he said.
UPND Youths at HH’s Residence to show Support
Mr Banda called on youths across the country to take a keen interest in the way the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is conducting itself ahead of the 2021 tripartite elections.
“Mr President, we wish to call upon the youths across the country to remain vigilant and monitor the ECZ ahead of the 2021 general elections,” he said.
And Hichilema, who was accompanied by his wife, Mutinta, expressed gratitude to the youths for the solidarity and support, stating that he is also there for the youths of the country.
“Thank you for coming to support us especially at a time that PF and its surrogates have continued to attack us. We need new leadership that will provide business opportunities to the people of Zambia. We need a leadership that will take care of the people of Zambia,” he said.
Mr Hichilema also laughed off insinuations by Ms Nawakwi that he stole a house for Lima Bank during privatization, stating that the house was purchased from TBZ in 1995 while the privatization took place in 1999.
“Thank you to all of you for coming. Sometimes we think that we are alone but when you come, we know we have support. You must also know that you are not alone, Bally is always with you. It is darkest before dawn. We have walked a long way and we are not stopping,” he said.
Mr. Edgar Lungu Chagwa and his PF believe most Zambians are politically naïve, are blind to the true history and facts of MMD’s privatization of Zambia’s state enterprises, and that Zambians will not see that PF are already in the campaign season for presidential elections. The profound tragedy we face in this country is that Lungu and his unpatriotic front are playing extreme forms of dirty political games. Currently, the game is in the period in which the referee has called out HH in the so-called HH’s “extensive abuse of the privatisation process” This insidious framing is from the “referee” also known as government spokeswoman—Dora Siliya. It is a broader attempt at misinformation, disinformation and propaganda to win elections. It is bound to fail.
That Lungu and his PF is bent on sowing malice and craving to scandalize HH and UPND is not a secret. It is a venture that has been alive for some time now. It is an open secret.
But let us return to this nothing burger about HH’s role in Zambia’s privatization activities. In its then progress report on privatization in Africa, the World Bank in 1996 praised Zambia, attested thus: “…Zambia has the most successful privatization program to date, and the experience there offers many examples of best practice…… the privatization program has not been without its problems. Because of its fragile economic situation, the country was not readily attractive to foreign investors; but multinational companies who have invested in Zambia are impressed with the way the program is being managed. As a result, the country is now one of the most attractive to investors in Africa”. (The World Bank, 1996).
One of the 8 factors for success of the divestiture program was transparency, namely the steps taken to inform the public about the program and to encourage maximum Zambian participation in the process”. On all these factors, the World Bank rated Zambia “medium to high”(see figure below of landmarks in Zambia’s Privatization Program). This suggests that there were little to no reservations about the players (which included HH) undertaking the privatization exercise. Put differently, the privatization team, generally, were foresighted, careful, and conducted proper planning of the anticipated issues and risks associated with the deals, and successfully consummated the privatization exercise as indicated in the outline below.
Source: World Bank, October 1996
Fast word 20 years later, the Chinaization of Zambia’s assets under Lungu’s Patriotic Front has been an utter debt-riddled disaster from hell, akin to “ a Chawama-like drunk, gesturing and selling everything in the house” . Under Lungu, Chinaization has shifted control of enterprises and economic activity from state agencies and Zambians to a clique of foreign individuals with inside connections to the PF and the presidency.
Among Zambians there has never been a lower trust of the management of the economy, and an increasing public cynicism about PF’s political and economic leaders, fuelled by the abject failure of Lungu’s economic team to improve the lot of the average Zambians, hence the mafia-like underhanded methods to shift and distract public attention from the current economic failures to manufacture non-existent problems under the earlier 1996 privatization. Again, PF’s bogey man is their tried, tested, and methodical political opponent—HH. And for this venture, the PF is using Edith Nawakwi, herself part of the 1996 Zambian privatization effort that the World Bank, ironically, praised.
But even if we were to accept the absurd accusation that HH profited from the exercise, the larger question is: If the privatization act passed under the MMD government in July 1996 had flaws, was poorly written or poorly enforced and full of loopholes that enabled insiders to pull off tricky schemes, why didn’t the then Minister, Nawakwi, point these out? Why now? There is no doubt that her phoney “revelations” are political utterances for profit and favour in Lungu’s tanking economy and odorous political universe. Speaking of the economy and the politics, the way he runs our now covid-scared country, is so chaotic — the haphazardly indecisive appointments, the industrial scale corruption, the dereliction of duty, the policy-free press statements, the PF thug-riddled fog around the presidency —all echo the empty tyrannies in other jurisdictions on our continent.
Consider the number of corruption cases and shady transactions (Fire tracks, ESwatini land deal, Lungu’s cost-inefficient and unnecessary travels, Mukula timber scandals, etc ) have occurred under PF government. How many of his associates have been indicted and convicted? Zero. Nein. None!
That is Lungu’s Zambia. Since entering State House, his PF thugs have ushered in and stoked violence, tribalism, and divisions. Lungu is the owner of Zambian disorder and chaos. But framing HH is what he is bent on doing because he cannot run the country in the method HH would. Still, he wants Zambians to digest an incorrect portrait of HH as the “Other” Zambian—trumpeting the bogus notion that HH is a tribalist even as Lungu himself is overtly promoting tribalism by not disavowing those who direct it against HH. But it is Lungu and his ill-informed and mis-informed cadres who bear a disproportionately greater place for turning our country into one of intrigue and mindless political factions. And the intrigue, the suspicion, the mistrust, the hopelessness, confusion, and the unforgivable incompetence are not just new happenings, they are trending upwards to a disturbing point for our country.
Desperate to retain the presidency and misuse power , at the time of the worst economic period in our country, and mixed with the uncertain and deadly public health catastrophe to have come to our land in decades, Lungu is stirring a deadly brew for all of us. It is difficult to project how far he will continue to rattle the opposition, especially UPND and HH. But primitive political persecution in which the victim responds with fidelity to the law, maintains common decency, and transfers burdens to the divine, often leads to political sainthood. There is a sense in which HH is on this track. Some Zambians believe that the act of using Edith Nawakwi to cast aspersions against HH is yet another instalment in a template that includes a bogus Mongu traffic case, the break-and-enter of HH’s house, and the fog of Mukobeko prison all over again. Some Zambians have vowed never again to let PF run rough shod against the opposition. And this could light the country. But most Zambians do not want to go down that road, except the most extreme in the opposition parties, who may become uncontrollable if Lungu pursues the most darnedest scorched earth political strategies to remain in power.
But we must reject Lungu’s selfish political warfare strategies to turn our country in another Somalia, or a country in which political disagreements are license to take flight from debate on serious issues facing the country, or as means to foolishly frame and persecute political opponents with bogus non-existent crimes. But all these PF political strategies are routes to energize the PF thugs ahead of 2021 elections—which many political observers believe Lungu will loose on account of a politically unforgivable crime of destroying the social, political, and economic well-being of Zambia. Through a politically dumb fiction of a bungled privatization of Zambia under HH, Lungu and his enablers want to distract Zambians from PF’s failed management of the Chinaization of the economy and good governance of the country.
Remember the tragic gassing that bedevilled the country? To date, no commission of inquiry, no report, no state address to the country. Nothing. Nothing under Lungu because he is an incompetent fake of a president.
In stirring up fake crimes, drip-drip chaos, thugs in his PF party, Lungu is desperately marinating a possible disgraceful path to a 2021 election win. We saw and continue to see what his PF agents of sabotage and violence do to opposition campaigns. In Chilubi Island, for example, they did this through depriving the opposition of access boats to the island and claiming all lodges in the island in the follow up to the elections.
Zambians in love with their country know that PF and Lungu’s game plan is already underway. As so the UPND, HH and all the opposition know that Lungu wants to manufacture, amplify and publicize fake anti-UPND/HH campaigns as much as possible. Lungu’s thuggish infrastructure of violence know the strategy and have done “trial runs” ever since Lungu ascended to the presidency. But most Zambians know by now which party is for development and which one is for destruction and backwardness.
Empty and unethical campaign strategies are the core of the PF regime. But this attempt at manufacturing yet another bogus crime against HH is certainly the most disturbing because it now involves abusing a woman’s esteem and her intellectual capacity for selfish ends. Women—and Edith Nawakwi as a misused political tool—in the hands of PF is a pattern, a tendency, and a habit. We have seen the distance to which Dora Siliya, Mumbi Phiri, and Nkandu Luo have travelled to soil the political discourse of our country. It is a continuously dangerous reminder for how long and low PF and Lungu can stoop to maintain and acquire power. Most Zambians find this latest anti-HH episode disgraceful. But it is a losing political strategy of the party and the leader completely empty of arguments to govern the country and win in 2021. Lungu and PF must surely be voted out to save our country from unending pain, embarrassment, ridicule, and shame in all their multiple dimensions.
Dr. W.E. Kamirichiki is a political, social, and environmental affairs commentator, based in Lusaka.
