By: Anthony Bwalya – UPND Member

As the over 17 million Zambians wake up this morning, around 10.5 million of these are poised to make it through this day on just one meal; and these are the lucky ones because another close to 500,000 are not even guaranteed a single meal today.

Today alone, $2,411.27 is expected to be stolen under the PF regime; as has been the case since the PF took the mantle of power in 2011. This is how we know that an aggregate of over $10 billion has been stolen under the watch of the PF, principally by PF political actors and their business associates.

Today alone, families must find a way of bridging the K110 per day increase in the basic food basket since 2011; in an environment where real wages have been regressing at a rate of 3.2% per annum while real inflation on every basic food item has been surging by an average 14% – 16% per annum.

The removal of Kaizer Zulu will not recover the close to $2 billion worth of Mukula revenue estimated to have been stolen by the #MukulaCartel since 2012, nor will it recover the close to $30 million stolen in the Firetenders scam. And in case you have not noticed, ZAFFICO IPO prospectus information have revealed that ZAFFICO managed to buy Fire Trucks for a whole $900,000 less, for around $100,000 PF government sanctioned the purchase of one Fire truck at $1 million each.

As we speak, a number of cooperating partners have suspended millions of dollars per annum worth of life-saving support to areas of health, education and social protection because of grand theft and corruption by PF government officials and their subordinate actors.

Today, the PF have allowed ordinary Zambians to pay a heavy premium at the pump for fuel so that PF government officials and their friends can get paid. These are the people controlling major components of the fuel procurement and distribution cycle.

The $7 billion economic SABOTAGE under the PF thanks to a loadshedding which should have been avoided cannot and will not be fixed by the removal of Mr. Kaizer Zulu. The people who have made millions of money in kickbacks in respect of the award of never ending hydroelectric power contracts are in government and are PF officials.

Now, I can understand why people celebrated the removal of Kaizer from his position. Mr. Zulu had become the ultimate symbol of thuggery and impunity at the very highest level of government. But the sobering truth is that KZ was only ever the face of state capture. The real state capture has not gone anywhere.

And while President Edgar Lungu may wish to portray the facade that he has turned the corner and prepared to crack the whip for the right and correct reasons, he still has Jean Kapata serving; an individual whose name has for several years now been associated with several millions of dollars unaccounted for in Mukula revenues. The President still has Stardy Mwale who received K1.6 million to build a Maternity Annex at Kabushi clinic in 2014 and do date, the facility has not been completed not has it been handed over.

The President is still principal supervisor of a political party that has been receiving dirty money in kickbacks for influencing the award of public contracts.

The truth is, Kaizer Zulu has not been removed for the collective good and benefit of Zambians.

Kaizer Zulu has been removed for political expediency, a move aimed at sanitizing the name of a ruling cartel gone rogue.

The problems highlighted above cannot be resolved without a substantive change of government.

Corruption and criminality under the PF is an institutional thing which cannot be gotten rid of by the removal of only any one single individual.

So, thank you Your Excellency for pawning one of your lieutenants. Zambians will not take the bait.

Today’s Scripture

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart…”

(Psalm 37:4, AMPC)

Your Secret Petitions

God knows the secret petitions of your heart. He knows every hidden dream He’s placed within you. He knows the things that you haven’t told anyone about. Maybe you thought they would never come to pass, or maybe you buried them because they didn’t happen on your timetable. Maybe, in the natural, you have every reason to give up on those dreams. Be encouraged today—God is still working behind the scenes! He still has a plan to bring those dreams to pass. Do what today’s verse says and delight yourself in Him. The word “delight” actually means “to make yourself soft and pliable.” It paints the picture of God as the Potter and you as the clay. Allow God to mold and shape your character today. Allow Him to direct your plans and ideas. Keep an attitude of faith and expectancy, and as you submit your ways to the Lord and follow His leading, He will fulfill those secret petitions of your heart!

A Prayer for Today

“Father, You said the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter. You said no good thing will You withhold because I walk uprightly before You. You said because I delight myself in You, You will give me the secret petitions of my heart. Thank You for being in control of my life and for the good things You have in store for my future in Jesus’ name. Amen. “

By Isaac Mwanza

Chris Zimba deserves my heartfelt congratulations for his appointment as President Edgar Lungu’s Special Advisor for Politics to replace comrade Kaizer Zulu who has run his race. Of course Mr. Zulu’s race was not without drama but he is merely human with emotions but he certainly was a player who did the job his boss needed.

Chris’s academic excellence is well known to all just like his open-mindedness is also well known. At a time of his appointment, Chris remained a Strategic thinker and planner for the Constitution Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO), for which he was partly responsible for conceptualizing.

As usual, people are trying as much to dig his previous articles, written at different times including when he was Advisor to Chishimba Kambwili.

When appointing Chris Zumani Zimba to replace Kaizer Zulu, the President knew everything about him. The Security Services did a background check and provided the President with all necessary information, including his views.

The fact that President Lungu appointed Chris Zumani Zimba shows how the President will not just pick on a person because that person agreed with his views on everything. The President’s choice of Chris Zimba is actually what a Zambian President needs for an advisor: someone with an open-mind and with loyalty to one’s country and Government.

So those previous negative views which Chris Zimba has had could have been the strength of his appointment. It could be the President saying: “come and tell me in my face and the choice will be mine.”

The duty of the Political Advisor is to read the politics and advise the President and not the public. The President can either reject his views or take some or modify them altogether. His responsibilities are partly outlined in what President Lungu said to him during the swearing in.

So Chris Zimba is what exactly the President needs. He won’t be doing media interviews. That is not his baby. He has no obligation to do any media interviews as to whether he shares same views or not. His duty is to disseminate his views to the President and only to those the President may want those views known. The President does not need a YES Bwana for an Advisor or someone who share the same views as his otherwise they would be nothing to advise the President if the Advisor and the President share the same views.

So President Lungu has made a right choice. Not that Kaizer was not the right choice. He was. What killed Kaizer is the personal public performance. When it came to work, I have no doubt, he could have served the President very well, no wonder he was not easily replaced.

So the lesson for the new Political Advisor is to learn also from Kaizer on how best to serve the President and what pitfalls to avoid. Being around the President is a highest honour but also maintaining a good public image of yourself is necessary.

Your life must not come to an end when u political advisor. In fact, you need to socialise and get to places, even usual places, as Kaizer used to where u will assemble your political views from.

As Political Advisor, you must understand the grassroots politics and views. These views are found anywhere: bars, churches, funerals, etc. Kaizer could have gone to get those views and he was right to do so.

But most importantly, the political advisor must do his political work in the background for his boss. And do it to the satisfaction of the boss.

As Political Advisor, Chris should quickly devise a strategy that will bring back on board the minds of many youths who spend time complaining in WhatsApp groups to become allies for the President and to himself on his political journey.

Leave no one behind, listen to the views of these youths and let the President know so that all heads are put together to find solutions of embracing everyone

Finally, I wish Kaizer Zulu well in his deployment. If people don’t talk about you, then know you are not really a factor. Mr Zulu must remain happy happy that people did his part while being around the Presidency.

Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Youths have vowed to take on Patriotic Front (PF) Nominated Member of Parliament Mr. Raphael Nakachinda.

Mr. Nakachinda yesterday addressed a Press Briefing where he claimed he was still the National Secretary of the MMD and denounced the High Court Judgement that recognized Dr. Nevers Mumba as Party President.

The Youths through their National Youth Secretary Mr. Gregory Mofu said that the Youths of the Party had welcomed Judge Newa judgment that recognized Dr. Mumba as Party President.

“As Youths of the MMD, we welcomed the November 5 Judgement that recognized Dr. Nevers Mumba as our Party President. We pledge our full support and loyalty to Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba”, Mr. Mofu said.

“We are shocked that a former member of our Party, Raphael Nakachinda is not only impersonating himself as our member but that he is also claiming to be our National Secretary. The November 5 judgment clearly stipulated that Nakachinda remains an expelled member of our party until he regularises his membership with the party”, Mr. Mofu said.

Mr. Mofu further said that the Youths are disappointed with the Zambia Police command.

“We are shocked that the Zambia Police Service allowed Nakachinda to have an illegal gathering where he impersonated himself as our National Secretary. We will soon visit the Inspector General of Police Mr. Kanganja to register our displeasure and find out if they are also disrespecting Judge Newa November 5 Judgement”, Mr. Mofu said.

Mr. Mofu said that they had given the Party Leadership 48 hours to commerce contempt proceedings against Nakachinda.

“As the defenders of the Party, we will not sit by and allow former members like Nakachinda continue to cause confusion in our Party. We are giving our Party leadership 48 hours to commence contempt proceedings against Nakachinda failure to which we the Youths shall take matters in our hands behalf of the Party”, Mr. Mofu said.

Mr. Mofu further mocked Mr. Nakachinda that his fight Is purely based on selfish gains.

“Nakachinda’s fight against us Is purely based on selfish gains and not the membership as he is alleging. The public would like to know that since he lost the November 5 Judgement, he has lost 2 further more judgements with costs being awarded to us. In the last ruling at the Court of Appeal, Judge Siavwapa clearly stated that he could not sympathise with Nakachinda’s predicament of losing a political career at the expense of upholding the law. He threw out his appeal because he didn’t entertain his plea that if he didn’t win the case against us, his Political career would end”, Mr. Mofu said.

Mr. Mofu has warned Mr. Nakachinda that youths in the New Hope MMD would take him on.

“Lastly, we would like to warn Nakachinda that we will no longer allow him to continue attacking the party that our parents founded. We will not allow our departed parents to continue turning in the grave because of his selfishness,”Mr. Mofu vowed.

Newly appointed State House Special Assistant for Politics Chris Zimba has deleted his Facebook page after several of his old posts in which he blatantly attacked President Edgar Lungu went viral.

Soon after his appointment and swearing-in, Mr. Zimba’s old Facebook post mostly against President Lungu’s leadership style emerged on social media.

And a few hours ago, Mr Zimba’s page on Facebook disappeared in what appears to be an effort to hide some of his anti-Lungu posts.

Meanwhile, Human rights Activist Laura Miti says Mr. Zimba’s decision to delete his Facebook page is a bad sign.

“Chris Zumani Zimba, the new Political Advisor to President Lungu, has deleted his Facebook Account. It contained scathing criticism of the President and presidency.”

“That is worrying because his analysis was largely on point. Does trying to erase the memory of his prior views mean that Mr Zimba intends, like Antonio Mwanza and Dora Siliya before him, to unsay all he said before. To be come fully PF is all its mindlessness,” Ms. Miti said.

“That will be sad and of absolutely no use to the President. What the president needs is some honest analysis of the state of the nation. That seems to be in critical short supply around him. Another advisor to tell him humble is the way would be disastrous.”

And former State House Spokesman Dickson Jere says Mr Zimba’s situation is a good reminder on the need to have sober analysis on social media.

“Before you post anything on social media always think twice – some of these things come back to haunt you in future,” Mr Jere said.

“Rule 1 is never personalise debates. Differ with ideas in a manner that does not show disrespect to someone. Nothing wrong to harbour different opinions on matters of national interest,” he stressed.

He added, “Rule number 2-always refer to Rule 1 and don’t call people names such as “corrupt” or “tribalist” or “immoral” without any iota of evidence. You may find yourself working with them in future.”

Newly appointed State House Special Assistant for Politics Chris Zimba says he is humbled by the appointment and that he is equal to the task.

And old social media posts in which Mr. Zimba sharply criticized President Lungu’s leadership credentials have emerged following his appointment.

In an interview, Mr. Zimba said he is both honored and humbled by the appointment.

“It is both an honor and privilege to be asked to serve. All I can say is that I am equal to the task and I am looking forward to adding value to the office,” Mr. Zimba said.

He added, “politics is everything for me. It’s my bread and butter. That is my water and that I what I eat every day.”

Mr. Zimba stated that he was not expecting to be appointed.

“Honestly I had no idea about this. Even this morning I had no idea that this appointment was coming. I just got a call and was asked to be ready for a swearing-in ceremony,” Mr. Zimba said.

And some old social media posts in which Mr. Zimba called into question criticized President Lungu’s leadership style have resurfaced hours after he was appointed.

The posts mainly on his Facebook page are from around 2018 and question President Lungu’s leadership style.

In one of the posts, Mr. Zimba called President Lungu a corrupt leader.

“A corrupt President with abnormal wealth cannot teach us to fight corruption. Lungu needed to repent on yesterday in Parliament.”