We watched President Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday, 19th March during what appeared like a ´special paid for´ appearance on CNN and BBC where he went on an international ´pity trip´ begging for international relief and blaming the looming hunger and starvation in Zambia on bad weather.

As United Kwacha Alliance(UKA), However, we want Zambians and the international community to know that we are in this unfortunate ‘starvation mode’ today due to poor planning and total systems failure by the Hichilema government NOT climate change, because:

1. Zambia would not have found itself in this embarrassing position of passing around the ´begging bowl´ for food from the international community if President Hichilema did not sell (export) the maize strategic reserves of 1.5 million metric tonnes.
2. The crop Mr Hichilema sold cheaply to our neighbouring countries and East Africa was grown over three farming seasons before he assumed office. It was reserved for a ‘proverbial rainy day’ like what we have right now.
3. Zambia would not be in this embarrassing food insufficient situation if President Hichilema had just listened to science and stakeholders that stated that Zambia and other countries in Southern African region would experience severe droughts. INSTEAD PRESIDENT HICHILEMA WENT IN ‘SELLING MODE’.
4. When stakeholders expressed concern about the selling of maize, Agriculture Minister Mtolo Phiri went before Parliament and opined that “We shall continue to export maize/mealie meal because we are food sufficient, we have enough maize.”
5. Official weather reports indicated that the rain pattern has shifted to the north. Instead of channeling resources to the north for a comparative maize and food harvest, Mr Hichilema seems to be in denial and thinks otherwise.

It was momentarily good to watch President Hichilema, normally a proud man, swallow his pride and declare the current drought a ´national disaster´ coming short of declaring a ´hunger disaster´.

However, we were dismayed to see his Chief Government Spokesman Mr. Cornelius Mweetwa stage a media trip to Southern province and paraded journalists before bags of maize and declare that “Zambia is food sufficient.”

In conclusion, we urge President Hichilema to accept responsibility that he acted irrationally when he exported maize to our neighbouring countries and East Africa at a low cost and will now start importing it at a HUGE cost.

Beyond acceptance, President Hichilema postulates that he is a man of integrity, UKA call for him to apologise and resign as Republican President for thrusting our people into poverty. He is not fit to be President.

President Hichilema must not mislead the international community with words like ‘climate change´ when it is pure personal failure to plan.

Sakwiba Sikota SC
Chairperson
United Kwacha Alliance
(UKA)

There are stories flying around that Mr Hichilema has sold to himself, Mopani Copper Mines.
These stories will not simply disappear because the public doesn’t know what Mr Hichilema owns or does not own, what Mr Hichilema has bought or not bought. Mr Hichilema doesn’t disclose what he owns. This is also complicated by the fact that Mr Hichilema doesn’t own everything he owns directly – he has often used proxies or all sorts of fronts.

It is being reported that around June 20, 2023, four firms were shortlisted as successful bidders for the acquisition of a stake in Mopani Copper Mines. These firms were Sibanye, Zijin Mining, Norinco Group, and a Consortium of exGlencore officials.
And that around July 2023, it was rumoured that Sibanye Still Waters and Zinjing were the only two remaining successful bidders contending to acquire equity in Mopani Copper Mines after Norinco Group and a Consortium of ex-Glencore officials were dropped.
It is also being reported that around August 2023, a “secret” company threw in a late bid through State House, and this delayed the announcing of the successful bidder for Mopani Copper Mines.

And that On October 17, 2023, it was announced that Jubilee Metals Group and Mopani Copper Mines formed a JV for the Slag Project in Mufulira, targeting 13 Mt of historical slag with estimated copper and cobalt deposits.

That on December 1, 2023, ZCCM-Investment Holdings announced that an affiliated company of Abu Dhabi conglomerate International Resources Holdings (IRH) is the preferred bidder to take over Mopani Copper Mine (MCM)

And that on December 12, 2023, it was announced that Jubilee Metals Group had formed a strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holdings (IRH) to recover copper from a historic waste dump in Zambia. This partnership entailed that “Under the funding term sheet IRH undertakes to provide all capital to the tune of $50m required by the special purpose vehicle through a combination of equity in the special purpose vehicle and shareholder loans.

On March 6, 2024, it was announced that Jubilee Metals Group plc, a leading diversified metals processor in Africa, with a substantial contribution to global chrome concentrate production in South Africa (SA Operations) and expanding copper operations in Zambia (Zambia Operations), has announced the formation of dedicated executive subsidiary boards to better reflect the current levels of business maturity attained by the South African and Zambia operations and capture and implement the various growth opportunities. The Zambian Board will include Jubilee’s Chief Executive Officer, Leon Coetzer, as chairperson of the Zambian Board and joined by current Chief of Energy Metals, Ricus Grimbeek, as Managing Director. Mr Muna Hantuba, a businessman offering a wealth of local industry and country knowledge, will also join the Zambian Board.
Who is Mr Muna Hantuba? Mr Hantuba is a long-time close business associate, agent, and confidant of Mr Hichilema and is said to be the man running some of his businesses.

It’s being reported that the above sequence of events starting from the coming of the International Resources Holdings late bid for Mopani Copper Mines through State House and eventual success of the same bid and then the Jubilee Metals Group’s JV with Mopani Copper Mines vis a vis the partnership of Jubilee Metals Group with the International Resources Holdings (IHR) and the $50 million loan by IHR to Jubilee Metals Group to the appointment of Mr Hantuba is something that should raise eye brows as it can be a case of a deal by State House disguised in investment into Mopani.

It is being questioned if this is a mere coincidence that Mr Hichilema’s confidant and business associate and agent can be associated with the sale of Mopani and have an indirect stake in the slug dump by virtual of sitting on the Jubilee Metals Group Board?

These reports, observations, and questions being raised deserve a response from Mr Hichilema, especially that he has sold a huge public stake in Mopani Copper Mines without parliamentary approval in blatant violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia.

Fred M’membe
Facebook post

By Kapya Kaoma

I recently came across a video in which young boys sarcastically confronted a group of poverty stricken female UPND cadres dressed in their party regaria. The women were on foot crossing the railroad when one heard two boys arguing.

“Have you heard what that young boy is saying?” the woman asked. “Which boy?” another one asked. “The one walking along the rail line.” Pointing to the boys, the visibly humiliated woman continued, “his friend suggested that they use a shortcut, but he objected to it saying, “we can’t use the same road being used by the UPND.”

Before her friends answered, another boy sarcastically shouted, “Auntie, he doesn’t feel it when he sees UPND cadres; he is now allergic to red and yellow”.

A number of boys were cutting grass at a Church. Upon hearing the taunts, they jumped in, “mealie meal is now at K310!

You are definitely going in 2026!”

One cadre shouted, “Find a job you fool. School kids are celebrating. You don’t even go to school. Uli cikopo, wembwa we!”

“Auntie,” another boy objected, “actually, he is a very intelligent kid.”

At this time, all the boys burst into laughter as they taunted the cadres by repeating the fake UPND promises vis a vis the economic hardship the UPND has caused. One cadre, however, seemed to enjoy increasing prices,

“Twaya mukulunda (we are going to increase prices).” Another cadre exclaimed, “We deal with rich people, not those who live in shanty compounds (maikulile) like you. Your mother is going to be divorced in 2024.”

Although she hurled unspeakable insults on the boys and their mothers, they kept their cool. The entire episode was classic–the adults undressed themselves before those kids–all in an attempt to defend the indefensible!

Of course, those women knew it; wearing UPND regaria does not print money. Since they lacked an explanation to our economic plight, insulting innocent boys was the only answer. The fact that those women were walking on foot as opposed to getting a minibus is surely telling. Even the UPND cadres are in trouble. Yet the women’s insults are characteristic of how the entire Party is responding to real life questions. Those who question are not just committing unforgivable crimes, but also threatened into silence. Why not?

Insults and threats are the bully’s biggest weapon–they undemocratically foreclose any reasonable debate. The current economic situation is dire and HH’s lies cannot convince any reasonable person. Even amashilu know the unquestionable–people are suffering. HH and UPND mean hunger and death for those who grew up, or live in shanty compounds. A fraudulent person knows no pity for commoners indeed. Yet it is the commoners who vote in masses for those who insult them with poverty. Good luck in 2026 to those who believe that only people with money count!

The UPND may insult us for questioning what happened with its countless promises. The lie of “give us” time is long gone! Who has not seen the plight of dogs and cats? They are wondering what happened to us–throwing fish bones, and worse still meat bones, are now capital offenses in many households! Some may blame the world economy for HH’s incompetence, but other administrations dealt with similar challenges; they protected the Kwacha, and made life better for the masses.

UPND cadres are not in denial at all. They are suffering just like most of us. They know that it is now self-shaming to identify as UPND–people will laugh at you. But who can’t do it if promised a K50 to undress oneself when hunger haunts? The economy knows no UPND strongholds–when the economy is bad, it is bad for everyone! To claim that UPND cadres are enjoying a high cost of living is simply foolishness. UPND cadres are embarrassed and not in denial at all! They are too ashamed that HH conned them into believing that he would improve their lives! I wish he did.

As a critic of UPND policies, I always enjoy insults from UPND cadres directed at me. But I am still to see HH’s face on their profiles or cars as they did after HH won the elections.

Let me stop. I grew up in maikulile too.

By Misheck Kakonde

It is with grave concern that I address recent incidents of political misconduct and misrepresentation of facts within our esteemed institutions. The actions of certain individuals, particularly Minister Gary Nkombo in one of the newspapers’ statements and the Speaker of the National Assembly’s behavior, are both disappointing and unacceptable.

Minister Nkombo’s treatment of women, as exemplified by his disregard for a woman selling kachasu, is deeply troubling. No individual, regardless of their position, should engage in such behavior, especially when it involves denying rightful compensation for losses incurred by the mother who was selling Kachasu. Such actions only perpetuate inequality and injustice within our society.

Furthermore, the misuse of parliamentary privileges to silence dissenting voices, as seen in the suspension of Members of Parliament like JJ Banda emanating from his Facebook post, is a blatant abuse of power. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, and it should never be curtailed under any circumstances, let alone through arbitrary and unjust measures. Moreover, all Zambians have a right to speak, and members of parliament enjoy parliamentary privileges while on the floor of the house.

Mr. Nkombo should not think Parliament is his house where he can tell a member of parliament Chisenga that she will go unpunished for calling the president a liar. It is imperative that Minister Nkombo, the Speaker, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, and all those in positions of authority understand that their actions have consequences. No one is above the law, and those who engage in lawlessness while holding power will inevitably face accountability. History has shown us time and again that justice prevails, and those who exploit their positions for personal gain will ultimately answer for their deeds.

Moreover, we cannot overlook the issue of factual misrepresentation, particularly by our president Mr. Hakainde Sammy Hichilema. The recent instance of the President misrepresenting information about the severity of droughts in different years is deeply concerning. The truth matters, especially when it comes to matters of public interest and policy decisions.

The evidence is evident, the drought of 1991 impacted a larger portion of the population compared to the recent drought in 2024. The President’s claim that 2024 experienced the most severe drought in a century is erroneous and deceptive. Such distortions only erode the public’s faith and trust in our leadership.

Furthermore, in 1991, Zambia’s population stood at 7,888,466, with 4 million individuals affected by the drought, constituting 50.75841962% of the population. In Zambia as per the recent census of 2023, we are 20,569,737, and 6,000,000 people are affected by the drought representing 29.1690652146%. The drought suggests a divine sign possibly disapproving of UPND’s governance, and these are dangers of poor planning and selling maize to other nations.

As responsible citizens, it is our duty to hold our leaders accountable for their actions and ensure that truth and integrity prevail in our governance. I call upon all stakeholders to uphold the principles of justice, transparency, and accountability in the service of our nation.

The author is a legal scholar, comparative politics specialist. Email: [email protected]