The Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection has urged Government to resist and hold on to its 20 percent shares in Kansanshi Mine in the interest of the Country despite the attractiveness of getting additional liquidity which the country desperately needs.

The JCTR has noted that while some sections of Government have refuted the report, Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe is reported to be aware of the offer and has even added that there are other unsolicited offers.

JCTR Head of Programmes Geoffrey Chongo says the impending sale is wrong as it is at variance with the will of the majority Zambians considering views from many people who have commented on the issue.

Mr. Chongo said with the challenges that Government has been facing to effectively tax mining companies, it is apparent to everyone that Government need to enhance its role in the management and exploitation of natural resources through increased shareholding for the benefit of the citizens.

He said the intended sale of Government stake thus is a departure from this realization and it is also a betrayal to the highly publicized PF pro-poor philosophy on which the party was voted into power as 100% private ownership of the Country’s strategic assets will not ensure this.

Mr. Chongo said private ownership has failed to raise sufficient tax revenues for the Government, to create sufficient jobs for the Zambian people and to respect the environment and Zambia should not be fooled or made to believe it will do so now.

He said Zambia’s experience with privation under the IMF supported Structural Adjustment Programme is a proof that privation is not a panacea to the Country’s sustainable development path.

Mr. Chongo said the Country is still reeling from the effects of surrendering assets in the hands of private hands whose sole motive is profit.

“A company like FQM cannot be trusted to have the interest of Zambians that we should surrender the Country’s assets to them. They have been threatening to dismiss over 2,500 employees due to a tax increase dispute with Government. They have also disputed the US$7.9 billion tax bill issued by the Zambia Revenue Authority following an audit. It will therefore be an act of naivety on the part of Government to entrust the entire Kansanshi mining assets in the hands of FQM”, he added.

Mr. Chongo said the valuation of the 20% shares at US$700 million for the Africa’s biggest Mining Company also raises a lot of concerns as they seem to be undervalued.

He said for a Company that is reported to be valued at around US$7.9 billion, 20% shares should cost over twice the current offer price by FQM.

Mr. Chongo said Zambia has been on this road of selling its valuable assets for a song and should not repeat to tread the same road adding that the PF Government is on record admitting that the US$25 million that Vedanta Resources PLC paid for KCM was insufficient.

He said it would therefore be hypocritical for Government to tread the same path of self-destruction that the Country has been recovering from since the privatization days.

Mr. Chongo added that the PF Government is actually on record of wanting to set up a commission of inquiry into the privatization process of Government assets.

“Government should further note that the percentage stake it holds in the Mines has enabled the it speak on behalf of the employees each time the Mines have threatened them with dismissal. Losing this stake would deny the government this voice for the Mines would be considered as 100% private and with a higher latitude to deal with workers as it wishes”, he said.

He said the workers in the Mines would be left defenceless and without a voice which would go against the PF Government’s mantra of ‘Not leaving anyone behind’.

Mr. Chongo said these shares are held on behalf of the Zambian people who are facing the brunt of unemployment, inequality and poverty and therefore great care must be taken in handling this issue.

He added that sustainable ways of benefiting from natural resources must be found and not short term solution and has urged Government to resists the allure of the few pieces of silver being offered by FQM and prioritize the Country’s interest first.

The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) says the enactment of the proposed ICT bills by Parliament will help address some of the challenges facing the ICT sector in Zambia.

ZICTA Director General Patrick Mutimushi said the Authority is hopeful that Parliament will in the current sitting pass the Electronic Commerce and Transactions, the Cyber Security and Cybercrime and the Data Protection Bills.

Mr Mutimushi observed that an effective regulatory framework is crucial to the continued growth of the ICT sector.

He said the three bills once enacted will address issues of customer data protection and will also safeguard all electronic based transactions.

Mr Mutimushi was speaking in Lusaka this morning when he officiated at the launch of the Digital Channel Platform dubbed ZamSellit at Zamtel House.

ZamSellit is a Digital Channel Platform that allows Zamtel customers to buy and sell talk time electronically from their mobile phones and earn a commission.

“The ICT sector in Zambia has continued to record impressive growth over the years. It is evident that ICT tools have now become part of our everyday existence whether for personal use or business. It is therefore critical from a regulatory perspective, that we continue to evolve in order to create a regulatory regime that speaks to the current sector challenges and opportunities,” Mr Mutimushi said.

He added, “It is in this vein that we remain hopeful that Parliament will in the current sitting which commenced on Tuesday be able to enact the proposed bills namely the Electronic Commerce and Transactions Bill, the Cyber Security and Cybercrime Bill and the Data Protection Bill. We believe that an effective regulatory framework is crucial to the continued growth of the ICT sector.”

Mr Mutimushi commended Zamtel for the innovation saying ZICTA is interested in seeing a future where paper based scratch cards will not exist.

And Zamtel Chief Executive Officer Sydney Mupeta said the launch of ZamSellit marks a great step in the company’s plans to fully digitalise its channels.
Mr Mupeta said Zamtel customers can also use ZamSellit to trade in talk time electronically thereby eliminate the use of physical scratch cards.

He said the launch of ZamSellit is also a response to the recent incident where some unauthorized Zamtel scratch cards were found on the streets.

“The DCP is also a key step in ensuring that our business partners and customers receive a more convenient and faster and secure service,” Mr Mupeta said.

He said the DCP will bring about a more permanent solution to addressing the challenges of stock leakages and bring about convenience to all strategic partners along the distribution value chain.

United Part for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has assured all the civil servants that have lost their jobs due to the ruling Patriotic Front (PF)’s victimization will be given back their jobs once his party forms government.

Reacting to recent reports of the dismissal of senior police officers in Sesheke District, Mr Hichilema said that it was appalling to note how the PF had swiftly concluded that the officers broke the law when for months now no one has been found wanting over the death of a student at the University of Zambia. This is unfortunate.

Below is Mr Hichilema’s full post

We have noted the continued harassment and firing of civil servants performing their duties lawfully by the PF with dismay.

The recent being the firing of police officers who maintained law and order in the Sesheke parliamentary by-election.

It is appalling to note how the PF has swiftly concluded that the officers broke the law when for months now no one has been found wanting over the death of a student at the University of Zambia. This is unfortunate.

We are aware that young professionals working in government have not only suffered in terms of poor conditions of service but also physical attacks, unlawful dismissals from known PF officials including Mr Edgar Lungu himself as a beneficiary of lawlessness in the country.

However, we would like to assure all the civil servants and in this case men and women in uniform not to lose hope because once in government, we will give back your jobs.

There is nothing good as moving on with a clear conscience especially knowing too well that yours was to serve the country diligently and not a group of select corrupt few.

As a party we call on the country to unite against the PF’s continued lawlessness being funded by loans and corruption acquired at the expense of the majority poor.

We would also like to appeal to the Nation to remember that actions such as firing of professional civil servants for performing lawful duties such as deterring known PF unruly thugs has the potential to further create anarchy in a country whose economy is already on its knees.

This is because citizens will have no choice but to defend themselves whenever attacked by the PF corruption and loans funded thugs.

Lastly, we call the Nation to action that whenever attacked by the PF thugs, you must defend yourselves because the law and order enforcers have been made unimportant by the PF leadership. Self defence is a constitutional right that each and every citizen of our country enjoys and this is part of the people power which is your power to override the corrupt few in the PF led by Mr Edgar Lungu.

HH