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Kitwe District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu meeting with Chinese Nationals
ZAMBIA-CHINESE Association vice-president Wang Xin has proposed that a law should be introduced in Zambia to prohibit Chinese from selling items on retail.
Mr Wang said Chinese must only be allowed to sell their items on wholesale basis so that the Zambians could be buying in bulk for resale to create balance and peace.
He was speaking at a media briefing in Kitwe yesterday in the light of the skirmishes which occurred at the weekend when a Chinese shop-owner accidentally shot and wounded his female shop assistant in Chimwemwe Township.
Mr Wang said once the Chinese were restricted to wholesale trading, there would be a balance between the two countries in terms of business while conflicts would be reduced.
At the same briefing, Kitwe District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu said Zambians were “irritated” because the Chinese had taken up most business ventures.
Mr Mpundu called on the Chinese to invest in bigger business activities that most Zambians could not afford so that there was a balance.
He said Zambians were eager to share the market as long as the practice was fair and hence the Chinese must take up bigger businesses that an ordinary Zambian could not manage to run.
Mr Mpundu said Zambia and China had enjoyed good relationships for many years which must be maintained.
He said if the Chinese want to continue doing business, they need to demonstrate that they were able to take care of Zambians, who they had employed because the government wanted to see transfer of skills.
He said the relationship between the two countries needed to be nurtured because of the mutual benefits.
He noted that many shooting incidences involving Chinese happened when there was no violence, an indication that guns were not being used for protection.
Prisoners demonstrating how there sleep in a room meant for 40 people but it has over 140
The Kaputa Magistrate Court has sentenced a 20 year old man for 12 months imprisonment with hard labor for theft after ‘manipulating’ a gaming machine popularly known as Bonanza.
Before Magistrate Boyd Nyambe was Philemon of Chashele village in Kaputa who was charged with one count of theft for stealing one kwacha coins amounting to 1,964 from the gaming machine belonging to a Chinese company.
Facts of the matter is that the convict is believed to have pierced a hole in the one kwacha coins which he tied to a copper wire string and was inserting it in the gaming machine with the view to steal from it.It was through this way that the convict was able to steal money from the gaming machine until the day he got caught.
The prosecution witness produced video evidence of the man demonstrating at the police office station how he was stealing from the machine. And in passing judgement Magistrate Nyambe said the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the man stole money from the Bonaza using illegal means and therefore finds him guilty.
Magistrate Nyambe therefore sentenced Philemon Musangu to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for theft, the sentence which will run from the time he was arrested on August 10, 2018.The Magistrate said despite the offender pleading in court for lenience as he however decided to mete out a 12 months sentence to serve as a lesson against any would be offenders.
Meanwhile, Musangu’s co-accused John Chishimba, a barman who was jointly charged jointly, has been set free after the prosecution failed to convince the court that the duo were working together to commit the offence. Musangu had alleged at the time of his arrest that he was working with Chishimba who opened the bar and closed him in so that he could steal from the Bonaza the time he was caught.
Magistrate Nyambe said the fact that other people who found Musangu stealing had entered the bar without actually opening it but through the grill door was an indication that the bar had loose security.The Magistrate said this therefore means that it was also possible for Musangu to have entered the bar using the same grill door and without been opened for locked inside.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Christopher Yaluma
Government says it remains resolute in reducing the cost of doing business for small and medium scale traders in the country.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Christopher Yaluma says one such step government has taken is the opening up of roads under the Link Zambia project so as the ease transport challenges.
ZANIS reports that Mr Yaluma said this when he inspected works on the K84 million Mbesuma Bridge project in Mungwi district.
The minister, who is also Malole Constituency Member of Parliament, was impressed with the progress made by the contractor China Railway Seventh Group at the site.
By broadcast time, a temporal bridge had been erected to pave way for construction of a permanent one.
And Mr Yaluma has projected an economic boom in Northern Region once the construction of the bridge across Chambeshi River is completed.
“ The development will enhance business linkages for local traders as they will be able to travel to neighbouring countries such as Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo via Nakonde and the Mansa – Pedicle roads respectively, “ he said.
Mr Yaluma added that there is need to construct the Mbesuma – Isoka road as traffic on the route is set increase.
The meeting between the Government officials from the Ministry of FInance and the World bank Officials
The near-term outlook for the Zambian economy has improved in recent months, driven by good rains and rising world copper price. Directors noted that domestic and external risks pose significant challenges. They advised the authorities to take advantage of the current favorable conditions and implement decisive and prudent macroeconomic policies and reforms to place public finances and debt on a sustainable path, build international reserves, increase the economy’s resilience to shocks, and achieve higher and inclusive growth (IMF Country review statement of 2017, the IMF Executive Board )
Zambia’s external debt may grow by more than 40 percent to $13 billion next year as the cost of planned projects are added to the total, and debt-servicing charges could double, according to former finance minister Alexander Chikwanda. The government of Africa’s second-biggest copper producer could face debt-servicing costs of $1 billion next year, from $500 million to $600 million this year, due to new loans, Mr. Chikwanda said Sunday in comments broadcast on state-owned ZNBC television. “It’s going to be a challenge to service the external debt.” (Alexander Chikwanda in ZNBC interview June, 2018)
Sometimes it looks like we are proud to have borrowed so much. Even at an individual level, you can’t contract so much debt which you cannot pay from your income. We used to say they (youths) don’t have education [but] now a lot of people are graduating [but there are] no jobs. This is obviously something which will explode and it should be a concern for everybody. We all have a responsibility to ensure that we avoid this time bomb which is just about to explode ( Former Bank of Zambia Governor Caleb Fundanga)
The Euro Bond remains one of the most important barometers to measuring the performance of the Zambian economy. If yields are high, it sends a picture that there is less confidence by investors in the Zambian economy. So potential investors will hold their investment and those who are already here will take a conservative approach by withholding their investments. As you know that for the kwacha to be strong, you need foreign exchange. (Economics Association of Zambia president Lubinda Haabazoka, Sept.2018)
By Kalima Nkonde
The Finance Minister Margret Mwanakatwe is presenting the 2019 budget on Friday 28 September, 2018 and it is important that Zambians have an idea as to what the current status of the economy is so that the projections to be announced and the credibility of the budget can be objectively assessed by comparing with the current actual numbers on the ground ,and past pronouncements. This will expose any sugar coating that may be in the budget.
At end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, most of us, independent, patriotic and objective observers of the Zambian economy including outsiders like the IMF, praised the Zambian government for the improved economic numbers that were recorded in 2017 especially on the monetary side of the equation but warned that government needed to do more on the fiscal side to build on the gains and avoid reversals of what had been achieved.
In their Country review statement of 2017, the IMF Executive Board commended Zambia for the improved economic indicators but warned that these gains were precarious and could easily be lost if decisive fiscal action was not taken.
“The near-term outlook for the Zambian economy has improved in recent months, driven by good rains and rising world copper price. The economy was in near-crisis from the fourth quarter of 2015 through most of 2016, reflecting the impacts of exogenous shocks and lax fiscal policy. Executive Directors welcomed the recent improvement in Zambia’s economic outlook. However, Directors noted that domestic and external risks pose significant challenges. They advised the authorities to take advantage of the current favourable conditions and implement decisive and prudent macroeconomic policies and reforms to place public finances and debt on a sustainable path, build international reserves, increase the economy’s resilience to shocks, and achieve higher and inclusive growth”, the IMF advised.
In June,2018,we were all excited by the austerity measures announced and this writer penned an Op Ed, praising the PF government for the job well done and predicted economic recovery if measures announced were implemented. Alas, little did he know that the austerity measures announced were a gimmick and merely targeted at convincing the IMF to resume bailout talks. It immediately became clear that in the light of the IMF playing hard ball, and their representative pressuring government for full disclosure of the debt situation and to follow through the austerity measures, government could not take the heat and had to ask IMF to recall him and as the saying goes, the rest is history.
Since June, 2018, there is very little evidence so far that austerity measures are being implemented. In fact, the opposite seems to be the case. Since the announcement of austerity measures, the following “austerity measures” have been implemented : The President has Chartered an aircraft to attend the UN general assembly , the President led an unprecedented high delegation to China for the FOCAC conference, the President created a number of districts in North Western and Eastern provinces, the government bought some expensive Toyota cars for permanent secretaries and recently, the Minister of finance announced increases salaries and allowances for the President and constitutional office bearers’ and the list reckless expenditure amidst austerity goes on and on.
There is no doubt that the Zambian economy is on a slippery slope. The excessive and fast rate of debt contraction, excessive government expenditure resulting in the ballooning fiscal deficit, the low foreign currency reserves, the lack of political will to deal with corruption, the absence of a deal with the International Monetary Fund, have all finally expressed themselves in the most important economic indicator in the Zambian economy that will affect every Zambian in terms of rising cost of living, which is the exchange rate. The fall in the value of the kwacha to K12 to a dollar, the lowest since 2015 and if it continues will not choose whether you are PF or not.
The last straw to kick start the fall in the kwacha was the freezing of donor aid by the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland and Ireland as a result of the Social Cash transfer Corruption scandal. The effect of the corruption scandal on the kwacha was confirmed by Economics Association of Zambia President,President Lubinda Haabazoka, in an interview with the Mast newspaper.
“The information about withholding of aid, corruption…those has affected the value of the Zambian kwacha. Corruption really has serious negative implications on the economy of the country, especially in Zambia where most of the major projects are being done by donors,” he said. “The Euro Bond remains one of the most important barometers to measuring the performance of the Zambian economy. If yields are high, it sends a picture that there is less confidence by investors in the Zambian economy. So potential investors will hold their investment and those who are already here will take a conservative approach by withholding their investments. As you know that for the kwacha to be strong, you need foreign exchange.”
The Zambian economy is not in a good state at all and the gains of 2017 are reversing and the numbers do not lie. The following are some of the inconvenient facts about our economy which cannot be ignored:
Whilst the kwacha had reached as low as K8.8 to a dollar in 2017 but it is at K12,
The economic growth was 4.1% in 2017 but the World bank projects 3.3% for 2018
Inflation is 7.8% from a low of 6.1% and trending upwards
Zambia’s foreign exchange reserves stood at US1.867 billion as of February 2018 when the last announcement was done compared to US$2.262 in February 2017.They could be much lower today thus the depreciation in the kwacha
Treasury bills and government bonds are undersubscribed now but were oversubscribed with foreigners pouring in foreign exchange in 2017
Zambian Eurobonds were once best performing but now they are the worst performing and are 32% lower than they were in January with investors expected return of 18%.
Wage bill as percentage of revenue is above 50%
Debt servicing costs as percentage of revenue about 25%
Budget deficit for half year to june,2018 K5billion Kwacha which is 7.6% of budget and above target
Aggregate public debt $15.9billion or 61% of GDP
Commercial Bank lending rates are above 25%
The government should stop blaming the opposition and unpatriotic Zambians for the current fall in the kwacha and the economic mess the country is back in which may be worse than 2015. This writer and others did provide objective advice and started warning about what is happening today way back in 2015 but the government and the country’s Chief Executive never listened and were not interested but are more focused on politics and only get concerned with economy if it poses a risk to their hold on power which is rather sad.
The Zambian government is its worst enemy. If one was to use tennis and football terms respectively, they make too many unforced errors and score too many own goals. They have a knee jerk and fire fighting management style in running the economy. They refuse to anticipate events by engaging in risk management strategies. They seem to have street mentality of “FIKASOVA” (things will sort themselves out); only react to events when they happen rather than foresee and forestall them.
The questions to the government and its followers who are blaming critics for the fall in the kwacha are as follows: Is it the opposition and others who did not act for four months on the Social Cash Transfer corruption scandal leading to the suspension of donor fund, which is the single most important trigger of the run on the kwacha? Is it opponents who borrowed with reckless abandon from China, domestic market, suppliers etc. resulting in IMF suspending bail out talks? Is the government critics that have delayed dialogue with the opposition which was meant to improve the political climate in Zambia and in turn influence rating agencies and investor confidence?
I personally believe that the economy of Zambia can be turnaround and over a million jobs created within two years if there was political will to take tough decisions to implement some of the practical suggestions this writer and others have made as well as what is in government documents prepared by bureaucrats. The strategies should be divided into short, medium and short term. President Lungu needs to press a reset button and seriously consider reconstituting his team before it is too late.
The writer is a Chartered Accountant by profession and a Private Sector Development expert. He is an independent commentator/analyst. He has lived in England, South Africa and Botswana for over 25 years.
FILE: Lumumba drainage along City Market bus station before the Army clean up
By Concerned Citizens
It is again that time of year that Zambia faces enormous waterborne diseases that include the lethal Cholera Outbreaks.
Cholera is endemic to Zambia and outbreaks occur almost every year in Lusaka, Southern, Northern and Luapula provinces. The 2017/2018 cholera outbreak was declared on 6th October 2017 after a laboratory confirmation of two initial cases reported by Chipata Level One Hospital on 4th October 2017. This year, the outbreak happened just before the rainy season which is unusual.
Schools, markets business houses were closed with enormous economic loss. To control the disease government had to seek the services of the military to flush out vendors and bring sanity in townships and street vending. These interventions are reactive and not proactive.
Cooperating partners, business houses provided assistance in various ways while relevant ministries that included, health and local government danced day and night to the endemic.
What lessons were learnt during the 2017/2018 outbreak?
It is clear that Cholera was caused by the Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, is usually found in food or water contaminated by feces from a person with the infection. Common sources include:
• Municipal water supplies
• Ice made from municipal water
• Foods and drinks sold by street vendors
• Vegetables grown with water containing human wastes
• Raw or undercooked fish and seafood caught in waters polluted with sewage
What is pertaining now?
The relevant agencies like ZEMA, Local government have again gone to sleep as vendors have slowly started coming back littering waste all over while Malls like Cosmopolitan are recking profits and have on several occasions littered waste into streams and orchards etc. and yet ZEMA is aware of what is taking place and allowed business as usual exposing the public to waterborne diseases like Cholera. In the townships like Kanyama, Chibolya and the, nothing has changed in terms of sanitary situation and yet expect different results.
Compliance to Approved Environmental Rules by Trading places
Before a Mall or any public trading area is issued a license they are always required to either conduct an Environmental Project Brief or EIS. All those covered include, bars, markets, lodges, hotels, housing complexes and malls just to mention a few. A quick visit to most of these facilities will review that, either bad workmanship during implementation or total breakdown of approved sanitary systems and have resorted to littering of waste and increasing the dangers of the spread of waterborne diseases like Cholera.
Why are the public trading places not complying and what punitive measures have been taken?
The above question can only be adequately answered by agencies like the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) who we believe are aware of the trend. We are aware for example that ZEMA had charged Silverest Garden Housing in Chongwe and two of its employees, Hu Xinqiuo and Tan Futian for contravening the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011 (EMA) and its subsidiary legislation. The Company and the two employees were charged for unlawful discharge of a pollutant into the environment and failure to comply with an environmental order issued by ZEMA relating to discharge of effluent. We are also aware that Cosmo Mall was charged using the same act for littering waste into orchards using their truck which was not part of the disposal methodology that was approved in the EIS approved by ZEMA at construction stage. We are also aware of the hazardous disposal methods at malls like Waterfall just to mention a few.Are they complying after these charges and what needs to be done beyond charging them?
It is clear that most of these trading and housing complexes that have mushroomed are not complying with the approvals that were made before construction partly because of lack of supervisory capacity and underhand corrupt tendencies. This practice has gotten out of hand and demand that noncompliance must be met with closure until they comply. An immediate compliance assessment of all the facilities should be instituted and culprits must be given immediate order to comply or be closed until they comply.
The Case of Cosmopolitan, Waterfall and many others Mushrooming Malls and hounding Complexes
It is disheartening to openly witness Cosmo Mall empty their septic tanks into trucks for disposal in the open with the odour of the feces smelling all around the un functioning on site sanitation system. The unsuspecting customers and neighbors are daily exposed to this hazard and quickly advise the relevant agency to compel management to address the non-functioning on site sanitation system while they await a long term solution or close them before the onset of rains to avoid a disaster in making.If no action is taken, then we will in detail expose the agencies and culprits who are currently exposing the public to serious health risks of waterborne diseases like Cholera. These malls house outlets like, hungry lion, restaurants, food chain stores – perfect places for transmission.
A case of Cosmopolitan Mall. Imagine this happening during the rainy seasonA case of Cosmopolitan Mall. Imagine this happening during the rainy season
ZIPAR Executive Director Dr Pamela Kabaso (middle) making a submissions to the Parliamentary Committees on management and operations of the IDC.
The Zambia Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR) Executive Director Pamela Kabaso says Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe should explain why important key fiscal legal reforms such as the budgeting and planning bill have not enacted.
Dr. Kabaso says the budgeting and planning bill, review of the loans and guarantees act and the public procurement act are key in managing the country’s debt and fiscal consolidation.
Speaking at the ZIPAR 2019 budget media engagement, Dr. Kabaso has also noted that the gravity of the recent withdraw of donor aid by some cooperating partners has the potential to affect every Zambian if not handled very well.
Meanwhile Dr. Kabaso has praised journalists in the country for executing their oversight role on governance matters diligently, urging them to continue being proactive.
And ZIPAR Research Fellow Ceaser Cheelo has appealed to donor countries to help Zambians get an explanation on the US$42 million spent on the procurement of fire tenders by government.
Mr. Cheelo says the intervention of the donor community might solicit quicker action from government just like the withdraw of funding from the social cash transfer by aid agencies did.
He has bemoaned the lack of a clear statement regarding the procurement of the fire engines.
Meanwhile Mr Cheelo has observed that it has become difficult for Zambia to service the external debt due to the high exchange rate.
Zambia Chamber of Mines President Nathan Chishimba during an interview on Radio Phoenix recently
Chamber of mines President, Nathan Chishimba says from current indications, Zambia can grow the sector to produce 1million tons of Copper per annum and then further upward to 1.5million tons per annum which is double the 1972 pre-nationalization production levels, within the next six years. Growth is the most sustainable and inclusive means to meet the expectations of all stakeholders over time via measurable progress and increasing tax contribution to the government.
With continued stability and a focus on growth, Zambia will easily attract exploration capital to extend the copper mining industry’s life beyond the twenty years of present proven bankable reserves of 20 million tons. By attracting exploration capital, we can increase our proven reserves by over a million tons per year as we did from 1996 to 2005 and once again add decades to the industry lifespan. The other thing industry seeks is the removal of capping of carry forward loss tenure to ten years and the limiting to below 100 per cent of capital allowance claims for equipment and mine building expenditure in a year. This will shorten the break-even period for mining expansion and new projects thereby making the Copperbelt and Northwestern provinces more attractive to mining company managers, institutional shareholders and financiers than it is presently.
“We are confident that stability in the fiscal and regulatory regime for mining complimented with a few more non-cash actions such as restoring working capital tied up in Value Added Tax refunds by offsetting against dues going forward will go a long way in positioning the Zambian mining industry for double digit growth,” Mr Chishimba said.
As a further means of enhancing Zambian ownership in the mining sector, we have also proposed that the State takes measures to encourage Zambians and Zambian institutions to invest in exploration by offering them tax rebates when they buy shares in such projects. We believe this will offer a bright future along the lines that our neighbour Botswana has enjoyed over their last 40 years of policy stability in their mining sector.
We can ill-afford to resort to “Father Christmas type”, fanciful, unresearched, archaic commentary that have had ruinous effects on our economy and the people of Zambia in the past.
As a key sector that represents Zambia’s comparative advantage in the global economy, Zambian mining must be seen to be a world beater in creating economic advantage and prosperity for Zambia. This prosperity manifests itself in various forms, including the attractiveness of investment for the national economy and creation of opportunities in manufacturing, trading, communications and other commercial activity. Zambia has seen a lot of evidence of this growth, which has in recent years spread to various parts of the country.
The Chamber President added that, it is an undeniable fact that when mining does well, other economic fundamentals do well, and thus the opportunities in the Zambian economy expand.
The Zambia Chamber of Mines has committed itself to a principle of constructive engagement with the Government of Zambia to ensure that mining is carried on in a responsible and sustainable manner at all levels, whether by foreign or local investors. We believe this is the basis on which a very healthy level of mutual trust and confidence has been cultivated, that has seen some relative stability in the regulatory environment for mining in Zambia in recent years.
It is the Chamber’s conviction that this recent stability positions Zambia as one of the primary destinations for much needed investment in operations and development of new projects, which will not only expand the sector in Zambia, but create more opportunities to expand revenue for the treasury and economic opportunity in other industries.
Going forward, it is our conviction that Zambia should move with the times and take a bold grasp of the unique opportunity we have to create a sustainable and inclusive future for our mining industry. We can ill-afford to resort to “Father Christmas type”, fanciful, unresearched, archaic commentary that have had ruinous effects on our economy and the people of Zambia in the past.
Wedson Nyirenda has been received a vote of confidence from the Baroka FC chairman despite a poor start to his reign at the South African PSL club.
The ex-Chipolopolo coach has won one match, drawn two and Baroka are second from bottom after seven rounds of matches played.
“I think with time they will be able to find themselves. There’s no pressure on the coach at all. We are going to give him our support and we are going to give him more time. There’s no pressure on him at all. We believe in his ability to execute his job,” Baroka boss Khurishi Mphahlele told Kickoff.com.
Baroka are in action on Wednesday night when they host Free States who are five places above them at on 7 points and chasing their third league win of the campaign.
It has indeed been a busy few weeks after the FOCAC where the entire African leadership except for Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) went to Beijing to cut deals with China. The West has gone wild with propaganda and most African countries have been a target of the China scare slander campaign.
Now that the lies and truths about the China fever in Africa has reached its peak and we are now faced with the dilemma to either believe what has been said or not, I thought of sharing my thoughts on this topic.
A few days before the FOCAC in Beijing, I wrote about some distinct policies that have made China to be where it is now and wished our leaders the best of their FOCAC meetings in Beijing.
Truth be told, China is not and will not be the bad guy in the cooperation with Africa. If this cooperation is going to fail, we will have ourselves to blame. Here is why;
China FDI to Africa is still the lowest among all the continents. For instance, in 2016, the highest China NET FDI went to Asia at $130.27 billion, followed by Latin America at $27.23 billion, North America at $20.35 billion, Europe at $10.69 billion, Oceania at $5.21 billion and Africa received a paltry 2.4 billion investment. In fact the United States receives more China FDI than the entire Africa every year.
China has a very powerful leadership structure which Africa or African countries cannot match. Therefore, when it comes to the execution of the deals, if Africa does not up its systems to match up to China, then we stand to lose out.
According to the Chinese, A WIN WIN deal is one in which either party gets their perceived value from the deal. As Africans, we have a tendency of getting satisfied and comfortable with mediocrity. If we are going to execute these deals with poor governance structures, our representatives will easily sign off deals once they are given a few coins for themselves, not knowing that they are actually selling off an entire country.
The lack of understanding of Chinese culture by Africans is our weakest bargaining point. The Chinese try to understand their partner’s way before sitting down with them for any discussions. The Chinese will go to great lengths to know the size of your dress, the number of children you have, what food you like, etc, so that when they meet you, it will look like they have known you for a long time. They will buy gifts for you whether you are visiting them or they are visiting you. Unfortunately, as Africans we even ask our hosts or visitors to buy us gifts of our choice without any reciprocation. This becomes our weak touch to negotiate deals as we are already psychologically defeated by the generosity of our colleagues and the only thing left is to be soft on negotiating national deals as a way to give back. This is the reason why we get surprised at how our representatives signed off certain deals which look very unreasonable. In such instances we need to know that they were given some iPads and phones by the other party before getting on the negotiating table.
Failure is not part of Chinese vocabulary and culture. Chinese respect instructions from their leaders and have a strong sense of patriotism. It’s an honour for a Chinese to represent his country at any platform and they take this very seriously. When leaders assign work to a Chinese subordinate, they expect total success no matter what it takes. Subordinates also want to exceed their leader’s expectations by executing deals at the lowest budget and in record time. This culture poses a great threat to our representatives who mostly have no loyalty to their leaders and their countries. They will go to China with a laisses faire attitude and they will be knocked down in the first round by their well prepared and not taking chances opponents.
China is smart, no cash will be poured in our treasuries, and money will be given directly to Chinese contractors. Now, imagine signing off a deal at 3 times the actual value because you received a little insignificant something from our Chinese friends as a gift, the fact is that you will have sold off your entire country because the executing companies for the deals will be Chinese with little local content. Therefore, the net gain for most deals may end up in the negatives as there is no effect in the communities where they are being carried out. We can take a leaf from the Malaysian Prime Minister on how he wants to deal with China.
China will continue making friends for recognition as a real world power and Africa is an easy ally because of its global positioning and we are known to be very good receivers (reactive) and not givers (proactive). Further, we don’t make any decisions at the UN or at WTO; we can easily be swayed and bought.
The West will continue playing double standards as regards our friendship with China. In the actual fact, they are also yearning for Chinese money as much as we do. Imagine they are the largest beneficiaries of the Built and Road Initiative and only a few African countries will directly benefit from it, but they are trying to portray a picture of bad deal for Africa already. We need to be very careful with them.
The West still has no trust about our loyalty to them and our capacity to make good decisions for ourselves. Their fear is that China will spoil us to compensate for their centuries of lies to us, so they will continue sponsoring propaganda to confuse our already confused minds. We need to put our focus on what we want from China not what the West is telling us. In as much as we have to be cautious as we cooperate with China, the west should be the last to pretend to have our best interests at heart, they have had the opportunity to be our real messiah for centuries now, but they can only point at brainwashing us using their culture which to some extent supports their own agenda in Africa as it has failed to accrue meaningful development for us. Their primary focus was to grab our land and minerals for free. Surely with the rise of China, the west can sit back and either cooperate or just compete. They have not been our real friends.
In conclusion, unless we are a cursed and not really ambitious at all, China poses a real opportunity for us to have some form of control on what we want. That’s why we need to quickly devise a strategy for our new friend. He is rich and he is ready to spoil us, but, will he spoil us with intoxicating substances or tangible things that will benefit us even in the future? The choice is ours. Our excitement to receive free things should not blind us to the real threat that the new loans and grants that our rich friend (China) is giving us. Remember our friend has a family and a big family of over 1.5 billion people to take care of. We need to study him carefully, we need to know his interests, and we need to know his motivation of coming to us. We need to understand how we can tame his expectations; we need him to know that we are not a bunch of people who can easily be bought with hard liquor and a few toys.
One thing for sure is that our new friend is here to stay, all we need is to make sure that he understands his role and position in our house; he needs to know that the master bedroom (internal politics) remains ours no matter his money. The day we will allow him to enter our master bedroom is the day we will lose our throne, and it will not be long before he throws us out like a stranger. We have been there before, the West came, and they forced themselves into our master bedroom and took over the throne. Today we are still healing from the scars of this part of our history. We shouldn’t forget, Africa still has a future, let’s not sell it to our new friends like our forefathers did; the consequences of doing that now may be too grave to the extent of putting our entire race at risk.
NGAMBELA, Nyambe Mwenda, the Pime Minister of the Litunga, Lubosi Imwiko the second, delivers a speech on behalf of the Litunga of the Lozi people in Western Province at this year’s Kulamba traditional ceremony of the Chewa people held at Mkaika in Katete on Saturday where the Litunga was guest of honour. PICTURE BY STEPHEN MUKOBEKO/ZANIS
The Baroste Royal Establishment (BRE) says it will not be rushed in pursuing the Barotseland Agreement of 1964 with Government by anyone.
The BRE has indicated that those who want to rush the process using cruel means other than dialogue which is currently taking place are doing so at their own peril.
The BRE made the remarks through the Ngambela, Nyambe Mwenda at Lialui Royal village in Mongu lasst week.
Mr. Mwenda said the BRE has made its stance clearly over the matter and would not accept to be pushed beyond its limits by the so-called Barotseland Activists.
He said whilst attending the Kulamba Traditional Ceremony in Eastern Province in August this year, the BRE reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue with Government until the Barotseland issue was resolved amicably
Meanwhile, the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) has warned indunas to stop issuing land to foreigners without the consent of the Litunga who is custodian of land in Western Province.
The BRE sounded its warning through the Ngambela, Nyambe Mwenda in Lialui last week.
Mr. Mwenda disclosed that some indunas were giving land to foreigners at the expense of the locals.
He said a named foreigner who received land has even built a mosque which was against the wishes of the Litunga and the BRE.
Mr. Mwenda stated that building of mosques has been banned in Western Province.
Zambia has expressed profound concern that Africa has continued to remain outside the United Nations Security Council 40 years after a resolution to reform the Security Council to make it truly representative, democratic and effective was placed on the General Assembly agenda.
President Edgar Lungu told the United Nations (UN) that after four decades of Africa calling for the reform of the Security Council, the Continent has not moved anywhere closer to the agreement with the Council on the fundamental question of universal importance.
President Lungu told the UN Member States that the reform of the Security Council is not only a matter of common decency and correction of historical injustice but also a subject of restoring the dignity of Africa.
President Lungu noted that little or no progress has been made on the reform of the Security Council despite world leaders having called and agreed on the early conclusion to the negotiations during the Millennium Summit in 2000.
President Lungu recalled that in 2005, during the world Summit, global leaders expressed concern at the slow pace of progress on the reform of the Security Council yet progress has remained to be slow.
The Head of State said this on Tuesday when he addressed the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York whose theme is: “Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies.”
President Lungu has reiterated Africa’s position that the Continent should have two Permanent Members in the Security Council with all the privileges and obligations that come with the status as well as having five non-Permanent Seats.
“Africa currently remains the only Continent that does not have representation in the permanent category of the Security Council. Next year, 2019, will mark the 40th anniversary since the item of reforming the Security Council was put on the agenda of the General Assembly. I wish to reiterate that Africa remain steadfast and united in its call for two Permanent Members in the Security Council with all the privileges and obligations that come with the status and five non-Permanent Seats. Not only is this a matter of common decency and correction of historical injustice, but it is also a question of restoring the dignity of Africa,” His Excellency President Lungu said.
President Lungu stated that Zambia also supports the call for Non-Permanent Seat for Small Islands Developing Countries (SIDCs) whose challenges he said are unique.
He stated that it is imperative that Small Islands Developing Countries’ perspective should be incorporated as a new dimension to the UN approach to international peace and security.
The President stated that as the United Nations will be celebrating its 73rd anniversary next month, its relevance to the people it serves should continue to be magnified in the promotion of international peace, cooperation and development of sustainable societies free of hunger, poverty and disease.
The Head of State said that he is coming from a Continent that should having been standing tall and moving towards rapid human security, economic transformation and infrastructure development yet Africa’s economic structure has changed very little.
He explained that the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the African Agenda 2063 presents huge opportunities for the Continent to revitalise its economic growth and further accelerate transformation.
“My Government is nevertheless, committed and determined to overcome the economic hurdles by creating a diversified and resilient economy driven among others by agriculture, tourism and the energy sectors supported with a robust infrastructure development. My Government also recognizes that to deliver inclusive and equitable development to citizens, we need to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships in the context of South-South Cooperation and with our development partners,” the President said.
And President Lungu has told the UN that Zambia has in the recent past increased its participation in the UN peacekeeping operations and has become one of the major troop and police contributing countries in redressing conflicts around the world.
The Movement for Multi-party of Democracy (MMD) has said that they are not moved by the decision by the ACC to appeal it’s Party President Dr. Nevers S. Mumba’s absolute discharge.
In a statement, the party said that instead of being worried, they are Extremely Happy that the ACC has appealed Dr. Mumba’s absolute discharge as this has confirmed that Dr. Mumba was indeed acquitted.
“We as a Party are not worried as the Prophets of doom would allege but instead we are happy because this has proved to the Nation that indeed Dr. Mumba was set free and will further give us the opportunity to get rid of this case once and for all”, the statement said.
They further said that they have faith in the Courts of the land and that the court will sort out that case once and for all.
“We are neither shaken nor tickled over the appeal because we have faith in the Courts of the Land and We believe that the High Court will sort out this case once and for all”, the statement said.
The Party has further advised the ACC to instead direct it’s time and energies to the numerous cases that the Auditor General Report highlights every year and not the politically motivated cases such as Dr. Mumba’s case.
The Party further called upon it’s Party Officials and Members throughout the Country not to get concerned with this latest development as the Party Leadership under Dr. Nevers S. Mumba is intact and concentrating on the rebuilding of the party.
Green Eagles coach Aggrey Chiyangi says they have a plan in place for hosts Nkana in Wednesday’s top-three showdown at Nkana Stadium in Kitwe.
Third placed Eagles visit number two side Nkana in a last-minute dash for the runners-ups spot with three games left before the 2018 FAZ Super Division season comes to a close.
Eagles are one point behind Nkana on 68 points but area further nine adrift of Zesco United who will retain the league title with a game to spare should they beat relegation threatened Nchanga Rangers on the same date at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Nkana and Eagles go into the match also unbeaten in their last 16 and 17 successive matches respectively.
But the pressure is on Nkana who lost 2-1 away to Eagles in the first leg on June 17.
“It is going to be very tough knowing that Nkana are playing home,” Chiyangi said.
“Obviously they are hoping to use every arsenal to get a positive result but we are also fighting because we want to see the best position we can finish on the log.
“And looking at the way things are, second position is the best position that we can get.
“We are also making a plan so that if they slumber we can get the result that we want.”
Victory for Eagles will see them enter the top two bracket in the battle for the second CAF Champions League ticket.
Third and fourth finishers will play in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Eagles have never finished in the top four in their ten years of campaigning in the FAZ Super Division as they also chase their debut continental appearance.
Eagles best finish was a seventh spot placing in 2014.
Meanwhile, the match will also see the current joint league top scorers on 18 goals go head-to-head with Idris Mbombo for Nkana and Eagles’ Tapson Kaseba.
Buchi residents riot after Police shot and killed one of them
On 24th September 2018 the Nkana Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) Water Network Crew, carried out a routine exercise to seal leaks in various parts of Kitwe with a particular focus on Kazembe Road in Buchi Township.
The presence of the NWSC officers agitated the car wash owners and a confrontation started. This prompted the NWSC officers to call for a Police Officer from the Zambia Police Service for protection.
Around 10:30 hours, NWSC was informed that the leak sealing team had been stoned by the car wash owners and that the Police Officer had been attacked. The firearm had gone off at some point and one person was shot at. One of the NWSC employees named Angel Ngosa also sustained a deep cut on his left ear in the process and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The NWSC Head of Security rushed to Kitwe Teaching Hospital to confirm the incident and established that Topman Mwila aged 22, of House No. 420 Buchi Township was pronounced dead.
The Zambia Police Service is still investigating the matter and NWSC awaits the Police report.
The Management of Nkana Water and Sewerage Company regrets the loss of life.
Issued by Bivan Saluseki
Manager – Public Relations Nkana Water and Sewerage Company
Beneficiaries at a Cheshire Home in Matero had reason to smile after a visit from Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Hungry Lion on Friday. The employees from Hungry Lion Matero showed their support by donating much-needed necessities.
“I work as an Assistant Manager at Hungry Lion,” explains Richard Mazyopa. “As staff, we were all asked to nominate charities in our local communities that we wanted our company to support. I nominated this Cheshire Home because I can see the great work that they do in our community. To have my workplace now supporting them is something else, I am very proud to be part of the Hungry Lion team.”
“I love my friends at the Matero Cheshire Home,” said a 12-year-old beneficiary. “Everyone here is very friendly and they have very nice food here. Today the Hungry Lion team came to visit us, that was the best.”
Mr R Mutinta, General Manager at the Matero Cheshire Home thanked Hungry Lion for looking out for their beneficiaries and for contributing towards their wellbeing. “Our aim is to enable people living with disabilities to improve their quality of life and to campaign for the removal of the barriers that hinder them. We support 202 beneficiaries and sometimes struggle to keep up with the demand for basic needs such as non-perishable food items, toiletries and stationery. This donation will help our organisation more than you can imagine, our staff & children are so grateful for the items donated today.”
This initiative is just one of the ways that the quick-service restaurant recognizes staff that brings about change and do good in their communities, a culture that all of Zambia should embrace.
“Hungry Lion is committed to giving back to our local communities. We strive to contribute towards change and this donation is something we believe can truly make a big difference in the lives of these individuals, “ said Tashalene Reid, Chief Marketing Officer for Hungry Lion.
