Vitumbuwa, also known as Fritters, are one of the 7 wonders of world…okay not really, but they really are one of the best sweet treats ever known to man.  I for one have been eating them since I was a baby, and barely able to walk. They come in all shapes and sizes, and I’m sure every household has a slightly different way of making them.  I have quite a sweet tooth and I love mine extra sweet.  They are the perfect no fuss food, the perfect “pick me up” if you are down, or “keep me up” if you are happy.   They aren’t the healthiest snack in the world; but I don’t think they are meant to be. Small little balls of sugary, doughy goodness, so good in fact that there was even a song written about them; need I say more…?

Preparation and Cooking time: 30 minutes

Makes 6-8 fritters

Ingredients

For the fritters

• 30g caster sugar, for dusting
• 1 egg
• 180g plain flour
• 100ml whole milk
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Sunflower/ vegetable oil, for frying

For the Caramel Amarula sauce

• ¹?₄ cup (59ml) water
• 1 cup (227g) granulated sugar
• ¹?₃ cup(118ml) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¹?₄ cup (59ml) Amarula or any other liqueur like Baileys or Irish cream
• 2 tbsp butter

Method

For the fritters; whisk together the egg, flour, milk, 50g of caster sugar and baking powder in a bowl, and set aside.

Fill a deep wok or a frying pan with the oil and place over a medium – high heat.  The oil is hot enough when a little of the mixture sizzles and turns golden brown immediately. (If it is too hot, the fritters will be too crunchy)

Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil – they will rise and sizzle, making puffy, odd-shaped/ roundish fritters. Cook 2 or 3 at a time.  Don’t crowd the pan or the fritters will become soggy. Using a clean spoon, constantly turn the fritters, for about 5 minutes, over in the hot oil until they are fully brown and cooked through. Remove and drain them on kitchen paper (paper towel).

Whilst still hot, you can dust caster sugar over the fritters and serve piping hot, or you can prepare your caramel Amarula sauce as follows;

Pour sugar and water in a saucepan, making sure the sugar is completely wet. Add the butter and cook on medium – high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns yellowy/brown colour. Now remove from heat immediately and carefully.  Pour your double cream into the saucepan – return the mixture to the heat and cook, stirring constantly. Add more cream if the caramel is too dark. Remove the sauce from the heat to cool down.  Add your lemon juice and Amarula or other liqueur just before serving, and mix well.

Serving

You have a few options of how to serve this delectable treat; you can eat them on their own without any condiments.  But that’s boring; why not roll your Vitumbuwa in caster sugar, dusting off any excess sugar, this will add extra crunch and sweetness.  Or you can eat them with Icecream, fruits and a drizzle of syrup or honey; and of course as this recipe indicates you can enjoy them with a sweet and slightly alcoholic- Caramel Amarula sauce (For adults only).

Kanta Temba is a cake maker and decorator. She is also the owner and founder of Kanta Kakes – cake shop.

You can find her work on www.kantakakes.com.  Follow her on twitter @KantaKakes and Instagram @KantaTemba.

Mr Hichilema made the remarks at the Global Investment in Africa Summit in London on Tuesday.

He was quoted as saying that, “A heavy focus on the mining sector and the continual fiddling with the regulation has not only resulted in damaging government’s relations with companies, but has also seen other sectors neglected where investors are actively looking for opportunities, such as tourism, agriculture, retail, finance and telecommunications.”

He also said “Zambia’s tourism potential has been haphazardly marketed and as a result the country has not properly benefited from it”.

Chief government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said Mr Hichilema’s statement is demeaning for the country in as far as attracting investment is concerned.

Mr Kambwili said it is unfortunate that Mr Hichilema used the opportunity to discourage investors to come to Zambia at a forum he should have used to market the country.

“Government finds Mr Hichilema’s remarks callous and totally bereft of facts. And it is very sad that he used the opportunity to discourage investors to come to Zambia,” he said.

Mr Kambwili said Government knows that if investors do not come to Zambia, it is the poor masses that would suffer.

He said the UPND leader’s comments indicate that he has no heart for the country as someone hoping to lead the nation.

Mr Kambwili said Mr Hichilema’s sentiments show that if he were to become President of Zambia, he would just be there to satisfy his ego rather than serving the country.

He said Government has created an enabling environment for business to thrive in the country and that Mr Hichilema has failed to pinpoint laws that are inimical to investment.

Mr Kambwili said Government is not ashamed to have reduced the mine royalty tax from 20 to nine percent to ensure mines survive.

And the minister said over 200 British investors have expressed interest to come to Zambia to explore investment opportunities following Vice-President Inonge Wina’s address at the recently held investment conference in London.

“Contrary to Mr Hichilema’s claim, the Bank of Zambia, the same day he was speaking in London, disclosed that foreign direct investment in Zambia grew from US$1.7 billion in 2013 to US$3.2 billion in 2014 owing to improved investment policy,” he said.

He counselled Mr Hichilema to show patriotism in his sentiments at international forums because that is what true statesmen do.

Mr Kambwili also condemned UPND Mazabuka MP Garry Nkombo for his statement in Parliament that the people of Southern Province have resolved to change Government in next year’s general elections.

And PF vice-chairperson for media and publicity Sunday Chanda said: “If HH was in an examination, he would have terribly failed to cut the grade the same way he has failed to cut the grade lamentably amongst Zambian voters.

“This is because he went beyond the terms of reference of selling Zambia’s investment potential to giving a disjointed bitter account of everything he perceives as wrong with Zambia. Purely out of bitterness.”

Mr Chanda said the next time Mr Hichilma speaks at an international forum on Zambia, he should avoid “careless speech” that would hurt the future of the country.

This was revealed after UPND Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa raised a point of order on Dr Simbyakula did not present the Bill to the House this afternoon.

In his ruling, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini also wondered why the Executive did not present the Bill in the House for deliberations.
Dr. Matibini has however assured that the bill will be tabled in the house on Tuesday next week.

Mr Mweetwa had risen on a point of order and queried why the Executive through Vice President Inonge Wina had failed to table the Bills for third reading.

“Sir, last week on Wednesday after the presentation of Bills Number 16 and 17 relating to constitutional amendments, the Minister of Justice indicated that the bill was coming o this House for commencement of debate,” Mr Mweetwa said.

He added, “Her Honour the Vice President when indicating the Business of the House for this week told this house and the nation that the bill was supposed to come to this House for third reading today and Honorable members were very anxious to check on the order paper today and I am sure that many Zambians have been tuned into Parliament Radio wanting to follow the proceedings on the subject matter.”

“Sir, whereas I am aware that within this session they are at liberty to introduce this bill anytime but given the severity and gravity of importance and expectation that has been raised amongst the citizens who are willing and wanting to hear the proceedings of this bill, is the Executive through her Honor the Vice President who is comfortably seated there and I don’t know what she is reading in order to remain quiet and not inform the nation over this very important national issue which has gripped the nation?”

And Dr Matibini agreed with Mr Mweetwa that the point of order was valid.

“Your point of order is valid, I am equally concerned that we will not begin looking at the bill at committee stage, nonetheless, the clerks at the table have been actively engaged with members of the Executive and as of today, I was also following up on the issue and I have been assured that all things been equal, come next week on Tuesday, this should be on the order paper and we should commence looking at the bill in committee.”

Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Copperbelt Province Chairperson Mr Denson Chisunka says that it is wishful thinking that MMD President Dr Nevers Sekwila Mumba can be easily removed and replaced by his political enemies. And Mr Chisunka said Copperbelt MMD shall “sort out” Mr Mutati.

Reacting to a statement attributed to MMD former Provincial Vice-Chairman Mr George Kangwa who said that Central Province had endorsed Lunte MP Mr Felix Mutati and Liuwa MP Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane as his running mate for the upcoming 2016 elections, Mr Chisunka said it was shocking that Mr Kangwa could be quoted as speaking on behalf of MMD when he was expelled from MMD.

“Kangwa is an impostor and was expelled sometime back so I wonder how some media houses can be quoting him as representing the MMD. They should do their research and ask us who our current party officials are,” said Mr Chisunka.

“And we wish to warn Mutati that his days are numbered. Let him continue his nonsense of sponsoring stooges like Kangwa to speak for him. We shall sort out Mutati if he tries to come here in the Copperbelt to cause confusion. MMD has only one president in Dr Mumba who has a five year mandate that expires in 2017. So all this talk of electing a new MMD president in 2016 is nonsense and an attempt to disobey our constitution. Dr Mumba has stood firm and defended the party against all its enemies, unlike Mutati who is just a political prostitute, a ‘muselela kwakaba’.”

“Mutati helped to almost completely destroy the great MMD together with Rupiah Banda and other MMD MPs who supported UPND and PF in the last election in January. He never campaigns for MMD or contributes financially apart from the normal MP contributions. But today he wants to deceive people that Dr Mumba has failed to run MMD when he is the biggest failure and coward who never stood up to [Michael] Sata when he tried to destroy MMD,” said Mr Chisunka.

“We ask Mr Mutati to tell the nation why he was removed as the MMD Whip in Parliament. Mr Mutati’s loud silence in the House led to the voices of ‘MMD is dead’. Many MPs confronted him to try to persuade him to overcome the great fear he had for Sata which caused him to be frozen in Parliament and be completely unable to defend the MMD MPs in the House from the harassment of the PF and President Sata,” said Mr Chisunka.

Mr Chisunka further said Mr Mutati went into hibernation and only “tutubukad” (woke up) after the death of the President Michael Sata. He said he was shocked at how Mr Mutati went on a countrywide tour during the last Presidential election, vigorously campaigning for Hakainde Hichilema, something he has never done for his own party the MMD in all the Parliamentary and Ward by-elections.

“Now Mutati wants to do an ‘RB’ on the Presidency. We know about the dark corner meetings he has been holding in Kitwe, Chingola, Chambeshi and other towns on the Copperbelt. We know of the meetings he has been holding in Eastern, Northern and other provinces unashamedly trying to sell himself as the only one who can save MMD. We are aware of brown envelopes exchanging hands at these meetings. What Mutati did in pulling part of MMD to the UPND is no different from what RB did, leaving a badly fragmented party to face the last elections,” said Mr Chisunka.

We are not in a habit of engaging the disgraced former Civil Society leader Mr. Sunday Chanda because we feel he lacks does not understand governance matters in Zambia but we feel compelled to state simple facts due the gravity of distorted and misguided statements attributed to him in the media.
Mr. Sunday Chanda alleges that the UPND Party President Mr. Hichilema Hakainde spoke in contempt of the country and its citizens by stating that;

1. Red tape Bureaucracy is a hindrance to doing successful business in Zambia.
2. Concentration on Copper Industry has robbed Zambia of every opportunity by the Government to diversify our Economy.
3. Our Tourism Industry has not been fully exploited by the Zambian Government as we only sell Victoria Falls to be the only Site attraction in Zambia. Sites like Musonda Falls in Northern Province are not equally promoted.

We are at pains to comprehend how a ruling party in government can fail to understand the Zambian Business life today as well as its serious Economic challenges.
Mr. Chanda shamelessly described the three outlined factors affecting Business in Zambia today as “cheap attack on Zambia and its people” when even our Bank of Zambia and the Ministry of Commerce have highlighted them as Challenges to Zambia today.

The PF Government has unwisely moved Roads Development Agency Office to State House, so every Contractor who dreams of doing business with RDA should go through the security clearance system at State House. Is this bureaucracy necessary for a public institution like RDA to be stationed at State House? Therefore you need political connections in State House for you to get a RDA Contract under PF.

Mr. Chanda can not even tell the Zambians what Achievement PF Government has scored in the last 4 years in diversifying the Economy of Zambia from dependency on Copper to Agriculture.
PF Government has even destroyed the vision for Farm Blocks left behind by the MMD Government like Nansanga Farm Block.
We ask Mr. Chanda to brief the Zambia what happened to negotiations regarding the Bonafarm Group which, under MMD Government, won the tender to develop Nansanga farm block’s anchor core venture plot where Zesco spent US25 million in putting up electricity and ZNS graded the roads.

We urge well-meaning Zambia to ignore the last kicks of our friends in PF as they are now afraid of their own shadows due to the massive failed Economic policies in last 4 years where we shall soon be classified as a Highly Indebted Poor Country again thanks to PF Government.

By Matthew Chanda,
UPND Kitwe District Media team