WEEKLY POLICY ISSUE

Zambia has been richly blessed by God. Our land is endowed with vast natural resources and fertile soils, we have a young population with huge potential, and we are well positioned in the region to take advantage from the various opportunities to trade with our neighbours.

We have 3,400,000 acres of arable land and 40% of water in Southern Africa. Our climate is very good and we are the most friendly and hospitable people in Southern Africa, if not the whole world. The Lake Tanganyika in Northern Province is not only the seconded deepest, but it also has the most diverse marine life of the fresh water lakes in the world. Meanwhile, the Liuwa Plains in the Western Province hosts the second largest wildebeest migration in the world, and is home to 330 bird species. If only we had a leadership with a vision, the potential this country has would be exploited for the benefit of all our people. Without a leadership that can harness these into economic activities that create jobs and opportunities for Zambia citizens, we shall but be talking about potential until the end of time.

In November and December of each year, a staggering 10 million straw-coloured fruit bats congregate in Kasanka National Park located at the western edge of Lake Bangweulu in Serenje, Central Province. This is largest mammal migration on earth. The largest concentration of hippos in the world can be found in the Luangwa Valley of the Eastern Province. The Kafue National Park is the second largest national park in Africa. The largest man-made water body in the world is Lake Kariba. The Victoria Falls is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. And this is not all, Zambia is said to be host to over 150 waterfalls dotted across the country. We never get to hear about Lumangwe, Kundabwika falls in Kawambwa, Nkundabwika in Serenje and many other beautiful falls, so what do we market to our potential tourists?

The North Western and Copperbelt Provinces have some of the largest deposits of copper in the world. Zambia is the world’s second biggest producer of Emeralds, with its Kafubu River area deposits at Kagem Mines about 45 km southwest of Kitwe responsible for 20% of the world’s production of gem quality stones. Amethysts mined from Mapatizya in Southern Province are among the finest in the world. But what we lack in all this is the secondary industry mainly for value addition. Zambia imports almost all the electronics it uses, what would happen if we offered to make circuit boards? Wouldn’t this take advantage of the copper we are exporting in its raw form?

[pullquote]why with so much natural resource wealth at our disposal there is so much poverty in Zambia?[/pullquote]
Our forests are among the few that have the indigenous Mukwa and Mukula trees growing in them. These trees produce the best timber and they also have medicinal properties. Unfortunately, we have in the recent past witnessed the indiscriminate cutting down and illegal export of these trees depriving the economy with the foreign currency it so desperately needs. Timber from both these species of trees is very expensive and rare. Yet we import furniture from South Africa. We import wooden products from other countries after exporting raw timber.

The questions that begs the answer is, why with so much natural resource wealth at our disposal there is so much poverty in Zambia? We are at the bottom of all human development indicators, which are life expectancy, education and income per capita. Under five mortality is at 75 per 1,000 live births ( it is 3/1000 in Norway and 4/1000 in Australia) and a maternal mortality of 338 per 100,000 in Zambia is among the highest in the world. Under-five mortality levels are influenced by poverty, education, particularly of mothers; by the availability, accessibility and quality of health services; by environmental risks, including access to safe water and sanitation; and by nutrition. Unfortunately all these are prevalent in Zambia.

Unemployment is off the roof. The country is failing to absorb the few graduates our colleges and universities are offloading on the market each year. Our farmers are not producing enough food. The agriculture sector is grossly mismanaged. The manufacturing industry is dead. Interest rates are too high. The Kwacha has been among the worst performing currencies in the world. Just about every sector you can think about is dysfunctional. As sad as this may sound, it does not surprise us. In 2011 the PF deceived the masses with their “90 days” promises. In 2015 we have a president who is on record of having said he had no vision. No vision means no plan. This largely explains why the PF and President Lungu have taken an easy route of borrowing to try and fix an ailing economy. There are no easy and fast fixes. You need a vision, skills and a plan. This is what UPND brings to the table. Here are some of the things UPND will do when the Zambian people give us an opportunity to form government in 2016.

There is no way Zambia can be importing cornflakes yet year in-year out

1. The UPND will enforce available legislation to protect our natural resources and where that is inadequate, in conformity with international norms pass new bills. It is pointless to sign on international conventions that you do not domesticate By translating them into law.
2. The UPND will build capacity and demand accountability from government agencies such as ZAWA, Dept of Forestry, Dept of Fisheries and others.
3. The UPND will galvanize available human resource to constructively engage in the economy by making financing available to prospective entrepreneurs, current interest are prohibitive and eliminates majority of our people from meaningfully participating in the economy.
4. The UPND will as much as possible encourages citizens’ participation in home grown solutions to prevailing challenges. There is no way Zambia can be importing cornflakes yet year in-year out we are boasting of bumper harvests. Zambia imports milk, cheese and other milk products, yet the country has potential to be self-sufficient in many areas.
5. The UPND will not borrow from the international markets recklessly, as all expenditure will be carefully planned with appropriate oversight

The many challenges we face as a country are not insurmountable. The crisis however, is in leadership and a lack of political will. We cannot allow the systematic assault and destruction of our beloved country, as is the case under the PF government right now. It is our collective responsibility to make Zambia a better place where all our people will have access to basic social services regardless of political affiliation and connections. We will in future articles tackle our specific interventions in each of these areas of potential.

Hakainde Hichilema

UPND President

Together, we can

And the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) says socialism cannot yield positive results for Zambia because global economies are changing to capitalism.

Head of development studies at the Zambian Open University Thomas Mabwe said if he had an opportunity to advise the Wynter Kabimba-led Rainbow Party, he would discourage them from championing socialist ideologies because they have failed throughout the world.

Mr Mabwe said countries around the world are changing from socialism to capitalism and it would not be prudent for Zambia to go back to an economic system that failed and almost ground the economy to a halt.

“Even the Soviet Union, which is an architect of socialism, did away with socialism. China,which is one of the biggest economies, is also going away from socialism,” he said.
In a socialist economy, firms are owned and controlled by the state and politicians control resource allocation.

On the other hand, capitalism is an economic system in which investment and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations.

Mr Mabwe said Zambia was a socialist economy in the first republic but it discarded the system and embraced capitalism due to economic problems.

Mr Mabwe, however, said the Rainbow Party can only hope for democratic socialism, though it is a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, MUZ says socialism discourages hard work because “everything” is shared even with people who are not producing anything.

Union president Nkole Chishimba said Zambia is part of the global community which is shifting from socialism because of its negativity.

“We saw how the economy deteriorated under socialism because it promotes laziness,” he said.

But a Lusaka-based economist Reuben Banda contends that there is no one perfect system of governance, and socialism can work if it borrows capitalist elements.

“Socialism is not entirely bad because if combined with capitalism, it can give positive outcomes,” Mr Banda said.

Mr Banda said socialism tries to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, while capitalism promotes entrepreneurship which suits the rich.

Rainbow Party spokesperson Goodson Banda defended the socialist ideology, saying it is the only way to revive the economy and provide free services.

Namibia is one of six African countries that migrated from analogue to digital television broadcasting before the deadline of 17 June 2015.

This happened after Namibia successfully switched off the analogue broadcast of its national television some eight days ago.

This means that antennae still on the roofs and television sets of some houses in Namibia must be replaced with satellite dishes as part of the shift to digital broadcasting.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) deadline to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting system was 17 June 2015, as set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

“We are proud as Namibia to have been amongst only six African countries to meet the DTT deadline and wish to also congratulate other SADC members states for beating the deadline,” said the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Tjekero Tweya on Friday.

He was officiating at the SADC Communications, Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) and Postal Services Ministers meeting in Walvis Bay.

Other SADC member states that successfully switched to digital broadcasting are Malawi, Mauritius, Tanzania, Zambia and Rwanda.

Those who missed the deadline are expected to switch over by June 2016.

“We are equally encouraged that other countries have their foot at the doorstep of successful migration. As they say: ‘better late than never’,” said Tweya.

Between 21 and 26 June 2015, more than 100 African leaders converged in Walvis Bay, where the SADC DTT Steering Committee meeting took place, followed by the ninth SADC Digital Broadcasting Migration Forum and the SADC Communications ICT and Postal Ministers’ meeting.

Discussions provided opportunities for member states to share personal experiences on the migration from analogue to DTT.

Participants also discussed analogue switch-off strategies and digital platform operating models, funding models and development of local content.

The SADC Communications ICT and Postal Ministers’ meeting discussed the implementation of the SADC Roadmap on Digital Broadcasting Migration.

A survey conducted in Ndola yesterday revealed that traders have reduced the price of other cement products by about K14 due to cheaper Dangote products.

The price has fallen from about K75 to K61 and K62. At Micmar branch in the town centre, the commodity was fetching at K62 for Zambezi Portland cement, while Dangote cement was selling at between K61 and K62 and that of Lafarge was ranging between K62 and K68.

“This new (Dangote) cement on the market is of good quality. that is why most consumers seem to prefer it and the price is affordable,” Ackson Chibwe, a trader at Masala market, said.

Recently, the K400 million-worth Dangote Industries plant offloaded the commodity on the local market with the wholesale price pegged at K58.

Mrs Wina urged the Chinese investors not to worry as Zambia has a stable political environment suitable for investment and trade.

The Vice president said this in Lusaka today when she met a delegation from the China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Company Limited (CNMC).

Mrs Wina who was flanked by Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry Margaret Mwanakatwe said Zambia and China have for a long period of time continued to enjoy cordial economic and trade relations which has continued to grow each day.

Mrs Wina however, praised China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Company Limited for its continued investment in the country’s mining sector for the past 13 years.

She said the continued investment of the company in the mining sector is a symbol of the China-Zambia trade and economic partnership.

She further said the company’s continued investment in the country’s mining sector has created many job opportunities for the Zambian people.

And Mrs Wina has however urged the Chinese investors in the country to adhere to the country’s labour laws and continue to employ more Zambians.

Mrs Wina further implored all investors in the mining sector to be aware of the environmental protection strategies and ensure that they critically emphasise on disaster risk management in their operations.

And China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Company Limited (CNMC) Chief Executive Officer Kelli Zhang said despite the challenges that has affected the mining operation in the country his company is ready to double its investment.

Mr Zhang said his company has over the past 13 year operation in the country invested a total of $2.6 billion with 15,000 employment opportunities for the Zambian people.

He also said his company has taken keen interest in understanding various government mining policies and is steadily positioning itself to the country economic stability.

Mr Zhang also assured Zambia that his company is ready to invest not only in mining but in also in other various national economic sectors.

Meanwhile, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Margaret Mwanakatwe has praised China for replicating its investment in the Chambishi Multi Facility Economic Zone.

Mrs Mwanakatwe said government is ready to attract more Chinese investment not only in mining but in other key economic sectors such as agriculture, tourism and health among others.