3 YEARS UNDER PF RULE AND HALF WAY IN 2014

PREAMBLE

2014 seemed to be a year in which the PF government was going to operate on something that was theirs, unlike in the previous years when they blamed everything on the MMD. Since 2011, life in Zambia has not been the same. Our beloved country has faced a lot of challenges and unfortunately problems are escalating hence life in Zambia has become very tough for workers, businesspersons and worse still, for the unemployed. The Orphaned and Vulnerable People are surviving by the grace of God.

THE ECONOMY

Ever since the PF government took office, the economy in this country has been going down to an extent where it is now extremely poor or none performing. We have seen the Kwacha weaken to an extent were our currency hit the record of being the weakest in the world. The cost of doing business is high for Zambians while others are boasting of making US$500million per month. The Bank Governor, who is a qualified Lawyer is found in strange territories trying to balance Books while the Minister of Finance who was using a 4 X 4 calculator in 1973 is now trying to balance and expend the National Budget and has to cope with 21st Century state of the art dynamic systems and technology.

The solution to this problem is for government to swallow its pride and constitute a team of professionals like Ng’andu Magande, Situmbeko Musokotwane, Caleb Fundanga, our very own Frank Sichone, Kalale Musonda and any other Zambians with the prowess to manage the Economics of this country for the sake of mother Zambia and not necessarily having Ministerial positions.

COST OF LIVING

The cost of living in Zambia has really gone up and is too high. People are suffering yet the PF which claims to be a pro-poor government is doing nothing to eradicate poverty in the country. Fuel prices have gone up, bus fares have also risen, and electricity tariffs too have gone up. With the removal of subsidies coupled with fuel increases, food prices have also gone up hence making it difficult for people to have three meals a day. Life under the PF rule is so tough such that people are regretting ever voting for the PF. The PF have brought nothing but misery and disaster in the lives of the people because of the way they manage affairs.

In Mindolo, Zambians are sleeping in the cold because government doesn’t care and because officials who represent both local and central government are corrupt. In Garden House, families have been displaced.

We need to mobilize our personnel who will be tasked to shift every economic impact away from the people and to put in some measures like reducing the blotted government, reducing the expenditure on the Executive, cutting down on the gratuity for MPs and Councillors.

HEAVY BORROWING

The continued borrowing of money from other countries is very unfortunate. This government is not sober when it comes to matters of national interest. The US$750million Euro Bond, the US$1billion Bond and the many other loans and grants that the PF government has borrowed have not been properly explained and yet the Ministry of Agriculture announced that it was contemplating borrowing US$ 1 billion for the agriculture sector. Honestly, what sort of a government thinks of borrowing all the time? As far as we are concerned, and following the current agricultural policies under the PF government, we don’t see any change in this sector. Food Reserve Agency, which is Maize focussed should be transformed to accommodate diversified agriculture and possibly turned into a viable sector that allows its farmers to control its calendar visa-vies production and export. Currently, commercial farmers can’t sell maize to FRA and are restricted on exports.

The PF should tell the nation how they intend on paying back the close to US$3billion already borrowed. We seriously need to know how the previous Bonds have been utilised and they also need to explain to the nation on how they intend to use the money they want to borrow. It is now clear that at the rate we are going with the borrowing, our children and our children’s’ children may be indebted even before they are born. The PF have failed and the time to put a responsible government in place has come. 2016 or sooner, we can’t wait to save mother Zambia.

LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN MINISTERS

The President himself, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata openly told the nation that some of his ministers are useless. We now fully agree with Mr Sata because some ministers have failed to handle their ministries in a manner expected of them. Some are even reshuffled to other ministries but that does not help at all. All that these PF ministers are good at is intimidating the media, blackmailing innocent citizens and exchanging words with their fellow ministers through the media. We have seen drama at its best under this government where one Minister issues a statement only later to be reversed by another Minister. In the incidence were Kambwili gives a 14 day ultimatum only for Shamenda to embarrass his counterpart with unpalatable reversal. We have a Vice President who calls himself a ‘Chola Boy’, an Acting President who appoints a District Chairman to position of Acting Secretary General, Ministers who can’t pronounce Boko Haram, and Ministers who do not know the whereabouts of the Head of State. We have Ministers who go to Kapiri Mposhi and leave the TAZARA situation worse off than they found it. Our current crop of Minister does not inspire confidence that the country is being looked after by well-informed leaders as they seem to be misguided, uninformed and amateurs.

THE HEALTH OF THE PRESIDENT

The Health of the President has been a huge sense of concern in Zambia. In other countries like South Africa, the health of the Head of State is a National matter. In Zambia it is a secret affair. Some of us don’t wish ill of our Republican President. We are very much aware that the people of Zambia gave him a mandate to rule this country until 2016. We are also alive to the fact that the Bible tells us to pray for all those in authority so that there can be peace in the land. Hiding the health of the President is depriving the people of Zambia from praying and fasting for the health of its leader. The president’s travel to Israel for what government terms as a ‘working holiday’ remains a jigsaw puzzle to solve because there are so many pieces that need to be put together. The travel has changed from working holiday to a private visit where he is receiving treatment. Why isn’t ZNBC showing the footage of the President on working holiday in Israel? Why is the President so quiet? His Facebook page has been abandoned; it is no longer active as it used to be. How long will the President be in that country? These are just so many of the questions that Zambians are asking. It is surprising that even the people that works with Mr. Sata claim to be in the dark about the matter. For the record, NAREP is praying for Mr. Sata to finish his term unless he is so weak, then he should resign to preserve his health.

As a word of advice, we ask the President to resign on Medical grounds. Maybe, if Dr Mwanawasa (MHSRIP) had resigned when people asked him to, who knows, he could have been alive today. If Nelson Mandela hadn’t resigned after his first term in office, he could have died earlier than later.

The pictures of our President at the Courts and during the visit by the Chinese Vice President should not be used for political mileage but for sympathy, thereby driving the nation to prayer.

STILL UNFULFILLED PROMISES

The PF up to now have failed to fulfil the promises they made to the people of Zambia during their 2011 campaigns. The constitution has not yet been delivered to the people, there is still a high level of unemployment in the country, and the people have no money in their pockets while taxes and tariffs are rising every day. The people of Zambia are worse off under the PF government than they were under the MMD.

SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Zambians cannot afford to experiment with top leadership of this country. The Miners are still crying foul especially that some of the people vying for the top job sold the Mines they so dearly treasured, while some other people cannot be trusted again. Am sure people always ask themselves this question: where do we go from here? There’s hope. A new and unadulterated leadership awaits to take up the helms of leadership.

Dr Kenneth Kaunda was only 40 years old when he took over the presidency of this country with a cabinet that averaged 36 years of age. Look at the work they did. Dr Frederick Chiluba (MHSRIP) was 48 years old when he became President of Zambia and testimonies of the liberalised economy still resound to date. Levy Mwanawasa (MHSRIP) was 53 years old when he took office as President and the new deal under HIPC did wonders. We then gave Rupiah Banda at 71 years old and Mr. Sata at 73 years. It’s not the issue being old but being out of touch with reality of change of times.

CONCLUSION

Zambia has an opportunity to make amends and this time around to vote wisely and remove this Party that has caused misery and pain in this nation. We need real change. We need to Restore the dignity of our citizens and set this country on course to recovery, prosperity and development. The principle of the captain dying on the wheel of the ship does not apply here because we are not on the ship but on shore hoping the ship will dock and offload the long awaited consignment. Zambia shall be restored. National Restoration Party.

Reverend Jevan Kamanga
National Secretary
National Restoration Party (NAREP)

The Zambian circus

In the last few days the nation has been treated to a circus of deceit by our leaders in goverment. While it is understandable that sometimes issues that may affect nation security need not be fully publicized, that matter of concern as citizens is on how the government especially his Honour the Vice-President and the Minister of Information have conducted themselves regarding our President’s absence from office.

It has been public knowledge for the last two months that our President has not been in the best of health. This is evident from the various photographs in the media (not photoshop by the way). Those members of the public, who have had a chance to see him at close quarters either in court or at the Freedom Statue have also raised concerns over the status of health as seen from his frail frame. I have not seen the President in person (during this time) but I have listened to media recordings of his speeches at a swearing-in-ceremony and when he met the Chinese VP and his delegation that he has struggled to speak. The majority of the citizens of Zambia (except for a few sadists) do not take joy in our President being indisposed. However, concern arises from the worry of going through another traumatic experience as happened a few years ago when we lost a great leader Patrick Levy Mwanawasa, SC.

State house guards

Over the weekend, we were treated to the drama of the President being secretly (which is understandable under the circumstances) evacuated to Israel. Interestingly, this was followed by an announcement that he had arrived in Israel for a ‘working’ holiday (at the invitation of the Outgoing Israeli President). This news item came barely two hours after the guard of honour stationed at the front of State House had knocked off. Short of being teleported it is highly unlikely that the President travelled to Israel in two hours. By the way, the guard of honour were on duty the whole day on Saturday too. But again, one may argue as a matter of parallel that U.S. President Obama has travelled to war zones on secret mission where the world only get to know either when he has arrived or on his way back.

A muted government response

Fast forward to this week Tuesday. With increased speculation on the state of the President’s health and whereabouts (after hearing conflicting statements from government officials) his honour the Deputy Speaker humbly requested the republican V.P. to provide an official statement on the matter. I suppose the nation breathed a sigh of relief hoping that for once they would hear the truth. Alas they were dead wrong. What followed were more lies and the Deputy Speaker curtailing any further debate on the matter. The latter action can only mean that things are not as they have been purported to be and to avoid further embarrassment to the government everyone should shut up.

But, if I were the Vice-President of the republic my statement to parliament would have read as follows:

What I would have told parliament as Vice president

Mr. Speaker, I rise to give through you an update to parliament and consequently the nation on the matter of H.E. the President’s absence from the country. Sir, as the nation has come to realize that our President has not enjoyed very good health in the most recent times. This has been a matter of concern to us too as a government and party in power. Owing to the said concerns and as responsible leaders, who assist the President in running the affairs of our beloved country Zambia, we in consultation with his doctors decided to send him to seek specialist examination at a medical facility in a friendly country. Sir, as you may be aware our President is a very hard working man but in the same vain under the present circumstances he needs more rest than not. We believe that by being in a distant location that will also help him get the much needed rest and thus help him recover quicker. Sir, I am at this point not in a position to say exactly how long the examinations will take but suffice to say that the nation has an Acting President, who shall ensure the continued smooth running of the nation’s affairs. Through you Sir, I humbly beg this August house and the nation as a whole to keep our President in their prayers so that he may return to the country sooner than later. Thank You, Sir.

Government leaders need media training

Our leaders need to under go extensive media training in order to learn how to handle crisis situations. In this day and era of fast electronic media and the social network denial is not the solution as people have access to information. There is need to address sensitive but nationally important issues with a semblance of maturity rather than giving comical responses that end up confusing people. For example, Israel confirms the President is in that country for medical treatment and meanwhile, the Chief Minister for Lies and Denials is busy insisting that he is on working holiday. What will they say if the worst happened and the President does not return? Will the story change to he drowned while scuba diving in Israel?

By Charles Tusheni
N.B. These are my personal views and do not at all reflect the views of the Lusaka Times publication