The government has signed a $ 15 million deal with United Arab Emirates KHALIFA Fund for a grant aimed at supporting the development of Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs in the Country.

Special Assistant to the President for Finance and Investment Jito Kayumba disclosed that the grant is one of the positive outcomes of the President’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates (|UAE) and will be managed by the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises.

“We additionally signed an investment deal of about $15million with the UAE for the support to SMEs in the country. This fund is not a loan but a grant and it will be managed through the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises,” he said.

Speaking during a joint press briefing with Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya at State House, Mr. Kayumba added that the landmark $ two Billion energy deal that was signed with ZESCO will not only benefit the energy sectors but other sectors as well and will create more jobs and business opportunities for local suppliers and other businesses

Mr Kayumba has urged Zambians to position themselves properly in order to fully benefit from the investments and contribute to the country’s economic growth.

And Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya stressed that government is committed to find a lasting solution to the challenges faced in the energy sector and described the $2 Billion energy MoU as a direct result of President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership and commitment.

Mr Bwalya added that the MoU will stabilize the energy sector by stabilizing power supply and creating jobs for the citizens.

“The President and team immediately set out to sort out the problem of load shedding and find a lasting solution to the problem. As you are aware we signed the largest energy MoU on energy. This is a direct result of the President’s leadership,” he said

He further added that Zambia will, together with South Africa and Senegal, boost food security for the continent through the production and supply of grains, a move that has partly been necessitated by the war in Russia and Ukraine.

Mr Bwalya said the move will create more jobs and opportunities in the agricultural sector and increase forex for the country.

Dr Fred M’membe, the leader of the Socialist Party (SP) in Zambia, has written a post on his Facebook page in which he argues that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout is not the solution to Zambia’s economic struggles.

Dr M’membe states that previous IMF deals in Zambia have not led to long-term success and have instead exposed “our incapacity as a people to govern ourselves.” He also claims that the true beneficiaries of IMF bailout programs in Zambia are usually Western companies, South African finance capital, and local businessmen connected to those in power. These forces often buy state-owned enterprises at cheaper rates, taking advantage of the economic struggles the country faces.

Dr M’membe criticizes the current government for focusing on privatizing state-owned companies such as ZAMTEL and ZESCO instead of prioritizing the collection of fair revenue from the mining sector, developing the arts industry, increasing state support to agriculture and food security, and investing in social sectors such as education and health. The leader of the Socialist Party (SP) also accuses the current government of not thinking about the poor, the workers, and people in general, that are suffering the most.

Dr M’membe concludes by stating that the “lasting solution to Zambia’s economic difficulties does not lie in the IMF,” and that the country must instead focus on self-governance and supporting its own industries. He believes that if the government collects fair and adequate revenue from the mining sector, and support secondary industries such as manufacturing, the country would be able to sustain itself without depending on IMF.

Dr M’membe also calls on the government to look at the history of IMF deals in Zambia, and learn from the mistakes of the past. He also reminds the government of President Kenneth Kaunda’s famous question to IMF: “are you able to design a program that will not require me to kill my own people?” He believes that the government should not subcontract the running of its economy to the IMF, and return to the West to ask for help in governing itself, as it would be contradictory to the reason for which the country fought for its independence.

Civil Right Activist Brebner Changala has confirmed a deepening crisis in a Senior Citizens’ Organisation called Our Civic Duty Association – OCiDA after a statement purported to have been issued by OCiDA Chairman Archbishop Emeritus Telesphore Mpundu, that circulated on various social media platforms alleging that President Hakainde Hichilema’s led government has failed.

Mr Changala who is also a member of OCiDA said in a video footage released last evening, that he fears OCiDA is divided right at the centre and is on the brink of a total breakup unless members rise up and unite.

The division appears to have been caused by the said long statement allegedly issued by Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu outlining perceived failures by the government of President Hakainde Hichilema which has been in office for under a year and four months.

“We are divided for there is a group of senior members that think that we cannot hold the New Dawn Administration to account for their own reasons, and then there are some of us who have seen the short comings and have risen to the day that let’s speak about the challenges we face today, OCiDA might not be the same from today,” he said

And Mr Changala said that whatever Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu whatever to talk about was supposed to be done in private, adding that OciDA was formed as a civic organisation that will fight for various interest within the country but it’s unfortunate that some members of OCiDA think that the current government should not be held accountable for the many challenges being faced.

“In a nutshell, the press conference to be held by Archbishop Mpundu has been cancelled because there has been certain information that reached the Archbishop stating that he must not proceed, and I know that, that’s not the character of the Archbishop, he will re-organised himself and find a way and time to make the media because through you, he will speak to the President, for the President can’t see him personally for various reasons but he’s not the only person that the President doesn’t see, he sees a lot of people but there are certain people that he doesn’t seem to be available to see,” Mr Changala said

Mr Changala further said that the New Dawn Administration including the President Hichilema himself are beyond access, adding that nobody can see the President for various reasons and everybody is complaining about this, including the Alliance Partners, OCiDA, the Chiefs, they are all complaining.

Sources state that Bishop Mpundu has denied issuing the statement and pointed their accusing fingers at a M’membe protagonist Sishuwa Sishuwa, PF Presidential hopeful Emmanuel Mwamba and Brebner Changala.

And in responding as to whether carderism has been curbed and that the UPND are performing to the expectation of the people, Mr Changala mentioned that carderism cannot go away if the leadership has abandoned the very carders that pillard them for 23 years without giving them an alternative support, they will always find a way to survive,

“For instance, whatever the Patriotic Front – PF used to do is now back in Town, you can even see not too long ago Minister of Local Government Garry Nkombo trying to do what was decent but it was reversed at the apex, it shows you that certainly we are back to square one and it will not be too long before the carders come to disrupt this gathering, I heard Mwaliteta warning Kelvin Bwalya Fube commonly known as KBF the other day when he featured on a program and Mwaliteta warned KBF not to talk about President Hichilema as if his their Party President only, Hakainde Hichilema is a President of the Republic of Zambia, and he doesn’t belong to one section or function of a political party,” he stated

He further mentioned that there is failure in the management of human resources, and most importantly there is failure in communication on how the country is being governed, there is a belief that the UPND came on a platform of change, but what has changed?

“They keep telling people about the recruitment of over 40 thousand civil servants, they talk about the removal of carders which is debatable, but there is structural changes to the way people are governed which they should have started with, such as access to information, operationalisation of the public protector, the independence of the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Drug Enforcement Commission which are all micro-managed by the Executive and yet Executive is the anchor and base of corruption and abuse of state institutions, so, it cannot control an institution that is supposed to curb corruption, if anything the ACC is now used as an attack dog for those with dissenting views or those in opposition, ACC rarely goes for the members of the Executive, when it should have been independent and that was going to be change that people fought for,” he disclosed

“What I can say in a nutshell is that the UPND is a replica of the Patriotic Front, as thy are mimicking the PF, the only thing is the faces that have changed anything else remains unchanged,” he further disclosed