The LT team wishes our dear readers a Wonderful Christmas and Successful New Year

By Bishop Katebe
It is Christmas season once again. For some of us houses on our streets are lit with wonderful decorative lights. The shops are busy with people flocking in to get their loved ones some Christmas presents. The Internet is busy with people ordering gifts and the delivery trucks are in and out of our neighborhoods. Western union is busy with people sending money to their loved ones so that they can have a decent Christmas. For the Post Offices, this is the busiest time of the year. Churches are busy working on Christmas plays or skits because the Christmas weekend usually experiences a swelling in attendance due to those who only attend Church at Easter and Christmas. Airfares have gone up because it’s one of the busiest times of the year and the roads will be busy with traffic this weekend.

For some, this is the most ugly time of the year because their family tradition is that everybody goes home for Christmas and there will be competition among siblings, in terms of how prosperous some have become and how others are scrapping by in life. After all is said and done, most will wish they didn’t have to make the trip to their Christmas get-together. In some families it will be a sad moment because some of their loved ones who were with them last Christmas will not be there because they have passed-on. To some who can’t afford to buy childrens presents; depressing.

For some Zambians living abroad, the extra to some of the activities above will be a time to get together with other Zambians and celebrate the season over a drink.

No matter which way you choose to celebrate or not even celebrate the Christmas season, depending on your beliefs, there’s one thing we cannot afford to loose sight of. Traditionally Christmas points to the birth of Jesus Christ. His birth is really a historical fact. However, to most children, the most popular individual during Christmas is Santa Clause.

We hope you will have a great Christmas and that it will be full of Jesus Christ, who is the savior of all. We hope and pray that you will take time to explain to the children in your care that despite all the activities during Christmas, “JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.”

Merry Christmas from us to you and yours!

Reuters reports that Zambia’s main opposition leader on Thursday said his party would renationalise Zambia’s fixed line operator, Zamtel, if elected in 2011, because the decision to privatize the company is not in the best interest of the country.

India’s Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd , Angola’s Unitel and Libya’s LAP Green Networks on Wednesday submitted bids to acquire between 51 and 75 percent of the stake in Zamtel.

However Patriotic Front (PF) party president Michael Sata said the sale of Zamtel was unacceptable because apart from it being a strategic organization, the new majority stake owners were likely to close the rural branches and concentrate on urban areas.

“Those bidding for Zamtel are doing so at owner’s risk. The PF in government will reverse the decision to privatise Zamtel. Even if it is sold we will renationalise it,” Sata told Reuters in an interview.

Sata said parliament would decide the conditions of Zamtel renationalisation.[quote]

Zamtel’s revenue for the year to end-December was $100 million. It is Zambia’s only licensed fixed-line provider of voice and data communications and has performed poorly despite its monopoly rights.

Sata said Zamtel had performed badly because the government owed it a lot of money.

“If the government paid all the Zamtel bills, Zamtel would be very viable. The government owes Zamtel trillions of kwacha and that is what has created problems,” Sata said.

The Zamtel sale has been criticised by opposition politicians and trade unions, who say Zambians should hold a bigger stake in the company.

Nigerian fixed-line operator Nitel is also currently being privatised, while in April, Mali’s government rejected a bid for state-owned Sotelma.

Independent analyst Oliver Saasa told Reuters renationalising Zamtel would scare away other investors and was not in the best interest of the country because the sale was legally binding.

“What has been done within the laws of the land should not be changed with every change of government because it will send very wrong signals to other investors,” Saasa said.

“The PF leader should suggest other measures that will ensure that the interests of Zambians are protected after the sale of the company instead of suggesting renationalisation.”

[Reuters]

Copperbelt Province Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima has said it was irrational for the opposition political parties to advocate for the removal of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) from power simply because the party has been around for many years.

ZANIS Ndola reports that Mr. Mbulakulima, who is also MMD National vice Treasurer, was speaking at Mushili Council Youth training centre during the card renewal exercise for MMD Bwanamukubwa constituency.

Mr. Mbulakulima said it was wrong for the opposition parties to want to remove the MMD from power on grounds that the ruling party has overstayed in government.

He said people should only remove a political party from government when it has failed to perform to their expectations.

“The only reason the opposition parties want us out of government is that we have overstayed, but do you divorce a woman because you have stayed with her for 20 years in marriage?” he asked.

Mr. Mbulakulima has meanwhile said there was need for the MMD members to explain the party’s developmental programmes to the public so that the people can appreciate their government.[quote]

He further said the party should be proud that the economy of the country has grown by 6 per cent this year.

He said this has been made possible because of the able leadership of President Rupiah Banda.

And speaking earlier, Bwanamukubwa Constituency Chairman Kelvin Chaumwe, said his constituency had decided to endorse President Banda as the party’s presidential candidate for the next general election.

Mr. Chaumwe said the constituency will also not allow anyone to insult the president.

ZANIS

The Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) has expressed happiness with government’s intentions to reduce on its domestic borrowing by next year.

EAZ President Mwilola Imakando says the move will go a long way in improving the economic performance of the country by attracting more private sector investment.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Dr. Imakando noted that the reduction in domestic borrowing will make more money available for the Private sector hence improving the economy.

He explained that if government continues to borrow from commercial banks the private sector will not have enough money to invest in various sectors of the country’s economy.

Dr. Imakando said government’s move is important because the private sector will be given a chance to access more money from commercial banks.

He said this will also assist commercial banks to reduce on their lending rates there by benefiting many local people economically.

He further added that this will also compel the private sector to invest in important sectors such as in infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Dr. Imakando has appealed to commercial banks in the country to reduce further their lending rates if the sector is to be more competitive.

He noted that Zambia’s economy has the potential to perform well if only the banking sector can be made more competitive.

He since praised the government for continuing to record growth in the economy of the country despite many challenges that came with the global economic down turn.

Dr. Imakando has also cautioned people in the country against making statements that can scare away investors and disturb the economic environment of the country.

Currently Government borrows about K620 billion in treasury bills and government bonds per month.

Government has announced that its intentions to reduce on it domestic borrowing and attract more private sector investment in the economy.

ZANIS

The Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) Director Fredrick Mwalusaka has said that the agency was disappointed by the allegations from Kasama Central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba that RTSA was being used by the Movement Multiparty Democracy (MMD) to cripple his transport business.

Mr. Mwalusaka said the agency operates on the principle of good corporate governance which includes fairness, accountability transparency and professionalism.

He regretted that individuals of different political affiliations always want to associate the operations of RTSA with partisan politics.

He indicated that at no time had RTSA received instructions from any political party to fix any transport operator.

Mr. Mwalusaka reiterated that RTSA was a corporate body created through an act of parliament and is committed to implementing traffic regulations accordingly.

He vowed that RTSA will not stop implementing and enforcing road traffic regulations saying it was up to vehicle owners and drivers to adhere to traffic rules if they do not want to be inconvenienced.[quote]

Mr. Mwalusaka was reacting to the article that appeared in the Post newspaper of 22nd December 2009 alleging that RTSA is favoring MMD transport operators and was trying to cripple the businesses of the opposition political party members.

Meanwhile, the Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) has vowed not to spare anyone breaking traffic laws regardless of their political affiliation.

RTSA Principle Publicity Officer, Mercy Mwila, told ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday that the agency is working hard to ensure that Passenger Service Vehicle (PSV) operators adhere to traffic rules during and after this festive season.

Ms Mwila said RTSA will not entertain individuals who want to politicize the agency, which is non partisan.
She said the agency will operate as mandated by the law and not favour anyone in its operations.

Ms Mwila said traffic officers were already on the ground to ensure that traffic rules were followed in order to avoid loss of life through unnecessary accidents.

She revealed that last week, a lot of buses, including Kasama Central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba’s bus, were impounded after traffic officers discovered that the public service vehicles were not fit to be on the road.

Ms Mwila noted that allowing unfit vehicles and drivers to be on the road would be disastrous especially now that the roads were slippery due to rains.

She disputed assertions that RTSA was selective in the way it enforced the law.

Ms. Mwila noted that it is the duty of RTSA to treat everyone equally regardless of their political affiliations.

She has since called on the bus operators and their drivers to ensure that their vehicles were fit before they travel in order to avoid being impounded.

[ZANIS]

Government has dismissed allegations that the proposed media bill is aimed at fixing The Post Newspaper and its editor Fred M’membe as it has been reported in yesterday’s edition of the same tabloid.

Chief Government Spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha described the story as a total fabrication which is aimed at misleading the people in the country.

Gen Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said government is extremely disappointed with the unethical reporting exhibited by newspaper and accused it of deliberately failing to balance the story by getting a comment from government on the matter.

He said in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday that it was such unethical tendencies that were making people call for media regulation.

He said The Post Newspaper was not only portraying unethical reporting but also deliberately showing ignorance of the legislative process to mislead the people.

General Shikapwasha said the Vice President does not make laws in Zambia as has been insinuated in the story carried by the Post Newspaper’s edition of today.

“Making of laws has a procedure, which The Post newspaper is pretending not to know. Drafting of a bill is initiated by the Ministry of Justice then the draft goes to the stakeholders for input. Thereafter, the bill goes to the Legislation Committee, Cabinet and then Parliamentary Committee. The Parliamentary Committee further calls for submissions from stakeholders. The draft bill is then debated by Parliament, at which point it is either passed or rejected,” Gen Shikapwasha explained.

Gen Shikapwasha therefore said the Post Newspaper was deliberately misleading the nation by stating that the Vice President would take advantage of the President’s long absence to push his agenda.

He stressed that there can be no law that can be made in the absence of the President because the President chairs cabinet and also signs Acts of Parliament.

Gen Shikapwasha urged the Zambian people to dismiss cheap allegations that Vice President George Kunda was making his own law.

“The media bill is under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services. At an appropriate stage the ministry will call stakeholders, including the Post Newspaper, to review the draft bill”, Gen Shikapwasha said.

He assured the nation that the drafting of a media bill is not intended to fix any media house or individual because that has never been government’s intention.

He added that government has always been committed to seeing media practitioners come up with a self-regulatory mechanism.

The minister alleged that the statement attributed to mysterious sources in the Ministry of Justice was just a mere manipulation and distortion of the situation, which was aimed at covering up the media practitioners’ failure to meet the six months deadline.

“Government has promised the nation that should the media fail to produce self-regulation mechanism within six months, it would provide an alternative. There is therefore, absolutely nothing wrong with government taking steps to draft the media bill, which will be an alternative,” he said.

Gen Shikapwasha has also disclosed that work was already in progress and that stakeholders would be involved at an appropriate time to contribute to the process.

He urged the Post Newspaper to concentrate on informing the nation on how far the media practitioners have gone in formulating a self-regulatory mechanism instead of misleading the people.

ZANIS

INTERNATIONAL economic relations Professor Oliver Saasa has said the Kwacha is not the weakest in the region, adding that currency’s stability which the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) had achieved was more important for an economy.

He said it was incorrect for Patriotic Front (PF) leader, Michael Sata to say the Zambian Kwacha was the weakest currency in the region because there were other weaker currencies.

Prof Saasa, like Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ) president, Mwilola Imakando said the importance of a strong currency depended on its use in national development, saying export-inclined economies required weaker currencies.

Prof Saasa, who is Premier Consult managing consultant, said there were countries which had weaker currencies than the Kwacha, although that was immaterial as far as national development was concerned.
He said what was important was the currency stability which he said the BoZ had achieved.

He said contrary to Mr Sata’s view that the Kwacha was the weakest in the region and, therefore, that was bad, international economic organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank held a view that the Zambian currency was too strong.

“It is anomalous for anyone to suggest that the Kwacha is the weakest currency in the region because it is relatively stronger and hence, good for the marketing of non-traditional export products like tobacco,” said Prof Saasa, who is former University of Zambia lecturer.

Prof Saasa said the Kwacha was faring well among other convertible currencies like the US dollar and the British pound.

He said the situation had been strengthened by the Kwacha stability which was being backed by decades-record of the biggest national reserve of about $1.7 billion.

He described a strong currency as being like a double-edged sword, saying its significance depended on what kind of the economic path the country wanted to take.

Prof Saasa gave an example of countries like neighbouring Malawi whose Kwacha had higher value than Zambia’s but the economic levels were not so high.

In a separate interview, Dr Imakando expressed similar sentiments, saying export-oriented economies would benefit more from a weaker national currency because the products would be more competitive as opposed to those with overvalued currencies.

Dr Imakando said abnormally strong Kwacha would render the local products uncompetitive on the international market because the prices would be unaffordable.

He, however, said when the country wanted to embark on major capital projects, which required importation of machinery and other things, a stronger currency would be more desirable.

Dr Imakando cited Japan and China whose respective currencies are lower compared to other major convertible currencies and yet they have giant economies, saying that went to show that the strength of the currency was immaterial.

President Rupiah Banda has assured people in the country that he will continue to be tough and serve them to the best of his ability.

President Banda said there is no need for people to worry about his critics because he is braced for more hard work next year.

The President was speaking on arrival at Mfuwe International Airport this afternoon.
Mr. Banda is in the area for his Christmas Holiday.

The President stated that during his holiday, he would commission some developmental projects in Chipata before the end of the year.

President Banda also stated that he would take some time to visit some villages in Mambwe to understand and appreciate the living conditions of the people in the district.

Mr. Banda, who was accompanied by First Lady, Thandiwe, was received by Eastern Province Minister, Isaac Banda, Provincial Permanent Secretary, Eularia Syamujaye, Provincial MMD chairperson, Kennedy Zulu, and other top government MMD officials.

Others on the entourage include Tourism Minister, Catherine Namugala, Mines Minister and Mambwe Member of Parliament Maxwell Mwale, Local Government Minister, Eustacio Kazonga and other Cabinet Ministers.

Speaking earlier, Eastern Province Minister, Isaac Banda, informed the president, that the province has continued to benefit from his leadership through infrastructural development.

He cited education, health, roads and agriculture as some of the sectors which have seen tremendous development in the region.

Mr. Banda stated that it is for this reason that people in the region have continued to rally behind President Banda.

And MMD Provincial Chairperson, Kennedy Zulu, said President Banda has put his critics to shame by pulling the country through the global economic crisis.

Mr. Zulu assured the President of a hundred percent vote at the impending party convention.

He said the party in the province will continue to rally behind his leadership because he has proved that he is a hard worker by initiating developmental projects throughout the country.

ZANIS