Friday, March 29, 2024

Decline in Zambia’s reserves is worrying, Government should quickly bring IMF on board-Chikwanda

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Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda addressing the gathering.
Former Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda

Former Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda has said that he found the decline in Zambia’s reserves rather worrying and that all responsible citizens should urge the government to take the tough medicine of bring the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on board, a delay which could affect Zambia economy’s resilience.

In an address where he covered a wide range of issues from the patriotism, the constitution,  the untapped youth potential and agriculture, the former Minister was clear about his dislike for the IMF, but said that a program with the IMF gets a diversity of investors on board, and that this was the ugly reality of what he described as the lop-sided world.

“I have in the past noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is now less theological. The institution cannot depart from the ingrained habit of coming with a pre-ordained script from Washington DC, ” the former Minister said,

“With pain, I admit that the IMF’s concerns about borrowings are plausible. The decline in our reserves is rather worrying so let us all responsible citizens urge our government to take the tough medicine – delay could affect the economy’s resilience. A program with the IMF gets a diversity of investors on board. This is the ugly reality of our lop-sided world.”

Below is the Full Address

Patriotism (Love And Duty To The Country) Is An Inescapable And Compelling Moral Imperative For All Citizens

By A. B. Chikwanda Former Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda

A country may be characterized or defined by a diversity of physical features such as mountains, rivers and peculiarities. All told, what constitutes a country is a community of people, homogenous or heterogeneous, who inhabit the territorial space or land. Thus inevitably, Zambia is a summation of each and every individual and our rather composite social relationships. Herein lies a spectrum and proliferation of issues of gravity such as our individual rights which per force must be matched by duties, obligations and responsibilities. A mismatch between our rights and duties induces a disproportionality which is not cost neutral for our beloved country.

In recent times, Zambia has very regrettably witnessed acts which are a disservice to the country when some citizens have painted blatantly adverse images of our country. In the past, it was unheard of for Zambians in the Diaspora to campaign against their country, whatever political differences that existed in our midst in the country. There is an absolute and urgent need for all of us to close our ranks and get our country to meaningfully move forward. Despite the undeniable reasonably robust development endeavours of the Patriotic Front (PF) administration, Zambia, like the rest of Africa, is at scandalously low ebb of development.

The entire sub-Saharan Africa, with over one billion people, has a gross national income that is less than France or the United Kingdom (just about $3 trillion). The continent’s two biggest economies, South Africa and Nigeria, have a combined GDP that is scarcely bigger than that of the Netherlands – a country of 41,000 square kilometers in size and a population of 17 million people.

Some critical issues are at the core and underlie Africa’s retardation. Key among the issues is appalling governance and sentiment and emotion driven decisions which naturally have zero or very little rationality content. The continent has, since liberation from colonialism, put a caveat on intellect and frowned upon depth in thinking and meritocracy – in the process generalising and institutionalising mediocrity. In sociological terms, this is partly because we are transitioning from ascriptive societies (hierarchy-based) to modern achievement based societies.

Post colonial Africa embraced the one-party systems which had their own immutable internal logic, namely indivisibility of power reposed in individuals or fragile personalised institutions. The logical sequel of this system is the “privatisation” of the state. In most of the countries, if not in all, no steps have been taken to foster improvements in governance and unleash the energies of the citizens for more concerted efforts to banish the poverty that engulfs more than 50% of the populations.

My admonition to all Zambians is that we have had enough of the blame game and daily screams of obscenities at each other. It is time to pull our very meagre intellectual resources to make Zambia a model country. The global economy is once again palpably slowing down and the headwinds of deceleration look quite gloomy and ominous. Like most of the continent, we are still unhealthily commodity dependent. The dip in commodities can take a downward spiralling at the whims and caprices of a few individual actors on the global stage such as the trump induced trade wars.

The opposition parties and the free (cum opposition) media which in a way try to check the excesses of government misdirect their efforts by concentrating on the Republican and Patriotic Front leader, Mr. Edgar Lungu, with a misperception that they can bring him down. Mr. Lungu’s approval ratings in the PF is high and PF feel that the inroads the party is making in provinces where the party’s showing was weak in the past is essentially on account of those provinces’ perception of Mr. Lungu’s affability, humility and a spirit of fellowship. The ingrained diehard segments in opposition should also realise that it is not easy to wish away the numerous development projects going on throughout the country which has not been the case in the past.

A more credible opposition would have undressed the many flaws in the constitution because governance does impinge positively or negatively in the direction or impact of development. The present electoral system entails that parliamentary and Presidential candidates have to marshal large amounts of financial resources to dish out to the voters or leaders of opinion and influence. Isn’t this the genesis and recipe for corruption? It is also a requirement of the law which government cannot circumvent that when a vacancy occurs at the level of parliamentary or local government seat, a by-election is held within 90 days. The cost of by-elections is becoming increasingly unsustainable. It is a good thing for the country to scrupulously fulfil the requirements of the constitution but when health institutions go without drugs, a gloss over morality is difficult to justify.

Other veritable electoral options such as proportional representation merit consideration. With the system of lists, by-elections and their exceedingly excessive costs are avoided. The voters are asked to endorse the ideas and programs of parties. Those leaders who are consigned to lose in Presidential elections will sit in parliament as long as their parties meet the minimum thresholds. Proportional representation also has fairer and more equitable representation and no personal-to-holder turfs.

When there was a change-over to multi-party politics after a number of us confidants of President Kaunda persuaded him not to proceed with a costly referendum but amend an appropriate section of the constitution to reinstitute multi-partyism, all that happened was to craft multi-party politics onto the flawed one-party constitution. The implicit risks of the “privatisation” of the state were not addressed.

The Patriotic Front and President Lungu should not miss this rare opportunity of making history by leaving a unique legacy for Zambia and again being a trend-setter for a continent that totally lacks innovation in the important human sphere of governance. Restructuring governance arrangements to have a non-executive President would be a historical landmark. It would take a lot of heat out of our future politics. The cost savings would be astronomical because support institutions would be drastically reduced. This practical and meaningful “dis-privatisation” of the state would be a laudable decision and would set Zambia apart as a continental role model.

There is hero worship and deification of leaders that is creeping into our own politics – it has been there before but a reinstating of decadent practices when we are supposed move forward has some worrying overtones. There is always flattery in all human societies, and most people do not realise that flattery is an equally insidious form of corruption. It can reach unimaginable proportions such as in North Korea’s Kim II Sung era when the leader was unambiguously eulogised as a great and beloved leader, destined and ordained to live longer than the mountains and the oceans!

When we fix the constitution which incidentally must not proceed with indecent haste, we should do so together as a remarkable people who have done well in diversity, addressing the challenges some of which I hereby list:

1. The first challenge relates to demographics. Our population which was just below 3 million at independence is now 18 million, meaning it has grown by a factor of 6. Meanwhile our economic growth rates have been exceedingly depressed in single digits. Over the past three years, economic growth rates have averaged 4% which when discounted against our robust annual population growth rates of 2.8% leave a net growth rate of 1.2% which cannot sustain reduction in poverty levels deemed to be in excess of 50%. We need consistent double digit rates of economic growth for at least two decades to lower poverty levels significantly.

Poverty is itself the biggest hindrance to any country’s upward thrust. Poor people have no purchasing power and cannot make a contribution to social security as they have to be supported all the way. Poverty severely constrains accelerated investment, whether foreign or domestic.

Zambia is essentially a county of young people. The 0 – 30 years age group accounts for 70% of the population and 90% of our people are 45 years old and below. Ordinarily, this would constitute a rare privilege of a gainful demographic dividend, but we have had no such advantage because the dire paucity of resources has entailed absence and inadequacy of requisite skills. Our country has poor work culture and ethic. Various governments have oriented our people to harbour unsustainable expectations instead of being active agents of development.

2. The second major challenge in our country is that agriculture has not delivered beyond modest levels of food security. This is a sector that suffers most from dysfunctional policies that are invariably emotion and sentiment driven. Two major problems are common – the very low yields by small scale farmers are either due to inappropriate agronomy or growing crops in unsuitable ecological zones or areas. These two issues have to be resolved as a matter of life or death, for only when the small-scale farmer earns money which is a fair and reasonable recompense for his or her toil can poverty end. It would be unrealistic for government to end the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) overnight but resources must be found for increased extension services, including unconstrained mobility for extension services officers – then costly and wasteful schemes like FISP will disappear.

3. A major problem the country has is to sustain expenditure on constitutional and statutory requirements, namely emoluments and public debt which account for more than 80% of the national budget. There are no easy solutions. We cannot reduce the size of the civil service without risks for service delivery and accentuating unemployment. However, government should take the plunge and decelerate the annual wages salary adjustments. As debt servicing becomes increasingly unsustainable, it is inevitable that except for concessionary facilities from multi-lateral institutions such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, etc, the other types of borrowing be frozen which leaves scope to finance viable infrastructure through Public – Private Partnership (PPP). I have in the past noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is now less theological. The institution cannot depart from the ingrained habit of coming with a pre-ordained script from Washington DC. With pain, I admit that the IMF’s concerns about borrowings are plausible. The decline in our reserves is rather worrying so let us all responsible citizens urge our government to take the tough medicine – delay could affect the economy’s resilience. A program with the IMF gets a diversity of investors onboard. This is the ugly reality of our lop-sided world.

Conclusion

At any one time, now and in the long distant future, our country will experience reversals as indeed do all countries. We need resolve and principally togetherness to overcome difficulties without those cleavages that cause avoidable anguish and agony. United for the love of our country – patriotism is a useful tool. It is our duty, obligation and responsibility to posterity.

64 COMMENTS

  1. In plain English he is basically saying the current Government are incompetent and do not know what they are doing.

    That’s right I have one.

    Thanks

    BB2014,2016

    • Tarmac New says: “Zambia is not in a position of a crisis,” President Lungu said in an interview in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, on Wednesday.”

      “…that all responsible citizens should urge the government to take the tough medicine of bring the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on board”. No further comments!!
      Each one of us can contrast ECL statement above and what Chikwanda has said in this article.

      Who was saying we don’t NEED IMF ???

    • Surprise! Suprise! What a statement by the architect of failure!
      Why do politicians always want to compare this region and that country in Europe?
      Why not say the two biggest economies in Africa add on Zambia has enough corrupt and dishonest politicians to fill all the prisons in UK and Netherlands?
      Stop this comparison nonsense stop telling us what we already know youthful population……
      This is your party which listens to no one except those bringing bribes!

    • Mr Chikwanda

      RB and Situmbeko Musokotwana left $2.5 Billion at BOZ Reserve Account.
      You and your nephew Michael Sata went on a spending spree, bloating the government, creating districts without plans and giving each other loans.

      Sata awarded your company the contract to renovate Nkwanzi House at State House. The amount you got paid has never been disclosed.

    • cont…

      You hijacked the listing of the ( Sovereign Bond ) on the Global Market which was well planned by MMD.

      You rushed and ended paying in excess of $65m, on fees when you should have shopped around and got it around $35M. You did it to get credit that was not due to you.

      Sata became careless with his mouth without realising that what a president says can affect the value of the Sovereign Bond, due to “Market Speculation” and “Market Shorting”.

    • cont..

      Awww! Remember KK fired and humiliated you for failing to stay on top of thing as Finance Minister.

      ++++ Therefore, spare us the unnecessary conventional wisdom. What you have touched in the past has always failed. You contributed to this.

    • @independent observer… if you hated Ba SATA take your irrational thoughts out of this blog. Mouthly hate without looking atthe bigger picture makes you more related to unnecessary conventional wisdom. All the diatribe you have mouthed above are mere rumours, emotions and hollow thinking. And who told you that when a person makes a mistake they have no say on any other issue. THIS IS WARPED THINKING.

    • 1.5 INDEPENDENT OBSERVER

      As you always do, you have nailed the past truth on the head. Sata just wanted development in Northern & Munchinga Provinces. He promoted nepotism without shame and did not respect parliament. Keep blogging my man, I always appreciate the fact based informative blogging that comes from:

      Bo INDEPENDENT OBSERVER
      Bo BR MUMBA SR
      Bo JAY JAY

    • It depends on the mistake and whether the person admits the mistake and is remorseful Chikwanda has done neither. But he has gone on to help distroy our economy twice! Now who is stupid? Its you who keeps listening to him!

    • AKASHAMBATWA 1.8

      You F..cked Up D..Head. Go screw your mothers Cli..toris. You fu..ckin Kolwe

      -its true that RB left 2.5 Billion in Reserve
      -its true sata bloated the government
      -its true sata was announcing formation of districts with due diligence
      -its true chikwannda was a failure
      -its true sata was a master of nepotism
      -its true sata called the Lozi people all sorts of names
      just how does telling the truth, become an issue with you. Go f..ck you mother so hard

    • Zalomis 1.11

      That is not the way to go. You don’t take that route by responding in that VULGAR language. I do not want to be associated with that. Lets RESPECT OUR MOTHERS . Our mothers are the passages we came into this world.

      We can debate and Agree to Disagree. That is fine and healthy.

      Frankly if someone does not agree with me, it does not bother or eat me. I am content and know where I stand in life. If you know who you are, no man or woman can bring you down.

    • AKASHAMBATWA 1.8

      Herewith.

      +++ When you HATE someone, you end up HURTING yourself. Because its the BOOMERANG EFFECT.

      Hating or having Bitterness stops from flying high. Its destroys your CREATIVE MIND or THOUGHTS which are the source of whatever gets created in this world.

      Above all it kills your soul. And I prefer to keep my mind in harmony.

      I have no reason to hate the Late Michael. I have just stated history as it was done and recorded.

      Enjoy the day & Peace Be Upon You.

    • INDEPENDENT OBSERVER…. sorry, i get your message100%. i cannot understand chaps who think their opinions are what counts and not others. @ akashabatwa sounds like he was part of the sata inner circle and the truth is bothering him. thanks

    • Zalomis 1.14

      I understand your passion and emotions. Just tone down your language.

      If we all get angry, then we have lost the purpose of keeping the debates sane. An ordinary good thinking Zambian wants whats good for Zambia.

      I guess that’s why we come here to (i) express, (ii) support & (iii) denounce the wrongs that has gone in the past.

      Enjoy the Day..

    • All this started with this Fossil of a donkey, today he is enjoying retirement whilst we suffer and issuing advice…I remember one highly educated blogger who run a Facebook page called “Zambian Economists” at pains advising this Fossil and his outdated management principles but he turned his back on everyone and called them lunatics…today he is writing articles like he is the smart one and you expect us to read them.

    • Already LAZY LUNGU has in Zimbabwe for a summit …the lazy bum will do anything to run away from State House only god knows why a lazy bum like him wants 5 more years!!

    • This old ugly dinosaur’s appetite for borrowing is the reason we are in debt crisis. We petitioned this man not to borrow unnecessarily, but he was too stubborn while he was minister of finance under MCS.
      Today he wants to be a prophet. Atase, just continue eating your dirty money while u wait for death.

    • I am yet to contribute on this issue but firstly why do we have f0ols like Zalomis on this platform who can insult and prove to the rest of the world that they neither have a brain or it is expired. Such ediots should not be allowed here. We need intellectual debates here not some body showing ubupuba

  2. Bo Chikwanda, you are the villain in all this business of depleted foreign reserves, excessive borrowing and heightened poverty in this, our land. You constantly told and continued to urge parliament, that the country was fiscally sound to continue borrowing irresponsibly without falling into the debt distress position, and that government should raise the debt ceiling. See where you have brought us now.

    Now that you have woken up from your deep coma, just turn up at stake house one of these days and to the President and his team of advisors. He will listen to you.. Surely you know he is our humble, listening and compassionate leader. We are banking on you Sir, you started this..see it to the end even as the rest of us try to fix the broken economy in our small ways, individually and…

    • Its laughable this old senile clown Chikwanda he giving advice he himself never attempted…alluding to Agriculture when a large chunk of the loans went to roads and infrastructure when he was Finance Minister. He ignored IMF and WB advice today he is farting from his retirement office penning this rubbish like he is some Oracle.

  3. Is old Alex still a minister? If so, resign now this minute or you are fired! You act as though you did not hear what His Excellency MR Lungu said. As Mushota said, you are suggesting that the current government is incompetent and yet you know who gives the DIRECTIVES. He does not see what we see in our deteriorating economy, just the other day he told Bloomberg that there is absolutely nothing wrong with our economy.
    Mr Chikwanda, His Excellency will not listen to any of us citizens, PLEASE speak for us to His Excellency.

    • This old fooooool was a nominated minister handpicked by his nephew Micheal Sata…he can write all he wants now about doing this and that whilst spilling wine when he forgets that he started this recklessness. This is the way that corrupt crook Dr. Chilufya will be writing in 4 years time about shortage of medicines and infrastructure in health when he was happy to procure ambulances for 4 times the price.

  4. Chikwanda is making sense now that he’s out of GRZ yet he was part of ‘the emotionally driven decisions” that have led to low economic growth rate of 4%.

  5. This big man is is just mocking us

    He crushed unip economy

    Sata brought him back and je crushed the economy and propped up his company ZECCO

    Today he has a fat dollar account and he is mocking us while taking French whine

  6. “…In the past, it was unheard of for Zambians in the Diaspora to campaign against their country, whatever political differences that existed in our midst in the country….”

    It was also unheard of to ban political opponents from minglling with the public, it was also unheard of to ban any rallies against corruption as lungu is doing now…..

  7. This is the man that started the borrowing and had no plan on how to repay the debt and now he is expressing worry over the unsustainable borrowing? PF had only one plan – to build infrastructure using borrowed money. They had no plan on how to grow and stimulate the economy. Now the infrastructure is ready crumbling and there is no money to maintain it.

  8. Why do people make more sense when they are out of GRZ?
    GRZ must be a terrible thing that makes people DEAF, MAD and BLIND! ABC was deaf and blind to the dangers of too much debt when he was still Finance Minister! He went crazy raising the debt ceiling left right Centre! It’s good now that he has acknowledged his mistakes and is helping to find solutions!
    GRZ has a new meaning – Group of Retarded Zambians for those that missed Civics lessons. These are people who lose their minds, forget their mandate, forget about people who put them in office and all their might is reduced to base instincts of self-enrichment at the expense of the citizens! Left to itself, GRZ is a danger to us all Zambians! That is the reason why we citizens must not be negligent of our civic duties! We should…

    • That’s when reality hits them as they are now ordinary even if they are rich from looting ..they now see first hand what is happening and what people are talking about!!

    • Even Edith Nawakwi, has complained that emerald & copper mines are in hands of foreigners when she was part of privatization team that sold kagem & ZCCM mines to foreigners.

  9. We should always question our leaders whether they are doing good or bad! Those who want to think critics of GRZ are enemies of the state should stop being silly and understand that GRZ are our servants and that we should never fall into the trap of worshipping our GRZ! Hero worshipping leaders is what makes them big headed, intolerant and abusive!
    For Zambia to develop, GRZ needs stronger Institutions like FIC to provide strong checks and balances!
    Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his group should take Alexander Chikwanda’s advice seriously! They should not continue behaving like Ostriches burying their heads in the sand when the economic fundamentals are falling apart! Answers like there is no country that does not borrow don’t help anyone! Borrowing is not bad but you must be a wise borrower…

  10. Borrowing is not bad but you must be a wise borrower and know how you are going to pay back without causing yourself debt distress! A country without savings / Reserves is like a vehicle without Shock Absorbers! Welcome on board ABC!

  11. Awe Ba Chikwanda it is better you take a rest from politics. As many have correctly observed, you cannot extricate yourself from the economic and political problems the PF finds itself in. You are party to the PF rot and are better off taking a rest and leading a private life. You were given an opportunity twice to be in government. What you left behind is misery, and that is what you will be remembered for.

  12. This man is a classic example of why we should never tolerate rhetoric especially coming from him! He messed up our economy twice and he has the guts to start preaching about debt? He should have been locked up.

  13. Credit to chikwanda……

    when he was being blamed for failing to balance his books, chikwanda spillt the beans and told the nation how the treasury was been bled dry by overpriced construction contracts by PF.

    Chikwanda was the only PF insider to tell the truth about the looting by way of over inflated contracts.

  14. Mr Chikwanda….Do you remember in your first parliamentary budget speech how you praised Musokotwane for the job well done as Finance Minister and a sound economy left for you? What followed was a budget presentation based on expansionary fiscal policy as if the country was in recession.What he did not take into consideration was,while on the surface, expansionary efforts may seem to lead to positive effects by stimulating the economy, there is a domino effect that is much broader reaching. When the government is spending at a pace faster than tax revenues can be collected, the government can accumulate excess debt as it issues interest-bearing bonds to finance the spending, thus leading to an increase in the national debt.And this is where we are Mr. CHIKWANDA,you begun it!!The…

    • And this is where we are Mr. CHIKWANDA,you begun it!!The entire PF was so excited with the victory over MMD and any advice from MMD was construed as being bitter especially from Wynter Kabimba.At one time Musokotwane rose on a point of order and said to PF MPs,I quote,’Please sober up and govern,elections are over’.

    • Sharp. They misapplied Keynesian economic theory

  15. Sir i think the damage is very big.Retiring Zambians in national and public interest is the curse you too must own.This is the most shameful activity ever

  16. From grades 1 to 4 pupils are taught in local languages. In grade 4 this is what’s being taught in Chitimukulu’s dialect: ubwamba bwa mwaume nga bwaingila pa kapunda ka bwamba bwa mwanakashi elyo ba tomba ninshi umwanakashi kuti akwata ifumo. Is Mwine Lubemba wrong to voice against such vulgarity?

  17. Ba Chikwanda, you were our Finance Minister both in President Sata and President Lungu’s government but I can with certainty state that your tenure of office did not create any meaningful and sustainable monetary policies that span short, medium and long terms. You were there and did nothing sir. And whats very annoying and painful to most of us is this thinking by people like your Mr. Chikwanda that we as a country cannot enhance and create wealth from within. This thinking MUST come to an end and stop.
    With due respect sir, is true that with all the mineral resources this country have, we cant raise Billions of dollars in any given Financial year? I can firm say that if your answer or solution is the IMF, then we are in big trouble as a country because you very well know how the IMF…

  18. contd
    Look at how the mines have been evading or cheating on tax for so long and yet we have bodies occupying these offices. I believe Zambia is NOT short of highly qualified and patriotic men and women to take up these positions, lets just look widely, people are there and we dont need the IMF because its NOT sustainable period. We need sustainable solutions supported by well thought out policies that must be implemented sustainably.

  19. He should be the last man to advise us
    On the state of economy.He was minister twice let him show us what he
    Achieved? Bwana just enjoy what you have accumulated all these years.people
    Always give very good advice when they
    Leave the platform.

  20. Very contradictory,he is emphasising on merit but keeps telling us Lungu will continue winning bcoz he is humble,when the guy lacks merit to manage the economy and should thus be shoved aside! He talks about Development projects take have never taken place in the past while emphasizing on the need for making decisions that have economic logic,yet he knows most of these projects have inflated costs,with little economic returns and are mere conduites for stealing by PF officials!!HIS ADVICE IS STALE AND MISPLACED!!

  21. No no no Mr Chikwanda you should be the last person to make comment on the reserves. Not too long ago, you were the finance minister and you are an economist too. Economists predict a trend in the economy based on activities. Am sure you saw this coming having been part of the team which ensured we got the euro bond, unfortunately, we cant point on any project where the money was spent which is generating funds to repay the loan. The best you can do is to apologise to the Zambians you mislead Michael Sata ba shi Bwembiya.

  22. Look whose talking. This man was Minister in Kaunda’s government but did not create any meaningful and sustainable monetary policies for short, medium and long terms. He then went on to be Finance Minister both in President Sata and President Lungu’s government. What did he do?? And now you want to come back with English written articles advertising government. Lets be serious bane….. you are the so reason we are in this mess.

  23. Unbelievable. Chikwanda is a heinous criminal and should be locked up. This is a shameful write up. I doubt he cleared it with the President and PF, especially as he is guilty of not listening to citizens shouting out at his borrowing when he held minister of finance role. I don’t know how things look like on Planet PF, when they bother to look down at citizens from their Ivory Towers

    president Lungu and his govt have been in talks with a reluctant IMF and Chikwanda’s sense of panic at the legacy he left behind is the motivating factor for his head peaking out. All the assertions on African development and Colonialism comparators are rejected. Zambia has spent a lot of its wealth educating some of our brightest unfortunately Patriotism is never on the Western university…

    • Zambia has spent a lot of its wealth educating some of our brightest unfortunately Patriotism is never on the Western universities curriculums which educate them to feel inferior so as to promote their right to dip into our resources.
      The opposition are opportunistic and salivate at bringing their country down looking for that chunk to win an election. We do need to work together as one. Changing govts is NOT going to resolve any of this sinking caused by tough worldwide economic conditions. We can’t regret infrastructural developments but there was need to lessen the.borrowing which looks like PF policy.

  24. Says this Mbava, who is the Architect of P.F’s Plunder.
    Nachitolafye for sure.

  25. Opposition political parties are doing a commendable job in terms of providing checks and balances to Government. First, opposition political parties have been consistent in criticizing high levels of foreign debt. Two, opposition political parties have been consistent in criticizing manipulation of Constitution improvement exercise. Three, opposition political parties have been consistent in criticizing late payment of salaries and allowances. Four, opposition political parties have been consistent in criticizing the judiciary for leaning towards Government leaders. Five, opposition political parties have been consistent in criticizing focus on hydro electric power at the expense of solar and other forms Renewable Energy. It would not come as a surprise for PF to loose to UPND led…

    • Five, opposition political parties have been consistent in criticizing focus on hydro electric power at the expense of solar and other forms Renewable Energy. It would not come as a surprise for PF to loose to UPND led opposition political parties, albeit by narrow margins.

  26. He gave you Lungu and paid for his presidential candidate’s fee. He took his cut for putting Lungu mfwiti mfwiti in state house and ran, now he is turning around and asking people to tell Lungu what should be done. Zambia is a cursed banana republic where criminals rule with impunity and everyone else claps for them.

  27. Response to Mr Chikwanda’s nonsensical hypocrisy on patriotism without malice or skulduggery.
    Fellow Zambians, most of us who are over 50 will recall that Mr Chikwanda has been part of the past governments of UNIP under KK, PF under late Michael Sata (appointed minister of Finance based on uncle and nephew relationship). As stated by Independent Observer above, Mr Chikwanda’s hypocrisy is not only alarming and shameful but typical of SKULDUGGERY with his ancestral root as a people of deception. A man of his age having held senior public offices, last one being minister of finance under PF government can now champion patriotism with morality in governance. How can Ba Chikwanda say it today when we are where we are economically and financially bankrupt because of him in those offices. It…

  28. It is incredible, how dose he have the courage to talk about patriotism and morality when he, Mr Chikwanda without shame of tribalism, nepotism and cronyism appointed:
    1- Jacob Lushinga, nephew as MD of DBZ
    2- Charles Mpundu, nephew as Commissioner General -NAPSA
    3- Joseph Chikolwa as MD – Zambia National Building Society
    4- Cephas Chabu as MD of NATSAVE
    5- Pius Kasolo as CEO of ZCCM-IH
    6- Mpanga Mwanakatwe as MD ZAMTEL
    7- CYprian Chitundu as MD ZESCO
    etc……
    These appointments were being discussed in Mr Chikwanda’s family circles, approved by Michael Sata, embraced by cronies. This is hypocrisy of the highest order from an old ex government minister.
    Mr Chikwanda’s statement of dwindling Forex reserves and recommendations as quoted in Lusaka Times is not only delusional…

  29. but stinks. This reflects poorly and myopic. Chikwanda thinks Zambians are so stupid not to recall that the MMD government left a growing economy and surplus in reserves as PF was taking over the economy under his watch. Since then Mr Chikwanda and his kins men went on wanton destruction of the economy. Mr Chikwanda should tell Zambians how much his company was paid to refurbish state house, he should also explain his son’s involvement in reinvestment in the failed Ndola Lime involving multi million dollars. His son was also involved in the construction of the new KKIA involved in the redesigning of the contract that resulted in being more expensive and less work, yet the difference of the loan value went to unknown consultancy expense. Mr Chikwanda has so many national issues to…

  30. Mr Chikwanda has so many national issues to explain to Zambians. My Chikwanda is behind a lot of the corrupt and stinking rot thathwent on during Sata’s and Lungu’s presidencies. Today for Mr Chikwanda to stand on the ant hill and masquerade patriotism and morality is really laughable, if not shameful to his own children and grand children, as evidence exists and defines his legacy.

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