Former President Rupiah Banda’s trips cost K39 billion

1. Does Sata has any economic diplomacy? The MPs should also ask how much the country benefited from the trips.Cheap politicking.Business is all about networking and if the presidency leading the way,its a plus cos political risk is reduced.By the way,why is the kwacha under pressure against the Dollar?

2. Does Sata have..

3. RB TRAVELLED FOR FAMILIARITY’S SAKE. WHERE NOT NECESSARY, ENVOYS ARE THERE FOR THE PRESIDENT.

4. The man was an…..

5. So what. Atleast there was development under Banda. Its only enquiries under Sata. Can sata tell us how much he has spent on enquiries so far. Also please tell us how much PF has spent on travel so far. Atase, and the PF call this development. This is just bu kachepa. Tell us about infrastructure development. Stupid *****s!

6. Thats realy cheap for a Republican president! I thought it was going to cost US 39, 000, 000, 000! no person in his right mind shud condenm Rupiah for those trips! he wasnt going out to **** around! he was going out to work! being president requires one to move out of the country, so if Sata wana stay home, to hell with him! but i will never blame RB for those trips!!!Amen

7. And the folks in UPND thinks its OK for such colossal amounts to continue being spent on presidential travels! Wow, do you realize how many desks that kind of money can supply to schools? Or much maternity supplies hospitals can be equipped with than forcing mothers to carry buckets when they go in to give birth?

   Sata refuses to be so wasteful, UPND vuvuzelas accuse him of being frail and unable to withstand the pressures of flying. To them, such kinds of mindless expenses by “Vasco Da Banda” are acceptable and welcome “investment” while hospitals go without medicines and school children sit on the floor in the dead of winter. Sometimes you wonder if “opposition” to UPND has now become being against anything Sata does, good or bad. Very disappointing really!

8. LT why moderate my comment? Beats my logic.

9. ”Dr Scott stated that President Michael Sata has made it clear that he intends to minimize his foreign trips”

   Rubbish! Then how do you woo investors? The tax base for zambia is to small and needs to be supplemented by foreign investments. You can send your ministers to woo investors but everyone knows that a direct talk with president is a sure way of doing business at international level.Also enjoy, wat are u scared of? Mr President, dont think zambia has enough money, wait until u see the finish of 2012. How much arrears are owed to pensioneers, Teachers, UNZA and other ministries? They are now all yo responsibilities, dont hide in shifting retirement age to 65, the majority are saying no.

10. How much investment was directed to Zambia as a result of these trips? Thats the more important question. He was supposed to be working on those trips. As such if this very large expense did not yield any positive increases in net foreign direct investment then it was a complete and utter loss. However if there were net increases in foreign direct investment as a result of these trips then they are justifiable.

11. So glad Shrek never had another term. Thieving dogs….

12. We need a baseline to compare this figure. How much was Sata’s trip to Uganda for example and then how much in 3 years.

13. He wasn’t called VASCO DA BANDA for no reason.

14. #6 Thought
    Exactly my point but LT are moderating it.I cant understand.

    • Lol. Perhaps it’s a bug in the system?

      Yes- but I think people are too quick to rush to conclusions. Anything said by politicians always has to be analysed so that one can see beyond what the politicians are trying to make people think and what is actually the truth. A lot of times empty statements are made both by the opposition and the ruling party. The job of the citizen is to figure out what the facts really are.

      Saying he spend 39 billion is pointless if he helped increase FDI inflows by billions of kwacha- if that is the case then it was good for him to travel as much as he did. If it isn’t the case then they are right to castigate him. You’re totally right!

    • Guys I absolutely agree with your points, lets look at what the country benefited from his trips, if the benefits outweigh his travel expenses then the job was done. I’m glad that we starting to look deeper into these headlines because it’s clear to see that this present government is trying by all means to eliminate the competition to the point of all we see in the newspaper is just reports on mistakes the previous government made, we want to see what the present government is doing as well. Focus on developing the nation not looking back at mistakes made. 

15. Its not too much money is it?

16. Ati awe mulwele sata, he can’t travel…when he travels ati alitemwa indeke ba kabwa!!! Viva Sata and PF till i die!! 39billio…..? eeeh makamaka iyi nkani yavuta. Ba fikala ba MMD nga baisalanda ati ok iyi 2billion yakwa Liato tiyeni tushite ama desk yaba kasikulu, ama beds mufipatala ne miti. Nomba ba chikala bena batwala mukushika ati shandi neka atase ifwabupubafye. Cage them king Cobra mubobo!!!! UPND 2095. *****s which one are you?

17. Kamwendo munjila mambala. This time he could have move outside 70×70 times. Kukodna luxury mambala.
    We did well ,you packed your katundu. Rest well mambala

18. .
    Sata is the Highest Diplomat that carries the most weight to Market Zambia, Woo and Entice investors. I would encourage Sata to continue where RB left. They are some (MoU) Memorandums of Understanding that can be done by Ministes while others Bilateral Agreements need Presidents or Prime Ministers because of the nature of the contracts. This protocol happens in all nations.

    (Cont…)

19. .
    RB overall brought investors from the trips he made during his term, Apart when he went for such things as SADC, Africa Union and other dignitary trips

    SAUDI ARABIA – $125m for the Fruit Processing Plant to be launched in Mwinilunga
    BRAZIL – $400 Mining Investments
    CHINA – $ Billions for Mining Investments
    SOUTH AFRICA – $300m Energy/ Power Investments
    TURKEY – Partners to Development of Lusaka International Airport
    NIGERIA – $400m Cement Investors in Ndola
    USA – also later lead to Hillary Clinton coming to Zambia to launch AGAO and we now see Americans initialising deals to invest into Zambia.

    The list goes on…

    (cont…)

20. .
    To make money you have to spend money. Of course cost cutting measures or caution has to be applied. Therefore, there is nothing wrong for Sata to go and look for financiers.

    French – President Sarkozy & Prime Minister -Cameroon, President Obama have all been jetting frequently to the Middle-East and China looking for money because Europe & USA are so broke.

21. INDEPENDENT OBSERVER
    Its a pity your language cant be understood by PF officials worse still their cadres.They are still honeymooning while the economy is not doing well as evidenced by the weakening kwacha.

22. Show us the investment that his trips brought? What are we gaining out of those trips? Be objective Zambians. Be serious and patriotic. A wrong was done here. Hate Mr Sata or not. It was immoral and this is the mind set that make us stangnant economically. The money can change the face Chawama compound for instance. The fool had no heart for the people. Thank God we booted him out. He is typical of so many educated with no wisdom. Mr President be stron g and show them how we are supposed to be. Never mind their dreaming. GO,go,go Pf!

23. 15 # Sharp Shooter

    Keep blogging my friend! Ours is about contributing to the development of Zambia and not to holler.

    Bilateral meetings between leaders and investors are held behind closed doors.
    This is when investors get to ask the visiting Presidents or Prime Ministers to articulate about the Economic, Monetary, and Fiscal Climates of their nations and answer all the HARD QUESTIONS. This is when one has to stand-out in the crowd.

    Because it’s all about MARKETING your country as a PRODUCT that can bring profits to investors. Besides investors would had done their home work about were you are coming from. So it matters, as a leader that you deliver and convince investor, rather speak their language attached by Investment Forecasts & Facts. Else you get a BLANK CHEQUE.

24. Although was not a fan of BUFF00N RB’s air miles membership subscription club, but merely looking it from the cost of travel is totally unfair, I think carrying out a Cost Benefit Analysis of the trips is well advised before passing judgement.
    If say Sata was invited as a guest to the G7 summit & turned it down based on costs then we as a nation are losing out on a free platform to sale Zambia to the world. If you send your Veep to China, when the Chinese invited you that may be viewed as arrogance in some cultures which can equate to between $1billion to 500m less in FDI.
    This is also similar to merging ministries with other depts based on saving costs when say a much more focused dept like Tourism or Communication has a potential of creating thousands of jobs and $$ in investments.

25. Why is my comment pending approval…nothing wrong with calling that chap buf.f.oon!!

26. independent observe,

    i fully support you. Just to add that the investors are more assured about the security of their investment wen the presido say it. the only saving here is reducing the size of entourage.

27. Ok, fine he spent $8m. Now how much did those trips yield? Gentlemen, let us be serious. We have lost direction so it seems. We need to rewind and start afresh. Definitely PF was a wrong choice. Presidential trips are costly but very beneficial to the country in a long run. That $8m dollars is a cost of one trip in some countries by other heads of state. When is this PF government going to start working? 

28. Although was not a fan of BUFF**N RB’s air miles membership subscription club, but merely looking it from the cost of travel is totally unfair, I think carrying out a Cost Benefit Analysis of the trips is well advised before passing judgement.If say Sata was invited as a guest to the G7 summit & turned it down based on costs then we as a nation are losing out on a free platform to sale Zambia to the world. If you send your Veep to China, when the Chinese invited you that may be viewed as arrogance in some cultures which can equate to between $1billion to 500m less in FDI.This is also similar to merging ministry depts with other depts based on saving costs when say a much more focused dept like Tourism or Communication has a potential of creating thousands of jobs and $$ in investments.

29. INDEPENDENT OBERSERVER – **** and Mambala.
    Iwe former kabulonga boys secondary. we know your name, you live in Hampstead in London. fine you made your ndalama /money/benjamins in the DotCom period when you started an e-Trade ecommerce business and sold it for £75 million in 2003 after it floated on the stock market with your other 2 jewish business partners in 1998. though i have followed your comments and some are very objective and you have a good story to tell those aspiring to succeed but often you do miss the points. it would be better for you if you were in zambia. so sell your mansion, sports cars and stop screwing that girlfriend of yours and come and enjoy our sisters and bring your portfolio to zambia. remote critics are normally very loud. do you want me to review more..

    • Clearly you are envious of this guy. What are your empty threats all about? And why do you have to mention him blah blah his girlfriend?

      You cannot run a country on emotion and petty jealousies and that is the biggest problem this PF Government has. You have to take some risks for the economy to flourish. The PF seems to spend so much time on shaming and naming and you seem to examplify this. Good luck to Zambia,

      By the way we may not be in Zambia, but we visit frequently. Subscriptions to the Zambian Gazette is possible out here too. 

30. well there seem to be a very wrong perception about money,the are people who stupidly ask questions like what is 39 billion kwacha, well alot of people are living in total poverty and do not even have access to this platform to air their plight,the country still has kids roaming the streets begging for a living,yes investment will come to your country through exposure but the benefits should be seen in the change it brings to ordinary citizens. it is like boasting to have bmw worth millions while you children cant even have a decent meal, well thats zambia and zambians attidude towards their life pretence,pretence and pretence

31. number 5, Africa has never had had to travel anywhere to woo investors. When they came to colonize us we didn’t have to woo them they brought themselves. We have the natural resources they need regardless of whether the president travels or not. They have tricked us into believing that we need them and the African leaders that are smart enough to realize this are victims of propaganda. That’s why they hate Mugabe so much.

32. Independent observe I totally agree with you. it is sad to think that one can woo investors from state house or that investors will come by themselves. The world market has become Globalized Zambia is not the only destination for foreign direct investment. there are so many countries both in the North and in the South. it is the Presidents responsibility to negotiate with the other heads of states.

33. Guys lets blog with our minds fully functioning.What investment did rbish bring from his Zimbabwe trip or his Swaziland trip where we all saw his nud pictures?39 billion is a lot of money like most bloggers have stated,to be spent on trips.

34. A lot of nerds on here tonight! But wait, it is one and the same person posting under different names and flags, and, yes a mod!

    Ka RB kaba akalufumo kwati kantu kalile fichula!

35. Nations and kingdoms are not built on witch hunting its justifiable for a head of state to spend that kind of money on foreign trips infanct its nothing compared to the previous presidents.   

36. sata wont go because he cant speak english…… point blank, that language that is similar to english he speaks even I have to listen carefully, it can only be understood in uganda and zimbabwe. RB was a statesman. plus per the late FTJ Sata couldnt take minutes in meetings.

37. What investment did Rupiah bring from Swaziland except parading ubwamba mulubansa. Atase………….

38. I did not understand how Rupiah Banda had managed to acquire his wealth at his age in Zambia while all Nick and I had after prostituting myself in Glasgow for over ten years are 5 guns and a Toyota.

    Please help me learn and understand Politics of poverty so that maybe and just maybe Nick and I can settle in Zambia.

    Thanks

39. Ha ha Mushota you are mad,today you ve agreed that you have been prostituting?wandepula early bells.

40. Mwine Mushj! You are so dull that I am worried of how you are managing your faily if you have one. Who told you that only when the president travels is to woo investors. No wonder your RB (Kamwendo munjira) was so wasteful in the name of bringing investors but he was accumulating so much to himself in the name of allowances paid even before the trip.
    Chengelo Alumni, nicizungu cabwanji camene mukamba ati Sata saziba? Just politicking!.

41. We funded a playboy lifestyle of an old man who was bent on living the life of a thirty year old! See where it got us? K39 Billion poor, and forfieted money which could have gone to buy drugs in our hospitals, while the clown had jolly rides around the world!

42. I need to know how much was brought in before I make a comment.

43. chi RB i disown you from today

44. My calculation tells me that on just allowances for Commissioners for the inquiries instituted, an amount for 6 inquiries comes to US$1,800,000 which is K9.18Billion besides other expenses in fuel, food,etc. This is just within 90days. The question is, can we quantify the direct investment this K9.18billion + has brought to Zambia and how much employment will this provide to our youths??? compare this to the K39Billion (1080days in office) quoted, i think RB’s trips has translated into a lot of direct investment & agreements.

45. RB’s journeys were not all about wooing investors nor consolidating friendships but most of his trips were merely siteseeing with family members and raising funds. Do you rememer his first holiday trip to mfuwe he collected all members of his clan and the presidential plane was filled to capacity.Zambian complained that’s when some members of his family returned from the holiday after spending several days on taxpayer’s sweat.

46. Fellow country men, after reading the comments on RBs trips that cost us K40bn I am inclined to think that many of us do not take weighty national issues seriously. I beg that we learn to analyse issues critically and seriously so that we help one another to forge ahead. The many profanities that I ve read in some comments are retrogressive and unhelpful. We do not know whon is reading our views, and so let us tarnish our image by being petty!

47. DO you know that that RB confessed that there are times when he didn’t know where he was and where he would spend his night? becos of excessive travellings

48. Zambia is not a cost centre, therefore, it is advisable not to use costs as a stand-alone metric. Zambia is an investment Centre, there are variables to look at such as Cost, Revenue and Cost of investment (Cost of capital (WACC) X Total Investment). Did the governement and bloggers commenting even bothered to use Return on investment, Residual Income and Economic value adding metrics to appraise RB’s trips. I support the indepent observer and the shooter on their analysis. Lip cutting analytics are those without political emotions.

49. imwe mulekeni Banda, banamutundila nikale kuli kolwe

50. Awe sure!

51. There is nothing unusual about a president’s trips costing $2m a year. Stop the pettitude…

52. Sata is a man of the people and hes doing what people want,RB was doing what he was told by kafupi wabufi lazo for family gain.Also investigate Chatola of Maritime Trucks who was used by RB and Sons.

53. tate cenze cilaso cidja cimuntu.

54. Before becoming prresident, Jacob Zuma of South Africa also thought that foreign presidential trips were unnecessaru. But upon ascending to power, he immediately realised that he had been wrong. It’s not surprising, therefore, that since he became President, Zuma has made a lot of foreign trips, but always ensuring that on each trip he is accompanied by a large delegation of businesspeople to help attract foreign investments into the country. If Sata won’t be making those trips, Zam bia will certainly suffer economically in the end.

55. if am right RB’s visits are said to have racked $400m to prove it check the related stories above before the comment section on this story page,let me pick the smallest possible currency exchange rate incase some of you analyse this point as cadres as usual…..

    REVENUE FROM TRIPS(400,000,000*4000) 1,600,000,000,000
    EXPENSES 40,000,000,000
    Do the math now,you people are not being objective.
    and mr chikwanda said that they will be using the previous govts economic zones as the main thing too,what utter nonsense,i thought they had a plan..where has the taiwan talk gone now?

56. It was clear that RB’s travelling was excessive compared to KK, Chiluba and Mwanawasa. Everyone was complaining. Wooing investor does not mean you have to go to them.,how many countries can u go to???.. Sata was inviting Russian Mafias to come from State house door steps the other week… Our Foreign offices must do more wrt selling our country..

57. no comments

58. but mwe bantu bu le ba logical some trips vasco da banda made were really unnecessary!!!
    nishi purpose ya ma ministers na ma foreign office ya nshi \?

59. Look at it any which way you want but key phrase here is “minimise on foreign trips” and not “cancel all foreign trips”. RB anachita over on these trips, some were useful but majority were absolutely useless and lower envoys could have covered them. To be frank, I thought the amount would have been over K40bn looking at how little time he spent in his own bed.

    • Imagine even opening of horizon primary school it had to take the whole lot od the president.

60. So what!!! Amafi aya …. aya mbwa. Concentrate on development, we do not want this rubbish!!!

61. Most of you people seem to still have a mind which is colonialised in some away Or maybe you haven’t worked for white people at all. A white man will put you a position but just as a rubber stamp. What HEMSC is doing is to deligate power and see into it that it is working right. Who says investors come into country because the president paid them a visit? How many investors are in Zambia that came on ther own and are doing very well with their businesses but still rob in tax avoidance or tax invession? Let him lay the foundation and later, when all is well, no one will mind the expenses in trips for even the poor like you and me will then have not just money, but also education , hospitals with drugs, good road network as basics we all need.

62. i think its time for our government to start looking at real issues affecting the people than minding the past govt’s errors.these equiries are not free,they cost a lot.lets focus on people in kafulafuta,shangombo,sinjembela,petauke………….and see how best the govt can help.time is not with us.our neighbours are developing and we are busy looking at the past when we are supposed to go foward.am 1000% pf but please lets stop the witch hunt…..viva Zambia.

63. Still no money in my pockets!

64. #62, the Veep was just asked by the member of parliament of Bahati, do you expect him not to answer because ass****s like you will complain about development. A simple question deserves a simple and factual answer, which was given. No where is it written that the Veep or anyone from PF rubbed this amount on the MMD members of parliament’s faces. Grow up!!

65. So, they spent $8 million over 3 years. That works out at $2.8 million dollars a year or $8,000 per day. Now what we need to know is how much business investment took place as a result of those trips? We need to exclude trips that the President MUST of necessity travel by reason of International agreements and conventions such as the United Nations General Assembly, The African Union heads of government and the Commonwealth and World Food Program. We also need to exclude travels to the great Lakes region where Zambia was Chairman. Exclude travels to Mozambique and Zimbabwe for the defence and security committee meetings.
    We are left with Turkey, Libya, and where else? The power to enter treaties with other nations is vested in the President.

66. PF is in power now, they need to start acting like it, and not like they are in opposition. We can only be blinded by this misdirection for so long. When will the development start, if at all?
    zmk 40 billion is a drop in the ocean compared to the amount of FDI we have seen/received so far.
    Issue settled. Can we develop now? 

67. This report to parliament was done in bad faith and is a very stupid way of presenting figures. We know Mr Sata and the majority of his cabinet are illiterates and their government operates on the principle of “donchi kubeba” but they must know that they must have the decency to provide people with comparative statistics.

68. It is SHORTSIGHT that has killed african countries.
    Britain made investment in its 1600 and 1700/1800 century strategies.
    This is what is paying now.
    Now, an african in the specifics of a Zambians wanted when RB travelled in the morning results should show in the Afternoon.
    No strategic thinking, not strategic focuss.
    Dont we understand that some of RB’s trips are going to pay off in SATA’s rule?
    And that some will pay off many years to come?
    It is such attitudes that have made Africa remain in its own world, especially the Black Africa.
    When they get paid and have money (check miners for facts) they eat gutonically everything at once and two days later their mouth is white and dry.
    The few normal people in Zambia know that RB’s trips did not need to bring results same day.

69. Well it is a known fact that Satana can’t survive 8 hours or more of fying.First he has no good gluteals to sit on he very thin looking he’ll develop pressure sores which RB did not have to worry about.It is a fact also that his heart is not in good shape to be able to withstand a presurised cabin for longer than 4 hours of flying.So stop talking useless issues here just deliver as per promise of lies.

70. Lets wait and see what the current ***** at plot 1 shall bring in terms of investments. So far his spending someone else’s hard sweat and toil earned economic capital.

71. $8m in 3 years presidential travel is nothing. Lets move away from poverty mentality. The benefits from RB’s trip to China alone out weighs this $8m.

72. You bloggers need a dose of reality. K39 billion is a lot of money. Always arguing that PF are illitrates is a cheap jibe to make, with all it’s connotations that Sata is illitrate. If you choose to side with a common thief like Banda then you do not have the interests of ordinary Zambians in your heart. Banda travelled for maximum enjoyment and to secrete funds in accounts around the world. Most of this money went into his pocket in form of travel allowances. This is well over £5 million or about $8 million. I bet Mwanawasa never spent anything like that during his time in office. A poor country like Zambia can’t just keep leaking cash like this. That is why our roads, our hospitals and other infra-straucture are in a mess.

73. You people have too much tolerance for corruption. The difference between a country such as New Zealand and Zambia is the level of corruption. NZ is not endowed with as many natural resources as Zambia has. But every dollar the NZ government collects goes towards improving the lives of its people. Look at how white people ran services for themselves in Rhodesia, South Africa and South West Africa despite all the sanctions. Those people are trully alergic to corruption. There is need to clean up corruption. It is no use just tolerating corruption and saying at least ‘Banda brought development’. People, not governments, develop a country. If anything, governments can be a drain on resouces.

    • You are absolutely right. Levy Mwanawasa was condmned badly for fighting corruption even by our current president. But the good thing is that he realised that the fight against corruption is good thing. Fighting corruption is not like drawing an income and expenditure account where you want to see the profit or loss. It is a very complicated thing. We all saw what benefits started coming into the country under LEVY whom we condmned when he started this fight. All the benefits Lupiya Banda was being praised on where from this foundation. The problem is our memory are too short tyo copy lev’s statement. Good day my Brother Merry Christ month and Happy New Year.

74. Hahahahahahahahaa!!! It is always funny reading all bloggers’ comments! What i see is that most of us do not like looking at issues analytically and pragmatic. fact is that PF has no direction and will sink Zambia! Ubwato bulinokwiminina very soon considering the water has dried up – the water being the winds of campaign. Zambia should have known better – PF is good as opposition and not the party in government. Bulanda bweka bweka fye!!

75. CORRUPTION FIGHT GOOD – fighting corruption is expensive. You can’t draw a profit and loss account for corruption. For example to ask the plice to state how much they have spent to combat crime and how they have realised from the activities is riduculous. If they make a loss then we close all the police posts??? No. absolutley no. The benefits of fighting corruption will be felt way long. May be 5 to 10 years from now. You the same people condmned LEVY MWANAWAS when he started the task force. But when the benefits started treking in the country you turned around started prasing him. Today we have big development projects of the donor confidence out of that fight. Ndola Stadium, Levy Park, Mwana Bridge in Luapula, Mwanawasa hospital the list goes on which Lupiya was busy commmissioning.

76. The commission of enquiries must continue as corruption preventive measure. This is a long term. If people develop fear to steal public resources, the income saved from such preventive measure will be reinvested. In the long run will see a lot benefits. The problem in Zambia is that we like short term investment where we want to see immediate results. I will urge the PF governmment to continues with this fight. Thoses opposed these investigations are themselves thieves. The results of what you are doing will be felt soon.The same chaps condeming these investigastion will turn around to praise. VIVA PF . Continues with the fight agaist corruption.

77. Mr Sata has nothing to offer to the international world, pre-occupied to be seen as head of state making news in Zambia. There are certain bilateral agreements to be minted only by a head of state. In such situations Zambia stands to loose. From what Mr Sata has so far demonstrated, few inflow investiments will come to Zambia because of uncertainity created by Mr Sata. Those in contention with this view should do simple extrapolation and monitor the data in the coming months and years. Zambia will experience negative investments inflow by the end of 5 years. We are not here to believe in blind optimism but open to realities of life.

78. Why should the cost of travel by the President be 10 higher than his Veep? Is Guy indirectly tell Sata that he (Guy) should be the one travelling instead because its cheaper?

79. If you are an achiever, your works speak for you. For RB, in the first 3 months, he was accused of having no agenda for Zambia. He managed to ride the world financial crisis and by the end of his 3 years we had low the inflation, stable kwacha, fuel reserves, bumper harvests, investor confidency, reduced load-shedding, same fuel price in Zambia, construction of schools, hospitals, roads etc. Ratings by international organisations were the order of day. His undoing were his sons’ excesses. For Mr. Sata, his first 3 months have gone past quite fast. Can someone elablorate his major achievements. Liato’s K2billion? Refusing to pay RB’s Congo sojourn? The lexus cars? Fake Kwacha? Renaminig airports? If bread has increased now after reducing fuel by K400, will mealie meal be okay next year?

80. …low inflation,…..confidence…..

81. Wats up with ZWD site?

82. If I remember correctly, the govt suspended all mining exports in order to come up with a new framework on how to conduct them but then rescinded its decision two days later. We were told that a new framework would be ready in two weeks. Does anybody know what the new framework is? Would be also interested to know  what action the govt will take regarding the sale of Zamtel. There was a lot of noise about cancelling the sale but so far we have not heard anything as to what the govt will do next.

    • Hey they will do nothing, kaili they thot its 1964, hey this is 21st century, wake up MCS you cant just grab what others have bought as if its your fathers farm….

83. but can you also tell us howmuch investment zambia received against what was spent…. cheap politicks…… 90 days yasila not even a single job has been created…. Nigas got no intergrety, now tell has what has heppend to 90days? ati more money in 90 days heya we are even more poor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

84. .
    Its always better to argue from factual or statistical point of view

    A) In 2010 Zambia’s – Foreign Direct Investments was $4.3 Billion US Dollars
    B) In 2009 Zambia’s – Foreign Direct Investments was $960 Million US Dollars

    C) This totals to $5.26 Billion US Dollars just in two years

    So if you compare the $8m US Dollars RB spent on travelling wooing investors, anyone one that understands simple business mathematics – that is a VERY GOOD YIELD.

    Basically RB spent about 1.3 % out of the money that came into the country.

    SATA needs to carry on and increase Foreign Direct Investments if he is really committed to build up LEVERAGES for the nation.

85. No amount of figures wielded by people who are bad at maths will convince me that RB was responsible for all the inward investment. Mwanawasa created a climate which was conducive to investment. In three years Banda succeeded in turning Zambia into one of the most corrupt countries in the region. In the process he pocketed $8m in travel allowances. He knew he was not entitled to gratuity at the end of the three year term. So he set about plundering the resources of our country and corrupting the judiciary. PF still has time on its side. THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION MUST CONTINUE. It is not a choice between attracting inward investment and fighting corruption. The two complement each other.

86. thieves always support what is wrong, when people are diying of hunger the president takes all the money for globetrekking what a shame, if there was developement in RBs govt then we shall see more of it in this one

87. A thief will shout thief to defray attention.

88. Zambians be alive to your own country’s achievements. According to Financial Times (UK)2010 Zambia was rated the most preferred investment destination country in Southern Africa region. This was evidenced by the economic growth the country registered within that year. This record is now at risk of being reversed unless prejudicial attitude is set aside and put Zambia first. PF has never governed before and that is the challenge to undertake to reach the marked bar of economic growth and consistency. Mr Sata and PF govt have a choice between populist, insularity, separatism and accept the achievement of MMD noted by the international community.

89. @Tell It Like It Is:

    Bwana, tell me what African country failed to ride the world financial crisis? Nearly all African countries were not as affected by the world financial crisis, Mr. genius! Do you know why? Well let me educate you; most African financial markets are not as integrated into the world economy as other countries are. This was the single most important factor that spared many African, and to some extent South American, financial markets from disaster. And not the GENIUS of one Vasco Da Banda!

    And please don’t give me the nonsense of Zimbabwe, because Zimbabwe’s problems have more to do with sanctions than the world financial crisis. Let us be real here people! If $8 million dollars is champ change to Zambia, why then do we have such dilapidated infrastructure?

90. #64, stop your kabova language and just share real issues. Don’t attack helpless people, be a real man, not some yip yapping monkey meant for the circus.

91. The fact is that MMD set a very high record in terms of economic achievement. When they took over government in 1991, inflation was running at 200% with people queuing as early as 2am for basic commodities like cooking oil and mealie meal. The current generation of Zambians don;t understand that people had to sleep four days just to get on a  bus from Lusaka to Kasama. Chiluba within months of taking over changed all that nonsense. Apples, chocolates and coca cola were the preserve of KK and his family. Carrying foreign currency even as little as £100 could land one in jail. People used to hide foreign currency in pants. Bureaux De change was an MMD policy changed that perception that holding $$$$$ is a crime. What has PF done in 90 days other than arresting people? please be honest.

92. So the guy is able to crunch numbers as do cost accountants! He must be an exceptionally smart ex-cop! What we need though is a cost-benefit analysis of the expenditure. Besides, when he himself opts not to trave as much but sends people like KK instead, won’t his balance sheet look that much better from a cost stand-point? Again very smat ex-cop. Through the people he is sending on his errands, he may end-up out-spending poor RB and yet claim to have been less of a spendthrift! So, not only is he able to crunch numbers, he also understands such concepts as off-balance sheet funding….All in all, RB’s management accountants should tell us if the seemingly excessive expenditure was worth the while or a sheer waste of national resources.

93. @88 PIGNIMBY …. Excellent point. Unfortunately, PF are oblivious to whatever achievements Zambia made through the MMD government. The poor former governement officials (MMD) are being hunted day and night for whatever crimes they are presumed to have committed while in office. This is failure on the part of PF to appreciate the contribution by MMD. Besides, this kind of witch-hunting is unlike anything we have witnessed in other civilized countries. Humans are humans and mistakes are bound to be made by anyone occupying a position of responsibility. Already, MMD have been penalyzed by the electorate by not voting them back into office. This was meant to teach them a lessonand so they can learn from their mistakes.

94. @ 91…”What has PF done in 90 days..?” Great question. Zambia’s new CEO, MCS, is an ex-cop. In the last 90 days, he has excelled at this type of job, hunting for and arresting law offenders. His list of commissions of inquiry is endless. However, this is not economics. Whether he understands basic economics still remains to be seen. We must not forget that at independence in 1964, Zambia was a middle-income economy with a currency twice the strength of the US dollar. A quarter a century later, Zambia had become one of the poorest countries in Africa and in the world at large.

95. @yambayamba, your point appreciated. Of the many campaign promises made prior to elections made I will pick 1. Has your govt increased the bags of fertiliser to farmers to 15 this season? What is your plan about the price of bread?

96. he spent that so whaT

97. WHATS WRONG WITH HIM SPENDING THAT MUCH. DONT PEOPLE HAVE COMMON SENSE. LIVE HIM ALONE. ONE GOOD THING WITH RB IS U WILL NEVER HEAR HIS VOICE. IT HAPPEND AGAIN AFTER HE LEFT GOVERNMENT SOME TEN TO FIFTEEN YEAR AGO. HE WENT AWAY SILENTLY. ND HWAS ONLY RECONGNISED BY MWANAWASAS TEAM AFTER THEDEATH. EVEN NOW U WILL INSULT HIM AND ORACCUSE HIM BUT HE WILL NEVER ANSWER BACK. HIS BATTLES ARE FOUGHT BY GOD.

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