By Venus N Msyani,Concerned citizen
Appearing disappointed and tired while addressing the Mines Union in Kitwe, president Edgar Lungu told his supporters in Copperbelt that the issue of privatization is not over. That will be revisited when he comes back after the election on Thursday and those involved will be punished.
“Umulandu taubola.” Amid background shouting in approval, president Lungu emphasized. Meaning until settled, a committed crime remains a crime.
He labels the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema leader incorrigible and says will send him to jail.
According to Lungu, Hichilema is outsourcing fund from foreigners and promising them to give them mines when he gets into power, which to Lungu is repeating the same mistake that led to poor 1990s privatization process.
Hakainde Hichilema, popularly known as HH, was involved in the privatization process of state-owned assets in the 1990s. It is alleged that he stole from the privatization process by under-valuing state assets, which included the mines.
For the past five years, Lungu’s government has been struggling to provide evidence to prove that Hakainde stole from privatization. To date, there is no enough evidence to prove that indeed HH stole. The issue is stuck in the hands of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
It leaves president Lungu in a fix because to revisit the issue he would have to convince people why he chooses an old issue with no enough evidence in place of fresh ones with clear evidence.
Hakainde Hichilema, is alleged to have undervalued state assets in the 1990s to pocket money. Edgar Lungu is currently overvaluing projects to pocket money. Who deserves arrest?
To date, K2.2bn has been plundered through corruption involving Patriotic Front (PF) government officials according to the Financial Intelligence Center (FIC) 2020 Report.
The evidence is very clear through the sudden wealth of top PF government officials who are now among the richest in the region; graduating from owning cars to private jets.
Edgar Lungu himself is not excluded in the FIC report and has failed to provide a convincing explanation on the source of the sudden wealth. hence arresting HH will do him more damage than good as it will be clear proof that Zambia has finally fully turned dictatorship.
President Lungu is looking for a way to avoid HH so he can have an easy and smooth final term. However, arresting him should be off the table.
HH has been a headache to Lungu the Patriotic Front (PF) government for the past five years and Lungu doesn’t want to go through the same experience for the next five years if he wins on Thursday and thinks arresting Hichilema will help. It is a very bad idea.
Should HH also start thinking of arresting him for failing to provide a convincing explanation on his sudden wealth and that of his cabinet ministers if he loses to him on Thursday?
Nice one lets wait and see. The sinking boat indeed.
Thanks for the news!!!!
MEANING YOU WOULD CHOOSE TO BARRY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND BA WRITER? I THINK IT IS EVEN GOOD THAT ECL IS MENTIONING THESE SCANDALS AS NO ONE WOULD BE SPARED NO MATTER HOW NEW OR OLD THE SCANDAL IS. “UMULANDU TAUBOLA”.
THOSE PEOPLE WHO SCANDALOUSLY BENEFITED FROM THE SELL OF PUBLICASSETS MUST BE DELT WITH ONCE AND FOR ALL SO THAT WE CLOSE THAT CHAPTER AND CONCENTRATE ON SERIOUS NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT LEAVING ANY ONE BEHIND. AND THOSE RECENT SCANDAL CASES CAN ALSO COME UP AND DELT WITH. EFYO IYA BA AUTHOR.
PF is the only party that exist to win elections. All their talk and actions are to win elections. They are dividing the nation through tribal schemes and utterances which is not good at all as that borders on conflict and genocide potentials. PF reign has been the darkest era in Zambia’s history and Lungu is by far the worst president ever and hopefully will ever be. Zwazwa PF and your eternal end comes tomorrow. Zwazwa Lungu and PF.
Theories and lies. Theories and lies. Theories and lies. Theories and lies.
Kikikikikikijukija Hehehehehehe hahahahahaha kwekwekwekwe
hohohohoho.
It is feeling really real that privatization knocks h² right in the face. This analogy is sick. You can mirror privatization to the current administration. This is a miss.
You can do better.
You God is repeating the same thing with US$300, 0000 lobbing with vendatta. Nice try but you miserably missed.
I honestly dont understand why even educated people don’t understand. HH didn’t privatise the companies. He gave advise to the government. The government then made the decision to privatise. PF have done more damage to the Zambian economy than what happened during privatisation. What PF is doing is running away from their own failures. I wish Zambian had eyes to see.
Venus N Msyani, ECL also explained that HH got $300, 000 from Vedatta so that he give the mines. The figure 3 is important here. HH was given $100, 000, he refused and asked for $300 000. Also remember , Peter he was not with 3 times. Zambians $300 000 is coming from Satana.
The author is missing the point. Selling valuable assets at give away prices is just one aspect of the whole privatisation saga. We were led to believe that our time had come to liberate our economy and become the United Provinces of Zambia by the same people advocating for change today. We listened and followed the science from the advocates of change, Kaunda was defeated. Now please tell us, who were or are the beneficiaries of that revolution if you can excuse my choice of words? What did we achieve then when HH was the chief auditor? What makes him stand out from the rest who were involved in 1990’s?
The MMD government was responsible for the privatization program and they should be answer for everything that went wrong.
How did Zambia benefit from the privatization of its assets?
Where did the money from the privatization program go?
Who were the people involved in the privatization program and what was their role?
Many people were left stranded by the privatization program and some are still suffering today.
President Lungu Saying that HH is responsible for the privatization program is wrong and irresponsible.
And yes, President Lungu and his band need to answer to us Zambians how they accumulated so much wealth within a short period of time.
Having worked in the civil service, I know for sure that salaries and allowances alone aren’t enough to have what these guys have. Their corrupt behavior is impoverishing ordinary citizens.
It’s a shame that they are not ashamed of their corrupt behavior.
A leader is a servant and serves the people. By this definition it’s very clear that Lungu and his band have not been serving us Zambians but themselves.
Mines were privatised by the Zambian Government through the Zambia Privatization Agency.
At no time did HH privatise any Division of ZCCM
The privatised Luanshya Division hired HH to get a customer not before privatization.
All issues are freely available at the Agency.Were are trying to rewrite history.
HH should also tell us if he asked for dollars from Vadetta or if it was vadetta decision to give him $100, 000 and why specifically Vadetta, for what purpose? He should explain why he refused to accept $100, 000 and instead, he asked for $300 000. The appearance of 3 in $300 000 is opening our eyes. Is it saying the money is from Satan? Remember Yudah Scariot sold Jesus for 3 pieces of silver and Peter denied he was with Jusus 3 times. As a christian nation we at war with satan. Zambians pray hard, Christianity in Zambia is under threat.
HH wasn’t all alone in the privatization process and he merely played an advisory role.Why others involved are never mentioned is bcoz we’re playing dirty politics.
The writer is confused. ECL 2021
ba @ Garlic You are just confirming that this is just propaganda using symbols and numbers to scare people
The privatisation saga usually comes up during elections and most people who were still breastfeeding make comments they don’t understand.
Logic tells you that a consultant can not steal the property from the company that hired him to make valuation of that same property. Only in Zambia, we have such a pathological view.
THE PEOPLE WHO SOLD THE LOSS MAKING PARASTATALS AND MINES WAS NOT HH BUT MMD.
Privatisation saga disappeared during Mwanawasa (R,I,P) era but now this corrupt and oppressive regime has smelt defeat so the only lie is to say HH undervalued the companies and stole money.
How many consultanting firms were hired by the Privatization Agency (ZPA) led by Mr. Francis Kaunda (R.I.P)? Over 50! So why blame ONLY HH ?
It is because he has been challenged the top position…
Garlic you are lost! You don’t know what you are talking about. Do you have proof that HH asked Vadetta $100,000? If you build hospitals and employ staff but you don’t supplier medicine to the hospital and you can’t pay the worker – can you say the government was successful? In the past years the government failed to pay government works for months and defaulted on loans – then suddenly the government has money to give away.
Garlic you are l***ost! You don’t know what you are talking about. Do you have proof that HH asked Vadetta $100,000? If you build hospitals and employ staff but you don’t supplier medicine to the hospital and you can’t pay the worker – can you say the government was successful? In the past years the government failed to pay government works for months and defaulted on loans – then suddenly the government has money to give away
If you build hospitals and employ staff but you don’t supplier medicine to the hospital and you can’t pay the worker – can you say the government was successful? In the past years the government failed to pay government works for months and defaulted on loans – then suddenly the government has money to give away
That talk to the miners was just mere visionless statement meant to deceive and divert attention from real issues. Why was HH not netted by the Mwanawasa Task Force on Plunder of national resources? The trip was just disguise but its main purpose was to block HH from campaigning in Copperbelt towns. Bringing up issues of Privatization which where then a government donor sponsored program. This whole thing is like trying to grow hair on an egg. Vote wisely by making a proper decision. Your vote is your power and talk through it louder. Should you make a mistake you will be oppressed during the next 5 years.
HH has not refuted what ECL said in Kitwe. It is true HH received $100 000 from Vadetta but we are not sure if he received the addition $200 000 he demanded. Joe Silwamva , we know Vadetta tricked Mwanawansa to get KCM and after making money, Vadetta in India lectured some upcoming businessmen how to start business without money, Vadetta explained how he tricked Mwanawansa and got the mine at a song. The Satan is back, now he has given HH $300 000. it is sad you want me to keep quite. Do not answer for HH. Let HH tell us, it is clean money. Somebody told me the country is already sold.
Kids kids kids…gather around. Now you see kids, privatization is not a bad thing. Matter of fact it is better than running a state owned enterprise SOE. Liberalization of a national economy simply means opening up the economy to free markets. SOEs being notorious for creating monopolies. Competition is good for national development. Now kids, go and thank HH for playing his part in developing Zambia.
Kicks of a dying horse. The time PF to die is tomorrow. ECL will meet the waterloo and his sinking Taitanic.