Dear Rupiah Banda,
A little more than six months ago I did write a letter of encouragement to you. In that letter, I did encourage you on stepping up the game in running the country. I encouraged you to work hard to leave a lasting legacy. Sadly, my advise fell on deaf ears and hence my writing this letter of disappointment to you.[quote]
A lot has been happening in this country in the last few months. You have had a busy traveling schedule all over the region. Looks like we share the same hobby Mr. President after all. You know, I also enjoy traveling. But your wasting of taxpayer’s money traveling while there are so many pressing financial needs in the country worries me. It is disappointing Mr. President that you choose to travel to Zimbabwe and South Africa, with an entourage of over forty officials, while our hospitals were closed. Because you were having so much fun hopping up and down planes, you have developed a leg problem. Worse still, it is us who have to pay for your hospital bills in South Africa abandoning your own hospitals here in Zambia.
Mr. President, it was disappointing that it took you that long to make a statement regarding the state of affairs in the country. And what was that rant about at that press conference? Why did you spend half the time at the press conference talking about your political opponents? The press conference looked like an MMD cadres’ meeting. Well, I understand why you are so worried about those guys. Looks like things don’t look so well for you in 2011, do they?
Here are a few things that you should be worried about instead. Mr. President, you should be worried about the many Zambian people who are dying around the country due to the strikes by nurses and doctors. Please don’t threaten our medical workers with dismissal because that doesn’t make sense at all. Regarding their pay demands, I have a few suggestions for you as far as how you raise the money.
Firstly, propose a fifteen percent pay cut from all ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries and all senior government officials including yourself. Imagine how much money could be raised from those pay cuts. This could cover the salaries of the nurses and doctors in Southern, Western and Eastern Provinces. Secondly, declare all deputy ministers redundant because there is nothing they are really doing. This will save taxpayers from paying their salaries, housing, phone bills, fuel, traveling, etc. Then we can sell all those big expensive cars they have so that we raise some money to pay for the salaries of nurses and doctors in Lusaka and Central Provinces . Instead of government spending K100 million a month on a deputy minister, it can pay for about seventy-five nurses. Lastly, my suggestion to you, Mr. President is that you make an executive order for non payment of midterm gratuity for all members of parliament and get the dormant funds at CEEC and channel them to pay salaries for the striking workers in all the other provinces. What a perfect way to set an example in a time of crisis. You will gain so much admiration from all around the country and make your 2011 plans legitimate.
These are just few of the many ideas that could help you rise amidst the crisis. However, you have chosen to remain in the background. Like I have observed before, if you are not taking your afternoon naps then you are in the air flying to Neverland. When you wake up from your naps, you go on television yelling and blaming everyone but yourself for the way things are going in the country. Things are going this way because you are sleeping at the wheel. While you were sleeping Mr. President, a minister bought costly hearses to bury us. While you were sleeping Soweto Market was demolished and the people of Sichifulo displaced so that animals can live in a land they occupied for generations. While you were sleeping, millions of dollars were stolen and the Ministry of Health. While you were sleeping nurses and doctors went on strike leaving scores of Zambians to die countrywide. While you were sleeping, Zambian Airways went under and Dora signed the Deal. Is it while you were sleeping that Zambia lost to Algeria?
You see that a lot of things can happen outside State House especially if you are sleeping. I know it is cozy in there and not too easy to come out and face the challenges of reality here. But hey, who says being president is a vacation? It is a tough and challenging job. Again, stop complaining about how tough your job is. If it is so tough then why don’t you leave the job for someone who really wants to be president? Maybe they won’t sleep so much. Maybe nurses won’t be on strike and people won’t die. And maybe for once Zambians will have a president they will all be proud of.
Thanks for your time Mr. President and good luck. And hey, if you want to me start drafting those dismissal letters for your deputy ministers I would be more than delighted to do it at no cost at all. This will be my service to my country.
Sincerely yours,
Wesley Ngwenya
Ngwenya does not know how to write – too emotional
hi
Well i hope RB reads the letter,which i guess he won’t,even if he read he will do nothing about it,by the way i like that part “Is it while you were sleeping that Zambia lost to Algeria” lol
RB & that De facto vice president called Traitormalilo suck
Wesley, RB is a retired man. After that press conference which did not come out of his own will, he has gone back into seclusion, preferring to narrate fairly tales to his grandchildren on a cup of tea with vitumbuwa. I don’t think he cares much about the serious issues you have raised .
nambala wanu!
Interesting letter.I hope RB reads it and allows you to draft the letters of dismissal to deputy ministers!
Too much nonsense.
Suspending midterm gratuity would not raise enough money to pay thousands of nurses. Besides, are nurses the only relevant civil servants? Just because they take care of us when we are most vulnerable does not mean other civil servants do not deserve better wages too. Officers in economic ministries have been neglected for a long time just because their impact is not felt immediately like nurses doctors and teachers.
MR NGWENYA, THERE A FEW THINGS YOU NEED TO LEARN. HERE ARE SOME:
1. LEARN TO BE ORIGINAL AND STOP IMITATING FRED MMEMBE. 2. LEARN MATHEMATICS AND KNOW THAT THERE ARE 8,000 NURSES IN THE COUNTRY COMPARED TO ABOUT 24 MINISTERS AND 30 DEPUTIES, 3. LEARN THAT IF YOU INCREASE SALARIES FOR NURSES YOU HAVE TO INCREASE SALARIES FOR TEACHERS (30,000), POLICEMEN ( 13,000) GAME SCOUTS (1,200), LECTURERS, CIVIL SERVANTS… ETC.., 4. LEARN THAT THARE IS AN IMPORTANT PRICIPLE CALLED MACRO ECONOMIC STABILITY WHICH IF A COUNTRY LOSES IT YOU BECOME LIKE ZIMBABWE AND MONEY LOSES MEANING, AND 5. LEARN TO KEEP YOUR EMOTIONS IN CHECK BECAUSE IT HAS A BEARING ON YOUR CREDIBILITY.
Bravo Wesley
Ngwenya,
What school did you attend? Though passionate on writing for blogs, you seem to be chap with serious multiple deficiencies. Review your writing skills, illogical flow of thoughts and their incoherence.Have you ever asked your boss Guy Scott to ask the speaker to cancel his gratuity to lead by example as VP of PF or indeed charterbox Given Lubinda. To make a difference and undermine MMD, tell all opposition MPs to vote no against their own gratuity and half slash their salaries.That will beat MMD on the belt politically.If anything all opposition MP should go the Kavindele way of service without pay untill economy recovers. If it takes upto 2011 so be it.
First thing Obama did when he took office was to freeze pay for White House staff. 1st thing Rupiah did when he took office was to increase perks for Black House staff. This is says alot on voting for foreigners as President. I hope that next we will not vote for one of those Somalis who have settled in Ndola behind the Trade Fair Grounds.
Too much sense being pumped into deaf ears!
I have serious question about this Ngwenya’s much flaunted US MBA. Ever since the chap started flaunting it here and how hard landing he has found himself since returning from Indiana makes me believe this bought his MBA online if not from Nigerians.The chap has no basic economic, accounting, policy or simple business maths skills. I would love to read his thesis.
This reminds me of the screaming of the ship captain on the ship to Tashish (Mersin today): “What meanest thou o sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not”. This was an urgent call that was made to the sleeper, Jonah. Jonah had the answer to the crisis of the ship to Tarshish. How about our sleeping president? Retirement is an honourable option. There is great honour in admitting sin and failure. How honourable and respectful it is when you admit that one has failed or sinned against heaven and earth? Is that not also part of our culture?
Rubbish!!! Members of the Armed Forces take an oath…inter alia:- To protect the country from external as well as internal aggression!!! So WHERE ARE THEY, ARE THEY SLEEPING?????
If they need outside advice, I CAN BE OF HELP!
I agree with you on D/ministers…..
u’re totally deluding yourselves if u think rb wud give a toss!!! its the outta sight outta mind syndrome. he is in state house..its is nice and warm in state house. he has the fika isova syndrome and with d.i.c.k.s like teta tunin him that all’s well and its the usual yammerin of lazy zedians since the KK days, its will pass. with the current zedian principle of every man for himself, its a remote hope that there cud be sum sort of revolution kinda situ, na’ mean?
An after thought….why are we Zamibans so docile….? So docile that we consider GRZ money as for GRZ and not for us as taxpayers? How else would you explain the docility of Zedians! Anything can go wrong and we let it go? Christians? Or please agive me a break!
It would be good if LT allowed other bloggers besides this Ngwenya chap to submit articles. We would then get a wider range of views regarding Zambian current affairs. It would also be good to move beyond politics (important as they are) to other social issues such as HIV/AIDS, pop culture, language, history etc.
RB is too old and backwards to understand such issues, thats why we need the 21st centuray politician. Anyway as # 13 has said
this dude may not write the way u wanna or be as articulate as an MBA person shud be or have his figures and facts straight, but i skim his writings, looking at the bigger and broader picture and not on a strictly intellectual level, reflect wat we all feelin here in zed. we are on the frontlines, there are fans all over the place and pertual .s.h.i.t. from the govt is hittin em. even if the idea of suspending mid-term gratutuies and paying nurses with that buck is not really plausible, the idea of suspending the effin gratutuities IS plausible! as a sign of good faith even…its like these chaps are pleading to be hated!!
Article is too personalized. Wesley, please consult learned scholars, your articles are more of how you feel than the subject matter. Your article also lacks proper research. We need proper figures son, not ifi ifya kulanda landa.
Yeah, and to hell with the d/ministers!!!
#9 and #11 Indeed you are the chaps making RB to think is an emporor/king. What Ngwenya is saying is not the exact figures of what nurses/civil servants will get from the pay cut of an MP or the firing of deputy ministers, but the measures that your boss RB should have done when he came into power, but what did he do? he increased their pek for fear of impeachment or vote of no confidence. He is a nosense and he is not taking thi s country anywhere
No. 8
Shu Shu shu
whatever you call yourself, just add on what this man has highlighted instead of you criticising his suggestions!
Disappointing article again – article not well-argued and lacks scope.
Did I read someone say he’s got an MBA? Having an MBA is not relevant to the journalistic skills one needs to do the job right? Clearly the young man lacks the basic writing skills, but at least he’s keeping us informed.
Wesley, I hope you learn fast if you want to make this your lifetime career or you’ll be frustrated long term.
Your style of writing should be able ignite further thoughts and be intriguing. Hand on heart do you really think RB would finish reading your article? Even if he did how do you think his reaction would be? You need more of these thought-provoking questions, okay!
I would like to think Lusaka Times have decent editors after all this?
Not sure whether to take this letter serious or as a joke!.. whats your point Wesley..are you for the presido or against..coz u ranting back and forth… scared of drawwing the line?…wanna be in the presidents good shoes but criticise him here and there… it doesnt work like that
people like#9 Nkole and #11 serious you are there to critisize the young man but you never come up with ideas to help move this country forward.Some Zambians have a tendency to bring each other down.Doctors and nurses are essential staff you can’t start comparing game scouts with doctors please!However every arm of the civil service is important including the garbage collector(if they still exist in zed) and govt must find more attractive and clever ways in meeting the needs of its workforce.Reducing the size of cabinet and cutting down the hefty salaries of ministers( who don’t seem to do much except give lengthy speeches written for them by some underpayed civil servant)is a start.
Ba Miss daisy, dont be an arm chair critic! help the young man, come up with ideas and solutions to move this country. Dont just sit and condemn every move other people make.
#29, Inonge, VIva my dear, good point!
this article won’t worry Banda neither MMD.The president has rights to do whatever he wants to do ,thats his way of doing thing further more he does not care what people thinks about his policy.poeple in town like saying bunch of crap to threten the rulling party ,but come election they won’t even vote only people from rural areas, thats were the catch is.so this letter means nothing to BANDA.
RED LIPGLOSS – I am not criticising him. I just dont feel a punch of the article..sounds like a bed time story.. i havent even mentioned the mistakes in the article. All am saying is he needs to make his objective known
#25, I DON’T THINK RB THINKS HE IS AN EMPEROR OR KING. TWO DAYS AGO HE WAS AT THE FUNERAL HOUSE FOR THE LATE KAYULA SATA, EVEN THOUGH SATA INSULTS HIM EVERY DAY. EVERY ONE KNOWS THAT SAYING RUPIAH THINKS HE IS A KING IS PURE MALICE. BUT THIS IS THE PRICE EVERY PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA WILL NOW PAY FOR THE COUNTRY BEING FREE. IT IS NOT RB WHO INCREASED THE SALARIES OF MPS, SPEAKERS AND MINISTERS. LEVY APPROVED THE INCREMENTS AT A CABINET MEETING BEFORE HE LEFT FOR EGYPT. DO YOU THINK RB SHOULD HAVE APPROVED MEASURES TO GET HIMSELF IMPEACHED? I DON’T THINK ANY POLITICIAN WOULD DO THAT INCLUDING LEVY. MAY BE THE SAVIOUR YOU HAVE IN MIND WOULD. AS FOR ME I AM AND INDEPENDENT OBSERVER BUT I UNDERSTAND REAL POLITICS AND I AM REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT FROM POLITICIANS
Yangu Bane!! mwamu sapa sana umunenu, and yet he should be uploaded atleast for his thoughts. Can we as well read your articles so that we can make comparisons and see who is better then who, because you all sound to be better than this Ngwenya on arguments.
What a useless letter. Wesley, delete this from your hard drive immediately because it is so asinine it might give your computer a virus.
How does one blame the president for the loss with Algeria? That is absurd. Listen to some of the suggestions. Get dormant money from the CEEC and give it to the nurses. What nonsense. How is there supposed to be liquidity if we remove the liquidity from the system. Haven’t you payed attention to the financial crisis and the importance of liquidity. Haven’t you payed attention to the Zim PM’s globe trotting and his request for support so as to increase liquidity and here you are suggesting we remove liquidity from the system.
I would love to see the math in these suggestions.
The worst thing was on the Zambian Airways issue. We are talking of a company that was not even listed on the LUSE and was turning credit into equity. This is a fraudulent model by a questionable CEO. How does one borrow for consumption. It is not clear what the money was used for. The worst part is it was some of it was borrowed from state owned entities.
We are now in a free market system and for ZAMBEZI AIRLINES to come and fill the void shows that the free market system which I am a huge supporter of works.
#32, Am Red – Lipstick and not Lip-gloss, there is a difference between the two, okay?
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO APOLOGIZE TO ALL THOSE THAT I HAVE OFFENDED WITH MY USE OF LANGUAGE. i AM REALLY SORRY AND PROMISE THAT IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. MY APOLOGY COMES AS I HAVE BEEN MODERATED AND HAVE REALIZED THAT NOT BEING ABLE TO FREELY EXPRESS MY SELF OR PUT ACROSS MY POINTS IS VERY STRESSING. I KNOW LT DOES ALOT OF WORK IN TRYING TO MAKE ESPECIALLY THOSE ABROAD AWARE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR MOTHERLAND ZAMBIA.. REALLY SORRY GUYS
HOPE YOU ALL FORGIVE ME
YOUR ONE AND ONLY
WALAI
i really dont understand the critisism. least the dude had b.a.l.l.s to even write to the other dude who fancies himself a prezident. this is a mindset we need to get rid of people, on a serious tip. we all know wat he’s talkin about, this aint no thesis and he didnt write that article to get grades from all you’all…pliz, thot we all was educated enough to deduce relevant stuff from even the most irrelevant drivel and am not sayin wesley’s been drivellin coz i see a lot of sense in wat he’s sayin…am not looking for exact figures or endearing grammar…he’s sayin it as it is and i respect him for it, na’m sayin?
# 9 Sounds like has an understanding of the matter and a good analysis of the letter. No further comments as you have said it all. Great!
Are you guys lectures? Wesley did not write this article to start marking it. Just get the content. You’ll just die of grandiose. Nice letter though.
Bravo Wes, zed needs more brave guys like you who stands up for their rights and call a spade a spade in a world were vulnerable people are expected to shut up even when things are bad.
of all the zambian presidents there is no president less intelligent or dull than banda before him
#36 “How does one borrow for consumption”
What else is borrowed money used in Zambia for?
Borrowed money and donor aid ALWAYS goes for consumption in Zambia!
No major plans whatsoever, Zambia is the best example of a hand-to-mouth existence.
And no one seems to care, Lord have mercy!
Robert MC Farlane # 42, took the words rite outta ma mouth
miss daisy……… I…..well i…..Ah blast!!! thot i’d overcome this weakness i have when it comes to critisising pretty ladies….better take my meds….
my mistake was deliberate…Red Lipglo…or stick
So what is Ngwenya’s problem?
He thinks leading a country is like restling which is done by John Sinar.
i sense a…..CAATTTT FIGGGGHHT!!!
#43 I agree. Borrowing for consumption is called credit and its what the world runs on. Its central to capitalism (to ‘capitalise’); borrowing to make returns and pay it all back. Its what f**ked us in the first place!! Viva capitalism eh?
#9 Nkole and #11 Serious, this just an indication of the level of arguments that even bloggers put across. The thoughts are too simplistic lacking any regard for other interaction say on whether even the measures he is talking about are sustainable. A president glued to state house just because nurses are on strike? Course a decision can be made from wherever he is, even on the moon. Soweto market demolition to be an issue requiring a president to intervene? What happens to the LCC thereafter? Does Ngwenya enjoy the look of the filthy structures and imititi all over the place? “Sichifulo displaced so that animals can live in a land they occupied for generations” wasnt it here when you reported that lions and elephants are are attacking people? You have a brain the size of an ant, Ngwenya
I like Gwenya’s article and thinking, he can make a good leader in that he is able to engage people into discussions. ‘A bad decision is better than no decision at all ‘as we can see from people who cant offer any suggestions, he is able to provoke people’s thinking. I guess Ngwenya ur a lecturer somewhere. BRAVO!
TO ALL BLOGGERS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Guys I need your help napapata.Anyone who can help me with the following information? I want to get a new passport,the problem is I don’t know the procedure and the closing date.please anyone with information on how I can get a new passport let me know napapata before i lose out.
you can email me at [email protected].
We need 2 keep an alert eye on these chaps b4 they leave office…. very disappointing!!
# 1.Are you of the people stealing the tax payer money?
LT you are very funny mwandini,what is long with my posting above for you to put it on moderation list? Anyway LT do whatever pleases.
God bless you all.
#48.Next time learn how to spell CENA,then you will cease being a blind follower.
#57…and he should learn how to spell wrestling then he won’t have bugs like u on his back!
K100 million a month?? Are they getting that much, where are the Numbers from?? 100 million kwacha a month.???
GOOD letter,we now the people who want to spell the sense of the lettet as TeTa and mulongtoi guy..we watchung you! we now you! and this ka Miss Daisy is one of MMD net propaganda ! u also under scrutiney..any sensable zambian wod get one or two ponts from that letter.take for instance,why do we need deputy mins wen we have a P.S.and in some instance 2 deputies….and you Free-Market eco,dont make youself a political A.S.S. ,wisly did not submit this for marking!…the letter is simply good
i totally concur tetamalilo…
The letter makes interesting reading. Its a fact the we have a bloated goverment and that DCs and Dpt Minister are irrelevent in our scheme of things. This blog is not a platform for choosing the best letter writter on earth but rather to share ideas and find solutions to the problems that we have has the 39th largesst country on earth and at the same one of the poorest countries on earth. If the criticts are as smart as the claim to be let the give us the solutions..Zambia is dying.
hi guys i am back.i was almost banned from the site. i have now changed.. matworld atishani? way to go matty! good lack nafyama passport ifo..fyali shupa.. i think it was all a money making scheme
Matworld kabiye ku High Commission in Pretoria and fill in the forms, expect your new passport after a lifetime.
i dont undertand some people who can’t get any point from wat ngwenya is sayin.there are a lot of points from this article. e.g why did he travel while health workers are on strike and the other point is about the press conference.there was nothin sensible he said thts why the monkey(humans cousin)buptized him with urine.why did he spend much time talkin about opposition parties? malabishi che
Ngwenya has the point tho he didnt wel on the maths .
Thanks mwebantu ba kwa Lesa.
Thank you so much guys for your help Dear BOB DOE thank you so much my dear for the information. Dear MOSSAD thank you you my dear for the information and the person who has just sent me the procedure thank you so much my dear.I guess I have to travel to Pretoria as soon as possible.
God Bless you all.
if at all u even How many of u blogers can say know 2yo midterm gratuity if u were in government. Its was easy 2coment wen u are not part of the system
#65 Size, what should have the president done if he was in Zambia at the time of the strike which he could not do whilst outside Zambia? What action did you want him to take, address them at UTH in the hall or roll over in sand to plead for them?
If you work at all, how many of u blogers can say no to midterm gratuit if u were in goverNment, anyway its very easy to critisi and coment if u are not part of the system.
NUMBALA 70 EYA ULI PA POINTI MUNE.. NI APOPENE
Iwe ci #70. Didn’t you hear RB talk about BA employees volunteering to go on unpaid leave? Did he mean that only nurses should emulate BA employees and not his blotted cabinet? A nurse can starve but not Dora?
its truly on deaf ears…we need some total change and outlook….viva change!!RB is no good and use to zambia..
Bloggers why cant we concentrate on the fact that he is simply pointing out the mistakes RB is making. Division is the very reason why RB is taking all of us for fools.
“It is not how you fight that matters it is what you fight against”
For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. Proverbs 24:6
i have read the above article.. i got alot of sense. i think the msg matters more than the way it is written. i dont really care about who wrote it or how he should have written and all those critisizing the writter you are looking in one direction.. you hve forget the important facts the writter has highlighted.
lets learn to critisize while building one another.. alot of you long minded zambians abroad. most of your posts are very useless.
i missed miss daisy again, uhh
ok let me say something, this letter ain’t good but the person who wrote was angry or hungry when writing, its just too emotional, and there is something he doesn’t understand,,
Zambia as a whole is poor in everything, increasing salaries won’t do these guys any good.
what Zambia needs is to educates its people so RP doesn’t have to South Africa to cure his leg. u guys can’t tell me that our Zambian doctor are only there to cure the poor, Zambia is in a mess I just hope for the best
I think the author of the letter/article has a few points, even though they may not be coherent or well thought out. I suppose LT placing this as a feature raises our expectations and we expect something of journalistic standards. I would have thought they proof read and edit. Since its just a letter, Ngwenya does not claim to be an expert so lets go easy on him. Granted, he may have an MBA, but an MBA does not go into sufficient detail to make one an expert at economics or politics or whatever the criticsms. The essence of communication is to get a point across, i believe Ngwenya has done that, so credit to him. Blame LT for poor editing.
# 78 walasa mune
Uyu Ngwenya naisa hot? the other day he posted a ka article , he has done the same again. He may be on to something here.
78 Cox, RB isn’t going to SA for lack of trained medical personnel in Zambia. Zambia infact suffers from a brain drain in that most of our professionals are employed abroad. RB and co go to SA for treatment because of lack of integrity and lack of trust in their own health system for which they are responsible. I am surprised you are not aware of this. The doctors treating him in may even be Zambian!
Impressive that MMD shushushus had a field day insulting Ngwenya. Sad enough, non-MMD Shushushu bloggers could not even notice that this new behaviour of insulting a person other than MMD GRZ and opposition political party officials is not the case normally on LT.
However, I liked the contributions by MMD Chief Bootlicker in his lectures to ill-informed bloggers.
Ba-NKOLE WA MAPEMBWE UMFWE MILANDU was also spot on in inducting those with short memories on important National matters.
Coming to Ngwenya, please try to be asking someone to proof read your American English Language is has telling gaps. Otherwise, the article has some sense like “Looks like things don’t look so well for you in 2011, do they? ”
Enjoy!
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Matthew 6:33 + KJV…
78 Simon greetings. On your “RB and co go to SA for treatment because of lack of integrity and lack of trust in their own health system for which they are responsible“ I think the MMD GRZ official do not want to develop Zambia in terms of infrastructure. They may be having inferioty syndrome of thinking that something,i.e., receiving treatment, from another country with a better economy is always better than obtaining local services or locally produced goods.
Such characters are a let down to our white friends who have been try so hard to help us understand that we can also do things well like them whites.
I thus hope that the just ended health workers’ strike will prompt the MMD GRZ to buy worker motivating equipment.
Enjoy!
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Matthew 6:33 + KJV…
78 Simon , continuing on Imagine Dick Cheney being Ambassador. However, Russian may be their motivating factor as former President Putin settled for a lower Prime Minister position to help Russia continue with steady economic growth. May be President RB Banda should do the same over the MMD presidential candidacy issue by settling for the blank MMD vice presidency while a young person like Magande takes over the presidency of MMD and hopefully later after elections the Presidency of Zambia.
In the words of Dennis Liwewe, “let us wait and see” what the future holds for us Zambians.
Enjoy!
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Matthew 6:33 + KJV Bible
You Ngwenya, are you a jounalist based in Zambia or a just some one based out side zambia who likes contributing to argony colums ? If you are a true journalist and based in Zambia, give us factual intelligent figures that you can get from parliment like detailing Ministers expenditures and what development projects have been completed. Then you have a compelling story. Not this pregnant school girl anxiety level stories shallow in facts that you are trying to peddle. Atase..
Gratuity is “ a sum of money given to somebody especially a member of the armed forces when he or she retires”. Contract workers get paid at the end of their contract. There is no such thing as mid term gratuity. Despite the public objection to this mid term gratuity govt and MPs went ahead and enacted the necessary mid term gratuity law and paid themselves. The gratuity can be annual if they so desire. Imagine if the President had said because of the credit crunch I am cutting my salary, ministers’ and MPs’ salaries and mid term gratuity including the NCC allowances people would have appreciated the gesture and it would been difficult for the civil servants to press for increased salaries and allowances. As a retired senior engineer my pension is K1.6m.I did not steal.
Sorry the K1.6m is per year. Those who are not happy with the letter by Mr. Wesley Nyirenda let them write their own letters. If this name is not a nom de plume (pen name) then Mr Nyirenda is a very brave man. At one stage this would have been a treasonable offence. A word of caution to bloggers. In Iran the state machinery can trace the names.
# 88 Senior Engineer RTD, sorry but the current generation find this letter shallow and as if not from a journalist. With the transperency effort GRZ is trying to push, journalists should be brave. At parliment, there are a lot of documents already in the public domain that a resourcefull journalist can use, instead of giving letters of thought we already have. We all know RB has been in the air a lot. Tell us about projects that are delayed, etc, you dont have to mention names.
Very good article from Ngwenya.I hope the manager of our country find time to read it.
These “Again, stop complaining about how tough your job is. If it is so tough then why don’t you leave the job for someone who really wants to be president? Maybe they won’t sleep so much. Maybe nurses won’t be on strike and people won’t die. And maybe for once Zambians will have a president they will all be proud of.” words are really impressive.
My suggestion is that President RB Banda should consider emulating Russian Prime Minister V. Putin who let the 48 or so yers old man take over the Presiency of the country through his support, by supporting either Mr MP Magande Ng’andu or Ms Minister Dora Siliya to be MMD president and later presidential candidate for 2011 tripartite elections while he settles for the veep positions of MMD and GRZ.
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Matthew…
The level of thinking exposed here leaves a lot to be desired. Especially from freemktcapitalist. How does moving money from CEEC to nurses deprive the economy of liquidity? Are you suggesting that nurses won’t spend the money? And as for the zambia algeria comment, learn to take a joke when you see one. Too many thick skulls up in here.
And those talking about Zambezi Airlines filling the gap left by ZA, Zambezi has decided to stop all domestic flights. Please, don’t make comments from your comfortable perches. It’s folks like me who heavily relied on ZA who are feeling the pinch. There are very few flights these days making business difficult. Travelling by bus is a nightmare because it takes over 6 hrs from Lsk to Ktw, a trip which should take you no more than 1 hr.
LT should not have published this letter. It does not matter what differences anyone may have about the person occupying State House but this office should be respected. The President should be addressed with respect whether you use your excellency or Mr President it does not matter but the office must be respected. No one can write an open letter to the Queen of England and say Dear Elizabeth Windsor, or the US President for that matter. You cannot even address the Chief Justice as Dear Ernest Sakala. Why do we abuse our freedoms? Wesley may have a point but that does not qualify him to demean the President of a sovereign state.
Much as Ngwenya has raised very important issues, surely the way such issues are raised matters. You do not have to insult your father in order to make a point. RB is the president of Zambia
For those who think that disagreeing with Ngwenya in his presentation means one is a shushushu – this is COMPLETELY WRONG. Let us hammer where it is necessary but it should be done with respect
this article makes a lot of sense despite the one who wrote and how it was written. but the thing is even if doctors,nurses and ect is payed all the money they want do you think zambia will develop from its poverty level? the answer is NO. because zambia as a country itself has disorganized and selfish leaders and civil servants. who put everything on themselves forgetting others. they just think of their families and relatives by stealing all what is avaliable in the country as they say ” loss ni company”. that way zambia will never develop, even if money was payed in a reasonable way.
no matter how you educate all the children they grow up with it cause they have seen it from they mothers and fathers.
however, all this being said. we should first get ride of the selfishness.
95 Lelo greetings.On your, “You do not have to insult your father in order to make a point. RB is the president of Zambia ” what do you mean as insult in relation to Ngwenya’s article – please quote? On the father issue, it appears that some have taken it recklessly. Do you have to keep quiet as a child even when your father is abusing you? Why is Zambia making progress in the fight against child abuse – particulary defilement case?
A father is always there to protect the family and once a child feels that things are wrog he needs to approach his/er father. This is why we pray to God.
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2 Thessalonians 2 + KJV Bible
10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
95 Lelo greetings. This is why we pray to God. God, our Creator need to be told our problems and we have to request from Him what we want, but He gives us what he feels is best for us in our lives. While President RB Banda is not a god, it is imperative that he learns of our problems. In my family where dad past away when I was only 8, mum has taken a stance where she starts eating last when all children have started already eating.
On “For those who think that disagreeing with Ngwenya in his presentation means one is a shushushu – this is COMPLETELY WRONG “, I know them by actions.
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2 Thessalonians 2 + KJV Bible
10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
LT in the the first place it was wrong for you to publish this letter.Ngwenya is nit consistent with waht he is saying.
Looks like there are just too many self-appointed professors on here. Is this a “TERM PAPER” or just a personal “OPEN LETTER” to the president? I also don’t think this letter was meant to rise to the level of an “EDITORIAL.” Get the thrust of the article and stop being self righteous.
The math in the article aside, can anyone on here deny the fact that SYMBOLISM matters?!!! Especially if it comes from the Head of State.
To all of you who want the president respected, have you heard of saying “YOU COMMAND RESPECT, AND NOT DEMAND IT????!!!!!”
i think the letter maybe emotional but the point in all this is that there are places in which we could reduce expenditure like suggested about ministers and so forth. from those few ministers hundreds of civil servants could get paid, not all but a significant number of them. its still one way and money is saved. just how do you afford a minister luxury at the expense of many tax payers. we are not saying don’t pay them, but reduce their expense coverage eg elec bills, phone, trans allowance n other things that they can afford on their own., maybe just for the meanwhile, when times are hard. or even for the long term.
Chachine… like ChaChaCha
no 79
u obviously haven’t been to zambia or uth in ages.rb goes to sa not bcoz we don’t have learned doctors,he goes bcoz none of the govts have taken interest in funding the hospital by that I don’t mean salaries but equipment.xray endocopy etc
Ba free market economist, Lets not just blame the young man. You also don’t seem to understand what even economics is. It is one thing to claim that the young man’s article is not completely right and another thing to claim there is nonsense in his article. When we look at the plight of all civil servants, nurses included, the cost of living is too high to be sustained by their wages. Senior govt officials and Ministers, the VP and presido have alot of allowances and facilities to cushion them. And yet increaments were made to their salaries. The cries of these nurses should not be underplayed because if not met, the crimes of theft and corruption will never end. If we want nurses to sacrifice, then the leaders asking them to should also do the same. There is also alot of wastage!
mr rupiah banda are you listening
To my fellow bloggers who seem to be very enlightened. Lets also stop hiding in words like liquidity, macro economics and the likes. It is simpler to use words like higher prices which in effect explain inflation as one of the macro economic factors, cost of borrowing (interest rates). Which some of us who have not been to class can understand. in principal, if you have inflation then the prices have gone up and if the salaries remain the same, then you will not manage to survive. It means that if there is inflation, in principal all salaries should be adjusted by the cost of inflation to maintain the same livelihood. We can not sacrifice civil servants to make our macro issues look good. There are things to cut like un necessary expenditures by government and also increase production.
There are a few things to be done: 1. govt spends too much on non productive things like seminers and workshops which they never implement. The reason, allowances. There is also alot of money going out of the country for medical services for ministers and their relatives. instead of buying mobile hospital which we don’t even have extra personnel to manage, lets buy equipment in hospitals to enable us treat everyone within including ministers. That will save us billions going to clinics in SA. Let’s also create a business environment that will improve production, while their is a recession, people are still eating and spending. Tax incentives in Agriculture should improve production which can be exported to earn us income and even provide jobs. We need to process and package our produce.
95 Lelo greetings again. On your “Let us hammer where it is necessary but it should be done with respect“, please avoid misconstruing the word respect. As 100 Yambayamba has put it “YOU COMMAND RESPECT, AND NOT DEMAND IT” for people look at what you do and how you carry yourself.
With the above few words, I recommend that you should now reflect on the scripture below. Have a good day.
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KJV Holy Bible – Deut 1:17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; [but] ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment [is] God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring [it] unto me, and I will hear it.
I agree with Ngwenya’s suggestions but I pity the guy and remind him that nobody will listen all those Deputy Ministers are given jobs based on their inputs during campaigns. Baba its pay back time for them. African politics especailly Zambian as my friend Daniel put it last time “Politics of Benifits”. The guys would rather through ZRA squeeze out if the fud one has swallowed and tax it. Its time for them to build their reverses and not serve us. Your suggestions are rather academic and very advanced to be implemented in the Zambian context. The Guys are greedy they dont think of the workers apart from themselves.
Ngwenya is telling RB to realign his governments’ priorities and suggest ways of re allocating funds from savings. It may appear simplistic but a good starting point.
Ngwenya, yu need to be realistic and do the maths based on the long term commitment. if i can take one example: selling of expensive vehicles for Deputy ministers to pay the nurses. pls man this is once off after all yu know as a car is taken off the shelf the value.
Yu have the points but the solution not good. Its good to debate i encourage u to keep on posting my bother.
Useless writing. Totally useless, bad sentence construction, colloqialisms, etc. If I was RB, I would not even read past the third line because of the horrible construction. “And hey, if you want to me start drafting those dismissal letters” How, oh how can you write like this? Lusaka Times should be more serious with the people it allows to write articles. Hugely disappointed.
UMU RUDE.. THIS IS NOT YOU CLASS NOR IS THE GUY WHO WROTE THIS YOUR PUPIL.. GET IT IN YOUR THICK HEAD MWANA
This is a good letter. To all those who think Mr Ngwenya did’nt do a good job, please get a life.
Too many “academics” contributing on discussions on LT trying to sound all intelligent but they actually come out sounding extremely stupid. If you are so intelligent you should be able to see beyond the content of this young mans article and look at the bigger picture. SOme of you have been away from Zambia for such a long time and obtained credible or useless degrees; and in some cases bought your degrees!!! Fact of the matter is we do have a president who is asleep and needs to wake up. Young man Ngwenya keep writing!!!