CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has challenged United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema to first reverse the privatisation of Roan Antelope Mining Corporation (RAMCOZ) before he can start talking about the sale of 75 percent Zamtel shares to Lap Green Networks of Libya.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha, who is Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, told journalists at Lusaka City Airport yesterday that Mr Hichilema’s plans to reverse the privatisation of Zamtel and Zanaco if he is elected as President are uncalled for.
“I want to challenge him first of all even before people consider him; let him reverse the process of privatisation and liquidation that he did at RAMCOZ and many other companies including Lima Bank,” he said.
Lt.Gen. Shikapwasha said as a result of the privatisation and liquidation of RAMCOZ, the people of Luanshya have suffered a lot.
Lt.Gen Shikapwasha assured the nation that the security of the country will not be jeopardised following the sale of 75 percent shares in Zamtel to a foreign firm.
He said all security issues were looked into before a decision was made to sale majority shares in the company to a foreign company.
“Zambians must not worry that the sell of Zamtel will prove to be a security risk. All these issues were looked into and all those who use the facility, including the defence forces, will still be able to operate normally without any fear of any privileged information ending up elsewhere,” Lt.Gen Shikapwasha said.
Secretary to the Treasury Likolo Ndalamei said the sale of Zamtel will continue to benefit Zambians both in dividends and taxes.
He said being a parastatal, the company was not remitting any taxes but that the new owners will begin doing so as soon as they begin to make profits.
“I cannot tell how much money we will collect from the new investors but when they start operating, we will look at the profits; then we will start taxing them,” he said.
And Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) president Mwilola Imakando says the sale of Zamtel makes economic sense and that the company must now be ready to compete with other players in the sector.
Dr Imakando said in a separate interview that Zamtel has been sold at a late hour when it is unable to offer services efficiently.
He said the major concern before was the moratorium of not allowing new companies to come on the scene.
He said, however, the sale of 75 percent shares in Zamtel will allow the company to build up muscle and make it ready to compete effectively.
He said having a competitor will improve the operations of the company, which has been unable to make any returns on the investment that has been built over the years.
Government has sold 75 percent shares to Libya’s Lap Green Networks.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
HH was just one of those consultants to privatise these firms,so how do you make him reverse the sold firm?the question is whether this sell will benefi zambians or just few individuals only
Can u please leave HH alone u shika. Gr Shika u are such a dull. dont u know that HH wasn just mere Employee. how could he have liquidared those companies u are talking about. those allegations shika….
At some point we would like to see Zambians be a part of investing in Zambia, in a transparent manner of course. Ba Shikapwasha’s defense is a little childish I find. He could have just given the pro’s and made them out weigh the cons, instead he chose to use a shallow argument, which he then chased with the same old story of investors bringing profit. Makes sense with Copper that taxes earn Zambia revenue, but with communication what we actually hope to see is Zamtel bring in more affordable internet and phone services, etc etc. Profits for Zamtel will now mean more money leaving Zambia, so their forseeable profit margins do not excite us, at least not yet.
Ba Shikapwasha , you are just showing your lack of education. HH was hired by MMD to to do the sale of Roan Antelope Mine. He is not the one who made the decisions to sell parastatals, it was MMD/GRZ. If you ask a real Estate Agency to assist you to sell your property, they will do it for you. But it will not be their fault that you have sold your house and now you are now living under a musuku tree.
HH was not head of state but a consultant, you s.t.u.p.i.d SHIKA. very dull individual including your s.t.u.p.d reporter
Zamtel has more than $250m investments ,it has been sold for $270m. Zamtel generated over $100m in 2008, $135m in 2009 minus money its owed by government depts,this year it was projected to make more than $150m, it has been sold for less than what it has been making.Its made more money in its current state,by the way this money was not being siphoned out of the country and zamtel paid its tax obligations…luse.com
theeconomist.com
There is nothing wrong with privatizing ZAMTEL. It makes sense to tax a private company making profits rather than subsidize a state company making losses. To put it simply GOVERNMENT HAS NO BUSINESS IN BUSINESS.
Private sector participation in the economy brings about great innovation. We have proved this with ZANACO which is doing very well in private hands. The worlds most innovative economies adopt a free market system where capitalism is the norm. Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States of America are but a few examples of the successes of capitalism and the free market.
Let ZAMTEL operate in private hands so it can compete, make profits and so we can tax it.
These MMD guyz (shikapwasha’s) arguments are very annoying. Dr Solomon Musonda take note! Make sure you point your gun properly next time….. too many annoying targets.
Shika……………awe mwandini.
Is it that the church has gone into hiding and can only be seen when there is free money from FTJ?
Comon citizens are doing a part to try and change the whims of this govt and the church is busy inviting Nigerian Bishops to come and do miracles of money making.
Some pastor even said ‘ i want to be the first person in zambia to own a personal jet’ while!!!!!
I know Hon Shikapwasha is a pastor and i am not surprised at how much words he has as long as they come!!!!!
Its very disappionting to get such a response from a senior man like the minster.First and foremost HH was hired to provide consultancy services by Chiluba’s govt.Just like a lawyer can be hired to defend a criminal or a Killer. In this case it is Chiluba and the MMD govt to bear the blame regarding the consequence of the privatisation and liquidation of RAMCOZ and indeed any other failed privatisation because this was an MMD policy.Besides HH was not in politics at time.
The minister’s observations lack merit and seriousness. Please lets learn to be true to ourselves if we are serious with buliding this country.
I think the sale of ZAMTEL is good and the reasoning of security is really shallow and kept Zambians backward for 10 years in the digital space. ZAMTEL was a cash cow for Government and the ruling party and am sure it will now be profitable and start contributing to the coffers and no more free calls for Government officials.
The debate really should not be about reversing the privatisation. I think the debate should be about increasing government stake to maybe 40 -51 % and offload it on LuSE for Zambians to participate. Those talking about reversing are just being backward and popularist.
It is Time to Move on. ZAMTEL only benefited the government of the day. A telecom company really shouldn’t be making loses in this day and age as ZAMTEL was.
There comes #7 NAIVE CAPTALIST.
Childishness as usual!How do u expect HH to reverse the RAMCOZ senario at this moment!
I go with #3,let’s wait P.A.T.I.E.N.T.L.Y and see what happens.Am sure those crazy so-called explanations on the slow pace of evident benefits of the sale will be the order of the day.
True,personal pockets have oredi been fattened.God deliver Zambia!
I have never seen a dull Minister like this chap Shikapwasha. Was HH, in charge of selling the companies or he was jst hired to make sure that all the tender procidures are followed and revenue collected on behalf of it’s client?? Wake up u sleepy Shikapwasha!!
#12 bruce lee
I am not in the mood for personal attacks today. Stick to my arguments or don’t address me at all.
Arrogance is a dangerous trait in any leader. An arrogant leader loses the ability to receive information and analyse it correctly. A person who is arrogant begins to feel that they are more important than they actually are.
Such a person becomes proud, unpleasant and shows little thought for other people. Arrogance is a blinding vice. Reality becomes blurred by deceitful opinions of self-importance.
When Frederick Chiluba was president, he was arrogant and had little, if any, regard for public sentiment. Chiluba believed that he was the alpha and the omega – everything started and ended with him. When he was stealing from the people of this country, he did not consider it theft; he felt entitled to abuse our national resources. When he was doing wrong things, he thought nobody would find out; after all, he was the president, the most important job any Zambian could hold.
#12 I think we are missing the point here. I hate this MR.CAPTALIST’s bind support for his party, but I think he is right on this one and I support his position. It is better to just tax a company’s profits. Besides the 25% state would also guarantee the government some dividends. As I said in my previous post. The issue really is to argue for the raising of the 25% stake. I feel it is too small and as the PACT comes to power this should really be the effort. TAlking about reversing the sale is what is really NAIVE
The things that they thought our people would never find out have been laid bare. And today, Chiluba and his tandem of thieves cannot walk with their heads high because our people know them for what they are – thieves!
From Chiluba’s experience, there is a lesson to be learnt by Rupiah Banda and the minions that surround him. It does not matter how much power they may wield today and how important that makes them feel; there is always a day of reckoning, a time to give an account.
# 7- Capitalist “GOVERNMENT HAS NO BUSINESS IN BUSINESS”
:-?:-?:-?:o:o:o:o:o…
We say this because the traits of arrogance and disregard of public opinion that characterised Chiluba’s government are back in full force with Rupiah. There are too many rotten things going on in Rupiah’s government. The announcement of the sale of Zamtel to a Libyan government company brings to a temporary close a matter which has concerned our people for a long time. The sale of Zamtel has been embroiled in controversy because of the way Rupiah and his minions have handled it. It appears that this is not an entirely clean transaction.
The sale of Zamtel started with the single sourcing of RP Capital as the advisors to the government. This contract which shall cost the government anywhere between US $10 million and US $20 million was not tendered. Somehow, RP Capital just happened to be at the right place at the right time. The contract to advise the government on the sale of such an important asset was given in circumstances that suggest wrongdoing. What is more worrying is that Rupiah’s family was all over the place.
Rupiah should not think that our people will forget this matter and just let it go. They can incarcerate all of us and try to stop us from talking but someone amongst the 12 million or so Zambians will rise and fight for all our interests. Government should never be run as if it is a small family business. The resources that Rupiah and his minions control are our resources. Whatever has happened to these resources will one day be investigated. And as one of our politicians has said before, wina azalila.
On Friday, there was a lot of confusion about who was going to buy Zamtel. Was it because Rupiah was not around? We were told that the decision had been suspended indefinitely but suddenly the next day, a Saturday, a new position emerged. Libya won the bid and the contracts were even signed the same day. The confusion that characterised Friday and the speed with which the position changed on Saturday including the signing of agreements suggests that there is more than meets the eye. Did Cabinet really have an input in this matter or was it a matter for Rupiah to decide?
I wonder why Zamtel has been sold at a reasonable price compared to ZCCM Kokola Mines to Vendata. What formular was used then on ZCCM?
My advice to the Honourable,’ Rather keep quiet and be thought a fool, the speak and remove all doubts that you are actually one.’
Zamtel is not Rupiah’s family furniture. It is a state asset that must be dealt with accordingly. Anyway, we will wait and see. We saw similar gymnastics during the Chiluba era. Chiluba was desperate to sell Ndola Lime, a subsidiary of the then state-owned mining conglomerate ZCCM. All kinds of pressure seem to have been put on the technocrats that were dealing with the sale of Ndola Lime by Chiluba’s State House. All sorts of threats were used. But the cases that have been in court have vindicated our reporting. Chiluba and his tandem of thieves wanted to take over Ndola Lime for themselves. They thought what they were doing was so secretive that our people would never know. But now our people know.
This is the lesson that Rupiah and his minions need to learn. Forcing the Zamtel sale onto the Zambian people in a way that is less than transparent will backfire on them. In today’s world, you can run but it is very difficult to hide. Our people will one day demand a full account of how this transaction came about – who started it, why, when, where, how? These are simple questions.
But for those who are doing wrong things, these will be very difficult questions. Anyway, they have a lot of time to prepare; let them start revising and preparing to take this national examination because it is coming.
Privatisation is not a new phenomenon in this country. It was mishandled under Chiluba and one would have thought we had learnt some lessons that we could have applied to the sale of Zamtel. But it is not possible to apply the lessons that we should have learnt when people are not prepared to be transparent. The privatisation of Zamtel began in an opaque fashion and has ended in a bizarre manner. People like finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane are expected to be straight in all their dealings. And one hopes that when the day of reckoning comes, they will be able to fully explain why and how they did what they did.
Following instructions is not enough; the instructions must be correct and lawful and in the interest of our people. Anyway, Rupiah told the nation that as President, he is going to sell whatever he can because he is President. And those who will come after him can come and sell what they find. This is his attitude. This is a wrong attitude for a president to have. But what can we expect from Rupiah?
This Zamtel transaction will not just go away, Rupiah will have to explain one day.
Anyway, since Rupiah says Chiluba was a damn good president, maybe he has learnt something from Chiluba about how to privatise state assets which might explain why the whole Zamtel transaction is shrouded in the controversy that it is. The Zamtel questions will have to be addressed one day.
#11 Peter sosi juma
Who told you zamtel was making losses,where did you get these facts and on your point about Govnt increasing its stake to 40-50%, dont you think the same govnt should have thought of that before floating 75% to a foreign investor…your reasoning is flawed.Zamtel has been making profits,records are there for anyone to see,infact the govnt is the one that has made zamtel not to reach its full potential,they use the service and dont want to pay.Why should supersport in south africa use mwembeshi earth station owned by zamtel yet our own znbc cannot utilize it,mwembeshi earth station is worth more than what zamtel has been sold for
#32 Hmmm..interesting point you have made there. Can you educate me here. Then why were they looking for $200m when they were making profits? And why have did they decide to privatise. And why are MTN and ZAIN have more mobile subscribers than ZAMTEL and Why have we remained behind in ADSL broadband? I thought they could not do this because they were broke? So they were profitable after all? Why then did they decided to raise 200 million dollars capital and for what? Please educate me here.
What was Sunny Chintombwa role in privatisation? Sunny needs to perhaps clear his position for us to understand his strong feelings against privatisation now. My fear is that Sunny may be suffering from Satas disease of inconsistence, changing positions to suit your cause. I think this ZAMTEL privatisation cnt be compared to what Sunny did in the chiluba error.
The $200m they were looking for was for them to lay their own optic fiber to connect to the international grid which is just off the coast in the indian ocean,they have the funds,govnt owes zamtel billions,and also they owe them for the services they provide in form of telephone and DSL,there is a fast DSL connection between cabinet office,parliament motel,national assembly, kulima tower and all procurement departments,the govnt has not been paying for this service and when someone tries to cut off the service for non payment,the phone rings from cabinet to the director technical ops at zamtel,this link is worth billions
We havent remained behind in broadband,the trick is that you as an individual who pays maybe 150pin for your home ADSL2+ cannot have the same faster link as a corporate
have you ever heard of a corporate or big orhanization about slow ADSL,nah,its because they pay more and they get the best service,as a home user you will only read newspapers,chat,download movies,watch porn,they watch your traffic and at some point,they cap your downloads,coz they want you to pay more.So the trick is the service you get as a home user is not the same as a corporate,only home SOHO (small office home office) users always complain about.So you want faster ADSL,pay more,but mind you they watch your traffic and will scale you down,nothing personal,its only business
Why MTN and ZAIN have more clientel is simple QoS (quality of service), in australia Telstra is an equivalent of Zamtel,vodafone and Optus have more customer base the the national carrier,like i said its Qos
The Ministers’ response is childish and appalling to say the least. Honestly, his reasoning raises more suspicion on the Govts’ ability to inspire confindence in the masses that all is well. Zamtel is a strategic institution whose sale should not be secretive, referring to HH will not answer the questions raised. Simply explain to the masses the merits of the decision, otherwise there is nothing wrong with trying to commercialise a limping entity whichever method you use as long as the method is transparent and benefitial to the nation as a whole.
Simon peter & Red card ; Good Debate.
Unliked the unfounded rhetoric being unleashed by hoodwinked diskjokies in the skins of gulible MMD blogers, who when questioned, they choose to chicken out.
All simply put & explained by my two abled blogers above.#7 The Captalist, you are right that we need to privatise and let it run,make profits & we tax it. However, it still posses to be another means of pilfering monies realised from the sell. Recently an MD of a foregn country doing community work in Zed was fired by his own govt because of alarming records of corruption in the institution. It has to take someone innocent to be sacrificed and our govt cant see. The govt itself makes these govt run firms debt burdened coz they cant payback.It’s about misappropriation too.
@ #38 bruce lee
Perhaps we should get a much clearer picture of where ZAMTEL is coming from.
Three Zambian ministries have started consultations to come up with a strategic business plan to help Zambia Telecommunications (Zamtel), which is in a financial crisis that leaves it facing operational difficulties.
The ministries of Communications and Transport, Finance and National Planning, and Commerce, Trade and Industry are working on the business plan. Zamtel, which is state-run, is retrenching more than 800 workers due to financial problems.
tbc
cont. from #39
Zamtel needs more than an infusion of money and different management — it needs a new business model, Minister of Communications and Transport Dora Siliya said last week. The company has the potential to offer more services than it currently does, Siliya said.
[END EXCERPT] [Source: cio dot com] [July 7th 2008]
Here is some more.
Government says Zamtel has an annual operational deficit of US$17 million. This is apart from the telecommunication company having liabilities of over US$125 million as at December 2008.
He said while the two major private operators in the mobile telecommunications industry, namely, Zain and MTN have over 3.5 million subscribers between them, Zamtel has fewer than 200,000 customers.
[END EXCERPT]…
Zamtel has not been making losses and Zanaco was left crawling because Zamtrop was being looted, money was being carried in tranks to be shared at the cough of Katele and his minions as and when they liked.
Solution:
1. Govt must learn to payback every debt they owe state run firms.
Look at Indeni & Zesco, these firms make good cash but go into their accounting books and you will find unredemeable govt debts. We cant render a firm unprofitable if we are the ones owing it or disabling it. CEC is no different from Zesco but they have a fare trading on the stock market and yet are not accross the country. Look at ZNBC, they make good money in adsells but i bet that cash will see development of this firm except reliannce on foregn donor money & equipment. It’s sad.
cont from #40
[Source: balancingact-africa dot com] [14th August 2009]
According to some news reports, ZAMTEL recorded revenue of i2009 of $100 million USD. However what was not mentioned was how much profit/loss the company made.
In short, ZAMTEL is in the red. It needed a private sector restructuring because clearly it failed to run as a state owned company. Privatization of the company is a good move because it will ensure the company runs efficiently, competes and pays taxes.
“However, it still posses to be another means of pilfering monies realised from the sell.”
Where is the EVIDENCE?????
“The govt itself makes these govt run firms debt burdened coz they cant payback.”
Again where is the EVIDENCE?? This claim is baseless without…
I see that you are all ignorant and need research. At no time did HH participate in the sale of RAMCOZ. This was sold by ‘thief’ Chiluba to his Binani friends. Please go to ZPA, now ZDA, and check the records. Thanks
“Zamtel has not been making losses and Zanaco was left crawling because Zamtrop was being looted, money was being carried in tranks to be shared at the cough of Katele and his minions as and when they liked.”
Sorry but the evidence suggests otherwise. The evidence shows ZAMTEL was making losses and unless you have counter evidence to prove this, your arguments are purely hearsay.
I however like that you have not dismissed that ZANACO is doing better under private hands than it was under the state. How then would you justify the renationalisation of a company that is doing better under private hands than under the state?
@40 The Captalist.
My man you r right in deliving into the archives of the firm’s financial status but i beg that reffering to political rhetoric by Hon Dora leaves much room for debate than conclusion and agreement on this matter. Dora started it all. Unlawfully awarded the evaluation process to RP captal, coincidentaly with RB family affiliations. You see. It is possible that Zamtel can overide subscriber numbers with Zain or MTN. Simple.
We need to watch our accounting system and as you rightly put it new management, different direction and a modern SBU. Am sure the MD of Zamtel is more learned to bring un upheaval in the status of this firm but govt must fairly do its part of not being a bad debtor.
Can you also give us how much Govt owes ZESCO and ZAMTEL? Please!!!!!
“We cant render a firm unprofitable if we are the ones owing it or disabling it. “
And in contrast, we cannot render a firm profitable if we are the ones subsidizing it. Case in point, ZNBC with TV licenses. The TV licenses are basically subsidies.
Can you also tell us what happened to you in Tanzania? we are told u came on a truck as a deported diplomat, so what happened bwana:o :d
I guess there is a general agreement that companies like ZESCO , INDENI, ZAMTEL are profitable and their perceived profitability is due to government’s poor management and siphoning of resources needed to grow these institutions to grow in the phone of either not paying fro services or just directing draining cash from these organisations.
To me it seems that privatisation is then the best answer. Basically getting government out of these institutions. I don’t think government whether now or in Future can be trusted to manage resources for these companies. KK milked them, FTJ milked them, LPM milked them, RB has been milking them, so if I may ask what make the PF-UPND PACT to not milk these parastals?
And also where is the problem then? Why renationalise in future?
In #48 posting ..Sorry in the first paragragh I meant to say
I guess there is a general agreement that companies like ZESCO , INDENI, ZAMTEL are profitable and their perceived unprofitability is due to government’s poor management and siphoning of resources needed to grow these institutions in the form of either not paying for services or just directly draining cash from these organisations.
So I ask again then what is your beef those against this privatisation when we know full well that past governments have abused these institutions and what stops future governments doing the same? Am for more zambians owning a significant stake in these jewels of our country and not Government , however holy they are.
Evidence is there for everyone to see.I for one know what im talking about.I worked for a company that computerized cabinet office,parliament and some other govnt departments.they never paid for installation of any ADSL links,the guys in accounts will say disconnetc the link for non payment,the PS picks up the phone and bang in no time we are back online
zamtel has not been making losses,the evidence is there,Zamtel made more than $100m in 09,thats profits only,there efforts were being compromised by politicians
@44 The Captalist;
You r missing the point. Am a captalist too & i do not say renationalistion is good. Big NO. The point am driving home is managment baba. Private hands will always be better in every economy accross the globe. If and when these firms were in state run and we had a good system, we would compete with private firms at par, no doubt. However, globally a seemingly better method of making profit lies in privatisation and govt is saved the heartarch of managing lots & basically taxing the firms with well projected revenues. However, the method of taxing is a major concern like in the mining frims and the windfalltax. Anything to say on this? I bet all we can is bring change to current rule of MMD & bring a more business minded Tonga bull like HH. Sata ofcourse will not stand
#50 Red Card-Smoothcriminal
So what is your position? Renationalise ZAMTEL and put it in the hands of PF-UPND hands and all will be well? What is your beef?
Why do we have such a person as a minister who can’t explain such an important issue at hand. This is too cheap. MMD privatized RAMCOZ. HH was only a consultant just like they’ve used RP Capital. What some of us are interested in is for our government to provide convincing arguments why the sale was in our best interest.
“i beg that reffering to political rhetoric by Hon Dora leaves much room for debate than conclusion and agreement on this matter. Dora started it all. Unlawfully awarded the evaluation process to RP captal,”
But no one has provided counter evidence to counter Dora’s “rhetoric”. How then can we argue against Dora when there is no counter evidence to be used against her “rhetoric”?
“Can you also give us how much Govt owes ZESCO and ZAMTEL? Please!!!!! “
I do not know how much Govt owes ZESCO and ZAMTEL. I do not even think Govt owes these companies anything because no one has stated the exact amount Govt owes these companies. Doesn’t that then make the Govt debt argument flawed? You made that argument, you provide the evidence.
@ #51 bruce lee
I am glad we agree on capitalism but it seems we totally disagree on other issues and I however don’t think we shall change our positions on those things we disagree on. As for Windfall tax, that is another issue for another topic.
Anyway………………some are bent on negativity.Ubendela ku negative chabe….ninshi pantu mwebantu besu ba THE CAPTALIST?
TV licence is nothing to go by. There are ads to go by my friend 24/7. Have you ever asked how much a single 5 min ad costs? Try and you will know how much a well articulated manager can revump that institution to compete with Multi choice, besides free donor money, employ training and equipment. When am Pa Zed, i watch ZNBC 5min of 19hrs headlines only, even then, there will be more MMD in between more ads. Its boring because there is no proper managment and its mission statement is expired in our day to day life or there is another. However, more MMD news means free air space………Waona. Its crazy.let Opposition air out and pay & make money for the firm.
@ #56 bruce lee
But TV licenses are still subsidies to ZNBC.
Our disagreement is i think on partisan & politics. You are MMD and i just want change be it our current president RB or Sata(hoping he has changed truly) but more convincingly HH.Levy through the help of the post started going towards that direction. MHSRIP.He was MMD & could listen.
Peter sosi juma
My beef is that why should Zamtel be privatized instead of letting it run independently from govnt influence and interference,Zamtel is as good as Zesco,howcome zesco is doing much better than zamtel,its simple,too much political influence and unpaid bills by govnt
Why not let Zambians invest in zamtel,why let a foreigner have 75% control instead of the other way round, by the way Im not PACT member
Subsidy-a grant paid by a government to an enterprise that benefits the public
TV licences paid by the public to ZNBC cannot and should never be considered as sibsidy,,,that TV licence paid by consumers is a fee charged by znbc to improve its operations…Once you Pay,It will Show
#7 Bum-licker
You’re a joke. Ever heard of Goverment being a stake holder in companies? For example and very briefly Government has a responsibility to provide employment to it’s citizens by way of encouraging investment in the country, they also have a responsibility to provide services using taxes paid by businesses. Government has business in business, so take your ignorance elsewhere.
I’ll be back on your case later, i gota run for now.
Capital Moron says.
Let ZAMTEL operate in private hands so it can compete, make profits and so we can tax it.
Reply from any sane person.
“Like the mines?” Pay nothing for RAPING the assets of Zambian children.
CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has challenged United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema to first reverse the privatisation of Roan Antelope Mining Corporation (RAMCOZ) before he can start talking about the sale of 75 percent Zamtel shares to Lap Green Networks of Libya.
BIG NOSE RONNIE
H.H was acting on behalf of MMD.
Who’s decision was it to sell Roan?
This MMD subsidized news story clearly makes people laugh at the s.t.u.p.i.d.i.t.y. of some senile members of parliament.
Shikapwasha makes me feel so handsome. He is uglier than death!
HH participated in the privatisation of parastatls together with prominent business/ accounting/ valuation /legal consultants. This group of canibals benefitted/ stole! our monies by overcharging and colluding …..most of the companies were sold for songs …This zamtel, HH knows is better than what he handled . . . . .Is he qualified to reverse the Zamtel deal and leave out the deals he participated in…they were not properly executed. Ba mambalalalal .
UPND President shu not waste his time condemning MMD.HH or Sata will need MMD for any of the two to rule.If the constituiton is adopted and 50+1 is used believe or not Sata Or HH will need MMD.Suppose PF becomes nummer one, followed by UPND and then MMD.What will happen is that MMD will fall off and then Sata and HH will go for a rerun.That is the time when when HH or Sata will see the need for MMD support for one of the two .MMD will nothing they have ruled this country for 2 decades now so it is PF and UPND which wants power.
HH has criminally gotten wealth and should keep quiet and just buy more cattle
Therefore it is important HH if you want to be a president dont insult RB you will need him in future.50+1 is not easy to win in the first round.You must learn to listen than being stubon.Remember Hurry mwaanga Nkumbula how he failed to rule this country.The reason is the late Maiza chona supported Kaunda and Kaunda became a dictotator that he banned ANC.Nkumbula died without testing power.The late Mazoka the same thing he was driblled by the same pipo you are supporting now.History will tell remember the advice of Mr vernon Mwanga.He did not mean to
to spoil your of being the president in future.He meant that it is easy for MMD to support you as your policies and MMD are the same.So think about my advice HH.you will need MMD in future or even RB to support you.You have a small constituency compared to Sata if the MMD loses power.There will be no pact each party will want to rule.And definately Sata cant accept to rule only for one term as you seem to cheat among your selves.PF knows that they control many provinnces so UPND is there to accecerate PF to gain power from MMD.Once PF gets it that is the end.
Red-Card Smoothcriminal I agree with you. Your reasoning is sound. It’s only that RB has a bigger cut in the whole deal. Zamtel would have operated more profitably had it operated independent of government. Now even this reporter who wrote this story from Shikapwasomething is dull. I a dull minister tells him or her that HH should reverse sale of Ramcos and he writes without challenging the dull minister on it? Privatisation is MMD’s policy and it executed it. How can an individual, contracted to receive of debts and other monies be asked to reverse the sale? Dull dull dull dull dull dull! Period. Dull shikapwasomething. If Zamtel was given to Zambians you could have seen how better and efficient it would run. If they wanted money, money is money whether it is coming from Zambians or…
#9 I guess you have no knowledge about what is going on in Zamtel. If all those figures was what Zamtel has been making would it end up in losses of 128 billion kwacha 2008-2009, You should know that Zamtel has been making losses for the past 3 to 4 years. It doesnt pay to ignore the problem and only to find that it has worsened beyond correction.
If you wish to know, Dora Siliya wrote six times to Dr Mwanawasa to convice him to sell Zamtel ,only the seventh time Dr Mwanawasa responded positively after noticing that Zamtels problems where worsening. Sale of Zamtel makes business sense morever the new owners will start paying all statutory obligations.
By the way if you have relatives in Zamtel you better get close to them they will get all their benefits before June 2010 month end.
Capitalist wa lasa mani.Thumbs up.
Sorry i meant #6 smoothcriminal who has no knowldge about Zamtel affiars. Infact ba smooth did you hear SATAs address during the launch of the UPND/PF pact. it puzzles me how such a runatic can have a following.
Its either we are naturally not seroius as Zambians or we need deliverance from GOD. Give me one word that related to policy issues in his speech or what was food for thought on development agendas he might want to bring to Zambia.
Apart from threats and fishobo.
This kind of privatization – giving to foreigners what should belong to Zambians – has never resulted in any benefit to the country. The politicians know this. Why do they keep doing it?
Its time for Democratic Socialism. Its what we want, us the people. Not capitalism.
On ““Zambians must not worry that the sell of Zamtel will prove to be a security risk. All these issues were looked into and all those who use the facility, including the defence forces, will still be able to operate normally without any fear of any privileged information ending up elsewhere,” Lt.Gen Shikapwasha said” can any serious human being entrust a country’s defence forces information with Libya’s Gaddaffi people to have access to its operations?
Anyway, I am not surprised by the behaviour of Mr President RB Banda Administration of our GRZ. I therefore hope that hopefully the PACT under the leadership of president HH will come and reverse the ZAMTEL sale to something more meaningful and useful for the betterment of Zambia.
Be blest all.
_
Matt 6:33 But seek…
I repeat: Democratic Socialism will put an end to this nonsense. Its time we shift ideology. The Bretton Woods are there to benefit and retain economic power to the West. Time to wise up and dump their deceptive ideology.
Viva democratic socialism!!
Bretton Woods Mafiosi**
For 20 years, MMD has been taking orders from anti-poor capitalists – IMF and World Bank. See where it has gotten us.
If later they also prove to be only yet another bunch of mingy capitalists and do practice democratic socialism, we the people will remove them.
For 20 years, MMD has been taking orders from anti-poor capitalists – IMF and World Bank. See where it has gotten us.
Its time for the PACT. If later they also prove to be only yet another bunch of mingy capitalists and do practice democratic socialism, we the people will remove them.
On ““I want to challenge him first of all even before people consider him; let him reverse the process of privatisation and liquidation that he did at RAMCOZ and many other companies including Lima Bank,” he [Lt.Gen Shikapwasha] said,” I am deeply sad that the whole lot of Shikapwasha who knows that president and 2011 presidential candidate HH is not part of GRZ can release such a statement when it is common knowledge that president HH performed his part as boss of Grant-Thornton, a Receiver of RAMCOZ.
With characters like Lt Gen Shikapwasha in the Cabinet, no sensible programmes can be expected to come out of the Mr President RB Banda Administration of GRZ. Therefore, let us wait for would-be Zambian President HH to rework the ZAMTEL sale.
Be blest all.
_
Matt 6:33…
We have to demand to see the RP Report(1), Check the process which they followed to reach the Value.
We also need to see what the contract of sale looks like.
Then we can skin Rupiah and his minion on calvary.
270 million take away 20million for selling expenses means only 250million payable.. and from the same, Zamtel has to pay employee separations dues(pensions).. that will leave money due to Public account to maybe less than 10million.. and Rupiah will pocket the reminder.
NOW.. what is the revenue projection.. Mobile Alone will raise over 90million in less than 6 months..and in one year it will reach over 150million.. For the other units, with resturcturing profits will reach over 50million.. means Green will be home and dry in less than one year of operations..
Lets not lose sight of the ball here. We, the same Zambians were condeming Govt’s hold on Zamtel. Now that it has been sold, we are still crying foul. Lets weigh the economic pros and cons in terms of the company’s viability. It makes sense to do what govt has done. On Shicks’ request to HH to undo/reverse privatisation of …whatever, thats rubbish.
# 6 your analysis is good.
stupid zambians
anyway, leave shikapwasha alone, he’s got a big nose. cipuba
Shikapwasha has no clue about anything apart from military training. I just wonder how some one like him can be the govenment spokes person.
LT, please, remember that English is the official language in Zambia. By this, I mean everyone who has gone through the Zambian school system should at least be able to write and read English effectively, more so if you are a journalist. But what we are reading on LT is something far from English. Please, improve your writing skills and stop embarrassing us.
If mr Hakainde was involved in the sale of the mines and now he realise that it was a fo.oolish idea, why are you so dull not to take a leaf…God may you pliz bring 2011 today!!!!!!!:-t
Kwena ici cipuba! someone tell him that HH was not the prez at the time. its the midget hey are rubbing shoulders with who was in-charge!!!
FOR WHOM THE WINDFALLS, Winners & Losers in the Privatization of Zambia’s Copper Mines by Alastair Fraser & John Lungu
Please Google it and read. It will open your eyes. These people are not patriotic. They are just doing everything they are told by the evil, wicked IMF/World Bank who determined to rob us blind and keep Africa poor.
Zambians are being robbed.
hai guys …take it easy…lapgreen is here to stay…for the betterment of icts/telecoms in zambia..very soon..i mean a few weeks from now…broad band internet will be available in all the towns on the line of rail…the equipment has already been installed by zte and huawei.lapgreen has paid the equipment vendors to bring all the equipment for 3/4g,wimax,dslam broadbamd systems,ngn switch,fibre in most of the towns new switches,mpls systems ,cdma evdv,enhansed gsm guess what there will be a lot of people dealing with lap green than zain /bhart……lapgreen is our ict saviour lets give them chance……..be wise and patient ..its a new dawn for icts
Zamtel was making money and it belonged to Zambian for the Zambians – why give it away with both hands? because give it away they did indeed! the money they are going to make off of it is peanuts! they have yet to be paid and they claim they will start charging taxes when the company starts making a profit??!! that makes no business sense! Libya now owns 75% that is NOT a partial sale, they are the majority owner now, Zambia is the PARTIAL owner of Zamtel. Since Libya practically owns Zammtel not they should start paying taxes immediately profit or no profit!x(