Former Zambian President, Edgar Lungu, has urged the citizens not to entirely blame the current President Hakainde Hichilema for the ongoing mealie-meal crisis. Speaking to Berdnner Changala, one of his critics during his presidency, Lungu said that people usually take advantage of presidential directives by pushing their own agendas. He further added that Hichilema may not even know what caused the shortage of mealie-meal.
Lungu pointed out that Hichilema may have meant well when he asked the Food Reserve Agency to export maize. However, the executors may have taken advantage of the presidential directive by exporting more than what was sanctioned. According to Lungu, unscrupulous people usually take advantage of the presidency by lying to others that they are well-connected. He cited the example of a gold scandal in Zimbabwe where some named clergy claimed to have been connected to that country’s president and used it to make deals.
Lungu advised Hichilema to be careful with the criminality that is slowly growing in his party. Meanwhile, Berdnner Changala, who was once critical of Lungu during his presidency, expressed gratitude to the former president for allowing him to meet and have lunch together.
The ongoing mealie-meal crisis in Zambia has caused significant concern amongst the population. The shortage of maize meal has resulted in high prices, making it difficult for many Zambians to afford. The government has come under fire for failing to address the issue, with many citizens calling for urgent action to be taken.
Wisdom
While Lungu has a point; people will always dubiously mislead a president for personal gains and it happens all the time in any country. President Bush was mislead to go to War after Sept 9/11 by his powerful vice president Dick Cheney, who later hand picked and awarded Hulliburton, to the tune of billions $ of contracts to rebuild Irag, where Dick Cheney had served as CEO & Chairman. He did it to enrich himself and his friends from shares they owned in Hulliburton Inc. The blame still falls on HH; per say, even when it “may not” be his fault.
Our technocrats are a let down. They have no pride in their professions. It’s better to lose your job than cause such embarrassing situations.
1) Export of power…. wouldn’t a professional worthy their salt advise the president on the implications? No because you may end up losing this job which has heaven on benefits.
2) Export of maize. Surely someone who has been to school can work how this could affect us…oh no the job is more important than the adverse effects that may ensue.
A president in Zambia is like a god and you should not contradict him because he will flush you out from whatever hole you are hiding.
DE JAVU – Very well put from you. This just requires common.
**If it’s not giving a pass to friends to export maize. **It’s exporting electricity which has expended ten-thousands of small scale businesses from doing business during the day such as metal-fabricators, fast foods outlets, barbers & hair-salons etc.. – who are the job creators and fabric of a strong economy. **Or telling lies that money is in the bank for medicine, when people die due to lack of medicine.
Mr. President, this is the way to go. You are speaking from experience. That was a balanced comment.
May God continue blessing you
Indeed this Lungu is now a Former President of Zambia and I salute you Edgar a hundred percent. Now you are earning your title.
The minister of agriculture is to be blamed for this hence needs to be fired.KKKKK Now they are saying we will import to export,what cletaria are they using? inport to export mmmmmm lekefyo iweee.Now they want to bring yellow maize which is ment for cows and pigs in South Africa.
Maybe yellow maize purchase is part of the IMF deal. Just thinking and praying that I am wrong. But why one dispose of a better for a worse.
By the way why would Zambia order mealie meal from RSA on behalf of DRC. Bushe Tsisekedi nimwaiche who can not buy a toy for himself?
RSA is not stupid as soon as their surplus is exported they will quickly put up measures…its has happened before because they have professionals in govt institutions. We dont have Quasi govt institutions who can advise the President that food secruity is in danger…just like the conversion on TAZAMA pipeline from pumping crude oil to Diesel..it is a diaster that will come to bite us in the future.
When they are out of office that is when they pick up their brains again…the problem with this Lazy Lungu was he surrounded himself with crooks and Yes men. Do you honestly think that he would let anyone near him during his presidency even a Press conferences I can only count a few on one hand.
He never held a press conference. Nowadays he is seeing the benefits of media. Free media not state controlled media like DeadNBC. Politicians dont see the role of media until they are ousted from power.
When they are in power media is something to use. When they are out of power they want to use it to cry about something
This one has taken time to reflect and realised that those who pretend to be closest to you are actually the catalyst to the beast which may end up consuming you. Learning from your mistakes is one thing but sharing it out publicly is priceless. 2H should swallow his pride and listen to his critics. I hope this man(former president Lungu) will be invited to lecture some of our students in universities and colleges on some of these challenges.
Great statesman. Hh is an immature angry embarrassment who calls a former president kutumpa uko. Very arrogant
For once, consider the national interest instead of your obsession with the PF and Lungu. Our beloved country will outlast all of us. Icalo lifupa. How long will you continue to be blindfolded by your partisan interests?
Please give that advice to your stubborn president who is lamentably failing.
This will cost HH his presidency, if he is not careful. beware with the people around you who takes advantage of your good will.
This is what we want to see and hear give credit where it is due, give support where it is due don’t always condemn and be happy when your friend is going through a bad patch. At on time did i hear our current President commend the past governments not even once does imply that all the previous governments MMD,PF
HAS DONE NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT.
Wisdom!!!! Zambians have appreciated your comments sir. I am sure Hakainde is ashamed of your comments about mealie meal.
@Kadansa
Media needs to watch out: when in State House, the politician wants to use media to keep him in power. When out of power he wants to use media to bring him to power.
Even HH who was always afforded media coverage freely when in opposition now doesn’t want to let go of ZNBC. He is happy to let it be a State Broadcaster which he can control instead of a public broadcaster which is overseen by the people.
“When they are out of office that is when they pick up their brains again…”
During the days of Mobutu, he could order the Minister of Finance to give him 1 million dollars, the minister of finance tells the governor of bank of zaire that the President wants 2 million dollars and the governor withdraws 3 million dollars. The president gets his 1 million dollars, but the treasury loses 2 million dollars. This is a true story.
One thing about Edgar Lungu is that he never expected to president ever. It’s like getting a million dollars without expecting it, without plans.
It is lunacy to believe HH as smart as he is did not know the consequences of allowing the export of maize. It is also a fallacy to believe that HH did not know the effect of exporting electricity when the country had blackouts.
It is also not true that HH has nothing to do with Mtolo Phiri’s actions at ministry of agriculture. Remember the fertilizer scandal involving Media minister’s Husband who is a close associate of the President? That scandal is affecting maize price now.
So no, the buck stops at the President.
These Politicians are all Jokers….Give them power and they become exactly the opposite…just like HH and Lungu….all useless pompwes
The only problem is that once you go there, you leave your brains in the gutters of oblivion.You easily forget where you came from. Your friend spent uncountable years in political wilderness. He came in power out of sheer peoples’ benevolence. He was not the best candidate. But he was just voted on a sympathy vote. Today, he has grown big-headed and he can do whatever he wants. He is forgetting that the same people who put him there will kick him out. 2 years remaining, for him to be shown the door.
The cabinet is picked by HH. He’s at the helm. He should take responsibility.
There was this school head master who was boasting to one of his teachers on how many female teachers he had been sleeping with. The teacher just kept nodding his head in approval and encouraging him ” yes ba sir it’s nice to finish them all….” Eventually the head was fired for misconduct. The encouraging teacher was the first to celebrate the head master’s dismissal.
That’s is the country called Zambia.