United Party for National Development(UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has said that he is not surprised President Edgar Lungu can fire a competent FIC Board, and with a lot of fanfare appoint a new one only to dismiss its Chairman 24 hrs later.

In a statement posted on his social media account, Mr Hichilema said wondered what reputation remained with President Lungu if he could not correctly discern and attract a competent human resource base to help him drive the public agenda.

Below is the full statement

REVOCATION OF APPOINTMENT OF NEW FIC DIRECTOR CONFIRMS DISASTER FOR THIS COUNTRY.

We are not at all surprised that Mr Edgar Lungu can fire a competent FIC Board, and with a lot of fanfare appoint a new one only to dismiss its Chairman 24 hrs later. Mr George Chilengwe Siame who replaced Mr John Kasanga as new FIC Board Chairman has been fired even before chairing a board meeting.

The question on the mind of citizens is, what exactly is going on with this government? When is this PF circus going to end? The PF must immediately stop insulting the collective intelligence of Zambians.

Where is the competence of necessary organs and individuals, vested with responsibilities to carry out critical and unbiased background checks, on people that are appointed to head crucial government portfolios that have implications on the security of our nation?

What reputation remains with Mr Edgar Lungu if he cannot correctly discern and attract a competent human resource base to help him drive the public agenda?

This is the result when a government retires in national interest an experienced and competent civil service and replaces it with political cadres whose interest is only their belly and not the service of citizens.

Fellow citizens, you are yet to see more drama from this chipante pante government. For us in the UPND, governance is a serious business and once entrusted with this sacred responsibility, we will strive to serve the Zambian people with passion and excellence.

Zambia Police has written to Prime Television Zambia requesting for video footage covered by the media House and aired to the members of the public on 9 September 2019 in respect of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Opposition leader Chishimba Kambwili’s allegations against the Head of State.

In a letter to the Chief Editor, Deputy Criminal Investigations Officer Mugala said that Zambia Police was carrying out investigations in a matter where Mr Kambwili is alleged to have uttered words which bordered on the defamation of the Republican President.

“The coverage of his Press Briefing at his residence was done by yourselves and aired to the members of the public on the 9th September, 2019. In order for us to conclude these investigations, we humbly as you to avail us with the full footage in question,” stated Assistant Superintendent Mugala.

Yesterday reports emerged that Mr Kambwili was to be arrested this week after he questioned President Edgar Lungu’s links with Businessman Valden Findlay, highly placed government sources have revealed but failed to turn up at the Durg Enforcement Commission summoning due to illness.

Mr Kambwili said that he was not scared of his imminent arrest. In a brazen statement this week, Dr Kambwili questioned why President Lungu is always hanging around Mr Findlay who he described as a convicted drug peddler.

Mr Kambwili further alleged that there are rumours that the official presidential plane is being used to courier drugs by Mr Findlay with or without the knowledge of President Lungu.

But sources close to State House have revealed that both President Lungu and Mr. Findlay want Mr. Kambwili arrested and prosecuted over his claims.

“The President is upset over the issue and he has instructed both the police and the DEC to arrest Kambwili and that order should be executed as early as this week,” the sources said.

“What we know is that such claims have unsettled the President and he now wants Kambwili to feel the heat.”

The sources said the statement issued by State House Spokesman Isaac Chipampe on Tuesday announcing the investigations was the first step towards arresting Mr. Kambwili.

“What Chipampe announced was merely to formalize what was issued to the DEC earlier in the day. What you will see in the next few days is a quick movement of things before Kambwili is picked up.”

And Mr. Findlay has instructed his lawyers to serve Mr. Kambwili with court papers for criminal defamation. The sources disclosed that Mr Findlay has instructed his lawyers to sue Mr Kambwili over his claims.

“What Valden (Findlay) wants is to have Kambwili in court to prove all those allegations and produce evidence that Valden was mentioned in a US court over drugs, so it will be a very interesting case when it kicks off,” the source said.

But Mr Kambwili described reports of his pending arrest as a joke.

“Listen to this joke. I am informed that Lungu (President Lungu) has instructed DEC to arrest me for what I said about Findlay. Tabaishiba Imbwill (They don’t know a Leopard), let them come, twalalwa nabo (we will fight them), let them come, let them come, Mr Kambwili said.

President Edgar Lungu has revoked the appointment of George Siame as Chairperson of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).

In a brief statement, Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Isaac Chipampe said the appointment of Mr SIAME has been revoked with immediate effect.

In his letter to Mr Siame, the President stated that, “ I am hereby revoking this appointment with immediate effect. I thank you and wish you God’s blessings in your endeavors.

There was widespread condemnation of Mr Siame’s appointment after records emerged that he was once convicted by the Lusaka High Court for assaulting a female colleague when he served as Assistant Commissioner at the Zambia Revenue Authority.

Earlier, UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema said that he had noted with amusement the firing of the Financial Intelligence Center Board by the PF Government.

Mr. Hichilema said that this was expected especially that the institution like many other citizens tried to prevent the PF and President Edgar Lungu’s corruption.

He expressed hope that President Lungu will not extend his hands to the FIC Chief Executive Officer, Mary Chirwa.

Mr. Hichilema said the FIC has so far proved to be one of the key institutions in combating President Lungu’s insatiable appetite for corruption and plunder of public resources.

Finance Minister Dr Bwalya Ng’andu yesterday unveiled the new Board of Directors which comprises George Siame, Justice Prisca Nyambe, Pelagia Kalunga, Regina Mulenga and Mike Goma.

Chef 187 drops the video to his latest international collabo, One More featuring Nigerian music star Mr P (from Africa’s highly rated singing duo, P Square).

ONE MORE is the second single off BON APPETIT album. The song was produced by Tonny Breezy, Fresh Boy Music.

Ambassador of Israel to Zambia Gershon Kedar has “vigorously” denied allegations that the official aircraft of President Edgar Lungu was used to smuggle money from Israel.

Mr Kedar said in a statement that the allegations are false and malicious.

“The relations between Israel and Zambia are positive and multifaceted and are all conducted according to the laws and regulations of both countries,” he stated.

He said various Israeli companies are active in Zambia in fields such as agriculture, water, information technology, health, communications, Defence and that they all subject to Israel laws prohibiting corruption.

“In addition, government to government cooperation flourishes specifically in the field of agriculture and health and today Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation is being signed between the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Ministry of Tourism and Arts of Zambia.”

Earlier in the week, Chishimba Kambwili challenged government to clarify rumours that the presidential jet was used to courier cash into Zambia from President Edgar Lungu recent trip to Israel.

NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili’s planned questioning at the Drug Enforcement Commission Headquarters in Lusaka on Wednesday morning failed to take off.

This was after Dr Kambwili’s lawyers informed the Commission that their client was unable to attend the questioning as he was unwell nursing a bout of Malaria.

DEC Deputy Spokesman Kamufisa Manchishi confirmed in an interview that Dr Kambwili will be expected to be interviewed next week.

Mr Manchishi stated that Dr Kambwili’s summoning was a normal process in the operations of the Commission.

“We wish to clarify that the Commission has summoned Mr Chishimba Kambwili for an interview to enable him provide any further information he may have in relation to the allegations he made earlier this week. The interview is a routine process undertaken to validate information that may be of help in any enquiries investigators may have,” Mr. Manchishi said.

He said the Commission operates on an open door policy which allows any member of the public to provide any information they may have in relation to illicit activities under the Commission’s mandate and be treated with utmost confidentiality.

“An invitation to an informer to furnish further information on allegations does not in any way constitute an arrest as it is provided for under the Public Interest Disclosure (Protection of Whistle blowers) Act No. 4 of 2010. The Commission urges members of the public to take advantage of the open door policy and always report any information they may have on illicit activities without fear of retribution or intimidation.”

The Constitutional Court has adjourned the hearing of an application by the Law Association of Zambia for an injunction to prevent Parliament from proceeding to receive submissions and debate the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Bill number 10 of 2019 to Monday, 16th September, 2019.

On Monday, Attorney General Likando Kalaluka filed arguments in opposition to an application for injunction, stating that the State Proceedings Act bars an injunction against the State in civil proceedings.

Mr Kalaluka also denied the claim by the LAZ lawyer John Sangwa that the doctrine of exclusive cognizance is alien to Zambia’s Constitutional law.

The Attorney General cited a number of Zambian and foreign authorities to show that Parliament enjoys the doctrine of exclusive cognizance in the conduct of its business.

Mr Kalaluka quoting some legal authorities, defined the doctrine of exclusive cognizance as a principle where only the House can regulate what is said and done in the proceedings of the House.

On the contention by Mr Sangwa that the National Assembly proceeded with the legislative process despite the matter being sub judice, Mr Kalaluka quoted the legal authorities which state that successive Speakers, by law and parliamentary practice, have discretion to determine which matter is sub judice.

By Frazer Bwalya Musonda

In June of 2015 I stumbled upon a video on YouTube (link attached) of an interview of the then deputy minister of Mines, Energy & Water Development Charles Zulu at the Africa Energy Forum held in Dubai. Aside from his uncoordinated responses, he highlighted the potential that Zambia had energy wise and emphasized that this remained relatively untapped because of lack of funds.

But was that really true considering the huge debt that we have contracted so far?

Zambia has accrued so much debt in the last few years under the PF government, particularly for “infrastructure development”, an undertaking that is evidently riddled with corruption. The recent legal battle that the former minister of infrastructure, Ronald Chitotela faced and eventually got acquitted of based on a technicality shows just a bit of that. Everybody knows he was guilty. Even under strong circumstantial evidence the president could only transfer him to another ministry, but that is another topic all together so I leave it there.

Conventional wisdom holds that borrowed money should be invested into economic activities that simultaneously provide a service and generate revenues to support debt repayment. This “debt-profitable investment” nexus is but a myth under the current PF government. Huge sums of monies have been borrowed minus a well laid down plan for its application beforehand. Its “bamudala bakasaka kandalama” who decides- without regard to economics-which constituency gets to have a road or a hospital and which doesn’t. Documented cases are in the public domain of instances were these borrowed monies have been misapplied during induced by elections to buy votes. And as much as people like to praise late president Sata, he and Hon Chikwanda were the architects of debt contraction that was deficient of well laid down plans for its application.

The PF government has argued that economic development minus good road infrastructure is not possible. Nonetheless, they are yet to furnish the public with information on how exactly investment decisions into road infrastructure are informed. My personal view is that more than 60-70% of the roads that have been done, no cost benefit analyses were conducted. How can one otherwise explain why township roads have been done in almost all PF held constituencies and literately none in opposition strongholds? Mazabuka, a place where I lived for over a year is proof of this line of thought.

My contention with the implementation of the PF road infrastructure program is that most of the township roads that have been done-aside from sidelining important areas in opposition strongholds and being riddled with corruption-have only been done to please voters regardless of economic benefit analyses. A lot of borrowed monies that could have been used to fund capacity expansions in energy infrastructure have unfortunately been misappropriated principally because of incompetent people in the corridors of power.

The shortage of power to fuel economic activity was documented as one of the reasons for the drop in growth of the Zambian economy in 2015. The same has never been said when some township roads never existed. In addition to the slowed economic growth, we spent huge sums of money ($40 million) over 3 months in order to cushion the electricity rationing that resulted from reduced output from hydro power plants. A KWH of electricity was bought at 18 USD cents, heavily subsidized and later sold at 5 cents to Zambian consumers. This huge expenditure would have been avoided had there been careful planning from leaders. Clearly investing into capacity expansion must be a priority area. To think that we are just about to spend a lot more on electricity imports in 2019 when we were supposed to learn from the 2015 experience is testament to the incompetency of the current government.

Contracting external debt of over $10 billion (over 40% of GDP) for “economic diversification” and then counteracting that with lack of investments into sustainable power generation is more than enough reason to get rid of the PF government. The argument that the only option that makes sense to invest into considering the very low electricity prices in Zambia is hydro power, no longer holds once we externalize the effects of climate change when doing investment calculations. Based on data from EIA, the reduced load factor for hydropower in 2015 (0.53) due to reduced water levels and the solar hours of 2800 that Zambia enjoys annually, Solar PV energy becomes cheaper to invest into relative to hydropower by 20%. The levelized cost of generating electricity from solar PVs would stand at 4.4 US cents per KWh in this scenario.