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Mining

The Association of Mine Suppliers and Contractors of Zambia (AMSCZ) has called on the President-elect Hakainde Hichilema and his government to ask the owner of Chambishi Metals Plc to hand it over to the Government as it is clear that they have failed to run it.

Eurasian Resources Group – ERG Africa operates Chambishi Metals, a cobalt and copper electro-metals refinery north of Kitwe, which produces copper cathode and cobalt metal.

The Chambishi plant has been on care and maintenance for over a year now leaving over 200 miners jobless.

AMSCZ president Augustine Mubanga said the new government should quickly ask ERG Africa to hand over the plant to government, as it is apparent that it had failed to run the plant.

“We would like to see the fact that the previous owners should quickly be asked to hand over the plant to government because it is apparent that they have failed to run the plant for the past two years, that is very indicative,” Mubanga said.

He told the Zambian Business Times-ZBT in an interview that once the government takes over the operations, the new administration should take steps to either give the operations to ZCCM-IH or find another serious investor into the plant.

Mubanga observed that Chambishi metals plant was still viable as a lot of materials that can be used to process were readily available.

He implored the new government to take serious steps to ensure that the assets at Chambishi Metals do not go to waste, as it has been the case in the last two years.

“The plant is still very viable because there is a lot of materials that can be used to process. You know Lumwana has no processing plant and much of their materials comes to KCM or Chambishi and other smelting companies like Mopani.

Chambishi metals as a plant still has a lot of materials that they can access from the north western operations to keep the jobs, to keep the operations and to have the plant contribute to the economic agenda of the country.

“So we would like to implore the new government to take serious steps to ensure that the assets do not go to waste as it has been in the last two years and the owner was hiding under the Covid situation but we want to see that plant becomes viable and productive,” Mubanga added.

 

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The Association of Mine Suppliers and Contractors

Markets

Financial Analyst Maambo Hamaundu has said the statement from the President-elect Hakainde Hichilema that he will uphold the rule of law will result in increased investor confidence in the country.

Hamaundu said global and local investors tend to have confidence in a country that upholds the rule of law as it affects economic activities and the business environment.

There has been some concerns that are being raised even during the transition period that some sections of supporters have taken advantage of the victory celebrations to engage in illegal activities which have resulted in some isolated incidences of damages to public and private property.

He told the Zambian Business Times – ZBT in an interview that with investor confidence, chances are that the country will likely go back on the path of economic recovery. The financial analyst stated that the expectations of the people of Zambia is that the country will get back on the path of economic recovery and begin to grow the economy at reasonably good levels.

“From what I heard from the President – elect in his acceptance speech, I think that he has a clear vision of what he needs to do. “One of the things that he mentioned is the aspect of ensuring the rule of law is maintained. If the rule of law is maintained, it will actually result in a lot of investor confidence and with investor confidence, chances are that we are likely to get back on the path of economic recovery because we have been struggling economically.

The expectations of the people is that we should get back on the path of economic recovery and begin to grow the economy at reasonably good levels,” he said. Hamaundu said the country’s debt situation remains on top as one of the biggest challenges the country is facing.

He said the new government should address this matter by engaging the bondholders and other creditors to see how the country can on a structured approach in terms of deferring or renegotiating for better interest rates or extending the repayment period.

“But of course the challenge of our level of debt still remains on top as one of the big challenges, so we expect that the new government will address this matter by engaging the bond holders and the other creditors and see how as a nation we can agree on a structured approach in terms of deferring or renegotiating or getting better interest rates.

“Perhaps even restructuring the repayment period so that we have a bit of relief as a country so that a bit of resource is freed in order to pump it into sectors which will help to spur economic development and with the confidence that most of people have because of the background of the president,” Hamaundu said.

He said the new government must commit to the pronouncements they make as they continue engaging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a possible IMF bailout package.

Hamaundu said, “I think the challenges that we had with the previously was that there was a perception that government was not disciplined fiscally and it was not prudent and that the levels of expenditure were actually higher than budgeted for.

He said because of that the IMF was probably seeing lack of commitment to the pronouncements that were made. “So I expect that the government this time around when they make a pronouncement they will commit because that actually entrenches confidence in people.

You probably saw what happened on the market on Monday on the forex market that just upon his victory being announced and giving one speech, the Kwacha did gain strength quite significantly though within a short period of time,” Hamaundu said.

He further stated that he would not be surprised if the Kwacha appreciation continues up until he is sworn in because it shows you how confidence can actually weigh-in in terms of improving the prospects of the country.

Hamaundu however, said beyond confidence, the country needs to ensure that it engages into productive activities because the confidence as much as it is good, it cannot be sustained for a protracted period of time in terms of the benefits that it comes with.

He said he expects the government to put in place serious programmes to work and be committed to delivering on the work.

“We must move away from rhetoric. Of course, there has been this talk where we begin to make political decisions overweighing economic decisions, we need to move to a level where we have a situation where the economy is given priority because the economy is about everyone’s life and therefore I am hoping that it will be given a lot of worth and premium. Politicking must be set aside,” Hamaundu added.

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Financial Analyst Maambo Hamaundu has said the

Tech

Chapter One Foundation has taken on the ZICTA management and confirmed that they are proceeding with the judicial review in a matter where the ICT regulator – the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has been taken on for the disrupted internet services (Social media) in the country during and after the polls.

Foundation Executive Director Linda Kasonde said it was illegal for ZICTA to disrupt or block provision of internet services in the country. There was widespread complaints across the country by social media users after the services were disrupted without notice or reasons being given.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Kasonde said ZICTA has not yet responded and the civil matter is currently at the high court.

She noted that the Non-Governmental Organisation has not taken out any criminal charges and the cases it is handling are civil matters in the civil registry adding that the organisation challenged the decision of the authority to shutdown internet services and will soon find out what the court will say.

On 12 August 2021, which was the general elections day,  ZICTA shut down internet services and communication in Zambia. The internet services were only restored after Chapter One Foundation got a court order the following day on the 13th of August 2021, ordering ZICTA to resume internet services in Zambia, particularly Social media internet access such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Non-Governmental Organisation served ZICTA with the court order directing it to resume all internet services on 13 August 2021 but they failed to do so as at 07:30 hours the next morning. The non-governmental organization then subsequently instructed its lawyers to commence contempt proceedings against ZICTA for failing to abide by the order.

The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority only restored internet services in the country on the 14th of August 2021. Efforts to get a comment from ZICTA proved futile by time of publishing.

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Chapter One Foundation has taken on the

Lifestyle

Questions have arisen on why the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) did not deploy the  US$16 million biometric voter registration and screening system at all that polling centers to leverage the investment that was put into acquiring the electronic gadgets as provide a digital means to have a parallel voter tabulation system to eliminate the risk of multiple voting during the 12 August 2021 polls.

The commission is also yet to give a comprehensive report on the criteria that was adopted and why the system was only deployed at some selected centers while others had non, when the system had initially been available during the voter registration process. ECZ had reported that they had spent US$16 million on a biometric voter registration and voter screening system.

When contacted for a comment, ECZ stated that the biometric system was placed in selected polling stations in provincial centres where there was a high voter turnout. They stated that the biometric system helped to ease the voting process in those selected centers.

ECZ Corporate Affairs Manager Patricia Luhanga said one of the places the biometric voter identification machine was used is Lusaka is Chelstone Secondary School, the polling station at located at Chelstone

Luhanga further explained that the machine was intended for use at polling stations that had a high number of registered voters or high voter turn out because what we want is to quicken the process of identifying voters because it still worked as if you are in a stream.

“Imagine your name starts with the letter M and you go and line up where there are names starting with B, you will line up there, you will get into the polling station and they tell you are not supposed to vote from here you are supposed to go to the other polling station. That is why that machine was there, where there was a high voter turnout so that you are easily identified and if you are standing in a wrong queue, they refer you to the right queue”, she said.

Speaking in an interview with ZBT, Luhanga said there were no challenges experienced with the usage of the biometrics system adding that the machine was an enabler in creating efficiency. “We released the results within the 72hours that we had promised, we even had a few hours remaining, that was part of the system”,  she said.

However, Zambia recorded a high voter turn out across all provinces when you compare the 2016 to 2021 polls. Moreover, ECZ had earlier reported that the Biometric system roots out 18,000 duplicate registrations but no follow up report has been released on what action was eventually taken. Further more, ECZ had indicated that action taken on intensional multiple voter registrations but no comprehensive report has been availed.

The Biometric Voter Registration and Verification System has many advantages and in Zambia’s case was intended to add a digital reconciliation process as well as provide other benefits such as fast processing of voters. It remains to be seen if ECZ will issue a comprehensive report on its US$16 million investment appraisal for analysts to appreciate whether this was money well spent.

 

 

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Questions have arisen on why the Electoral

Markets

Zambia National Marketeers Credit Association (ZANAMACA) has disclosed that about 95% of markets across the country are in dilapidated states a situation that has brought businesses opportunities down for most local traders and shop owners.

ZANAMACA president Mupila Kameya noted that Zambia has over 2, 800 markets across the country of which 95% of them are dilapidated. All these markets need rehabilitation to make them attractive as well as provide locals with self employment opportunities.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Kameya said the dilapidated state of the markets has affected them negatively as people with “big money to spend” avoid going into the local markets because the environment was not conducive.

Kameya called on the President-elect Hakainde Hichilema and his new government to focus on market infrastructure development once sworn into government.

“We want the new government to focus on infrastructure development, which is very key. Zambia has over 2800 markets across the country, which 95% are dilapidated and these structures have employed specifically about 5 million people of which, about 3.7 million are marketeers, and close to about 2million are small-scale farmers that bring produce to the markets.

“Now they bring these products to markets that do not have a conducive environment. That also affected our markets because those with big money could not come into markets because of cadres and the environment was not good. So we want to see better markets across the country going forward,” he said.

Kameya said the association would also like to see that all the business places, markets and trading places are free of politics and cadres because the economy in the informal sector was so much affect because of these illegal groupings collecting moneys from the people though out the country.

He said the local authorities across the country should take over the operations of these market places to maximize revenue collection. Kameya said the current situation where cadres were collecting money from the marketeers was hurting their businesses and many of them were losing out their hard-earned money.

“We want to see a situation where these cadres are removed from these places, we would like the local authorities across the country to work with us to ensure that our markets are safe.

What will happen is that if the local authorities run our markets and stations, they will collect enough revenue, create more income, which means that there will be more jobs because there will be no interference in these places and the local authorities will be empowered,” he said.

Kameya said the money in the informal sector is quite huge and the association was looking forward to country going back to normal where the local authorities are able to clean up the markets where they are collecting levies, because previously they were limping, as they could not collect enough money.

He further urged the new Government to directly work with the people in the informal sector to ensure that it resolved the challenges affecting the marketeers in the country.

“We want to see the dollar coming down, we want to see this government to concentrate on industrialization, and we must see industries flourishing in the country and we want our youths to find jobs when they graduate.

“You will see that when we industrialise the country, whatever we manufacture will be sold from here and at the end of the day we will start exporting like other countries and bring in forex,” Kameya added.

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Zambia National Marketeers Credit Association (ZANAMACA) has

Lifestyle

Pharmaceutical Expert and United Party for National Development (UPND) health committee member Jerome Kanyika has disclosed that once the new government gets inaugurated, it would be able to improve the pharmaceutical sector adding that the new government will ensure that Zambia has a health care system that ensures patients get the needed medication from hospitals.

Kanyika, who is a key member of the UPND health committee said the incoming government will ensure the country has a health care service that is well financed through the government budgetary means and schemes such as the National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) and leverage the pharmaceutical industry which is a multi-billion industry which Zambia has not benefited much from.

The former Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia (PSZ) President said the incoming government’s plans are to ensure they put in place a health sector that responds to every citizen’s needs whether poor or rich adding that there is need to have a health care system that ensures patients get the needed medication from hospitals.

He said the plan is to have all specialized health care providers available in order to serve the Zambian people diligently so that the country can become a destination for provision of health care services through proper infrastructure development and equipment.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Kanyika said the new government would ensure the health care service responds to issues such as pandemics and epidemics  in good time. He explained that in its manifesto, the UPND talks about providing proper health services to the Zambian people, which require formulating policies that can bring out the set objective and incorporate the civil servants who executes those policies.

He noted that every political party has different committees, which help to check what the civil service is implementing in terms of policy adding that the committees exist in order to formulate the party’s policies that the civil service eventually executes. Kanyika expressed happiness over the new President-elect, Hakainde Hichilema who he described as hardworking and focused.

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Pharmaceutical Expert and United Party for National

Markets

The Bankers Association of Zambia (BAZ) has called on the President-elect Hakainde Hichilema and his soon to be constituted government team to create stable and sound micro economic policies that will help stabilize the inflation rate, or bring it back to stability within the medium term.

BAZ chief executive officer Leonard Mwanza said President-elect Hichilema and his government should also focus on transforming the economy and bringing back fiscal fitness that will ensure a sound economic system as well as stabilizing the key levers of the economy which are are inflation, exchange rate and interest rates to enable businesses to plan long term.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Mwanza said the association was looking forward to seeing the Kwacha stability, enhanced fiscal controls and sound policies that will support businesses to thrive.

He said BAZ was further looking forward to the country going into an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme to help the country to handle its debt situation.

“We as an association would like to first of all congratulate the President-Elect, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema for being elected as the 7th President of the Republic of Zambia; his resounding victory shows the high expectations and confidence from the Zambian people.

“The key levers of the economy are inflation, exchange rate and interest rates and these are a reflection of what is happening in the economy. So our biggest call from the banking sector is to say we need stable sound economic policies that will help to stabilize inflation or reduce it within the medium term target, stabilize the exchange rate so that businesses can plan long term,” Mwanza said.

He explained that, “We look forward to the country going into an IMF programme that will help the country to at least handle its debt situation. Once the IMF brings in its support, we expect that the commercial lenders and the Eurobond holders will also talk to us to provide some relief so we look forward to the conclusion of the discussions considering that the IMF made a commitment to walk with us.

Mwanza said this will help to drive the economy forward and once the policies are well aligned with business expectations especially the private sector, then banks can continue to provide support to all key sectors of the economy within a stable economic policy environment.

“I think the ultimate go is to create a thriving private sector which will in turn facilitate the enhancement of revenue collection, help enhance the creation of new jobs and growing the economy. A growing economy improves the businesses environment, which in turn helps to improve people’s livelihoods.

“What is important now is transforming the economy, bringing back fiscal fitness, and whatever we are going to do, we should ensure that we have a sound economic system, we should work towards sound policies that support business to thrive and we want the private sector to help drive the economy forward,” he said.

Mwanza said the focus should be ensuring that the government provides the correct policy environment and the correct fiscal positions that will help to drive the wheels of the economy into a positive trajectory.

He assured the President-elect that the association would continue with its financial intermediary role in the banking sector.

“In congratulating him, we expect that his focus will be on microeconomic stability which is very key, improvement of people’s livelihoods also is very key and creating a platform in which all Zambians can freely participate and be given opportunities to realize their dreams.

“As BAZ, we are there to transform and help to develop the country by ensuring that we provide the means through which the wheels of the economy flows. We will continue to offer innovative, efficient and reliable payment platforms, ensure that we collect people’s funds and keep them safe as we provide credit to all key sectors of the economy,” Mwanza added

 

 

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The Bankers Association of Zambia (BAZ) has

Companies

Former Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) President Eddie Mwitwa has confirmed that the inauguration for President-elect Hakainde Hichilema will be held next week Tuesday and that it is expected that some people who served under President Lungu will naturally tender in their resignations or have their contracts terminated.

Mwitwa said according to the constitution, the inauguration must happen on the first Tuesday,seven days after the declaration of the winner. He said this week, President Edgar Lungu is still [legally] the President and head of state of the Republic of Zambia until President-elect Hakainde Hichilema is sworn in.

“The constitution specifically says that the president-elect will be sworn in on the first Tuesday,seven days after the declaration of the winner of the presidential election”, he said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Mwitwa said President Lungu is still president only for the transition period and cannot make any appointments adding that he is just preparing to handover the instruments of power.

He said that in the unlikely event that there was a state of emergency, President Lungu would be entitled to exercise executive powers to deal with the situation. Mwitwa explained that President-elect Hichilema cannot do anything until he is sworn in as President of the Republic of Zambia. Mwitwa added that President Lungu’s term will come to an end in the next seven days.

He mentioned that not much can be expected from President Lungu in terms of governance decisions during this period. Mwitwa noted that there will be no petition in the constitutional court since outgoing president Edgar Lungu has conceded that President-elect Hakainde Hichilema has won the election.

The former LAZ President further stated that President-elect Hichilema will start constituting his cabinet, therefore the country will hear of various appointments from next week.

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Former Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) President

Sport

Football Association of Zambia – FAZ President Andrew Kamanga says the change of guard could give FAZ renewed strength in developing the game.

In his congratulatory message to President Elect Hakainde Hichilema, the FAZ president stated that “every change comes with renewed vigour, and we have no doubt that this will reinvigorate our efforts to develop football in our country”.

“Your resilience in your chosen political path is one our football can greatly draw lessons from. We expect that this too will be a turning point in the fortunes of our game.”

Kamanga stated that the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) joins the rest of the nation in congratulating the new Republican President Hakainde Hichilema on his victory. President Hichilema automatically becomes the FAZ patron and Football House is excited at the prospect of cordially working with the new government.

“We are extremely excited like the rest of the country at the election of a new President and government. We wish to congratulate President Hakainde Hichilema on being elected to lead our great nation,” FAZ president Andrew Kamanga says.

“As our patron we will be looking forward to working closely with you and your government to develop our football.”

“We also note your pledge to running a transparent government which is in tandem with the pillars of transparency, accountability and integrity that define the current FAZ’s principles.”

Kamanga added that “Football is such a powerful unifying tool for our country and with your commitment to unity, we expect that the game will be fully supported especially the Zambia Senior Men’s National Team which is a symbol of national unity. We will be counting on your unequivocal support toward sports and football to help bring more smiles on the faces of our people.”

Kamanga’s administration has been under scrutiny and pressure following the senior Chipolopolo side failure to qualify to the African Cup of Nations – Afcon for three consecutive times, a scenario that had brought calls for his administration to step aside by soccer fans and previous PF Government ministers.

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Football Association of Zambia - FAZ President

Sport

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