Mon, 31 Jul 2017 10:58:05 +0000
ZAMBIA does not owe $30 billion as alleged by embattled former MMD leader, Nevers Mumba, who has been roundly condemned and warned to desist from peddling lies about the country’s economy for political gain.
The Ministry of Finance has warned Dr Mumba to stop telling lies about the economy when he was obviously too ignorant to even know the country’s debt stock.
An opposition leader, a non-government organisation and government have all slammed Dr Mumba for his careless talk and playing politics on a sensitive matter bordering on people’s lives.
The Finance Ministry’s head of media and public relations Mr Chileshe Kandeta yesterday charged that Dr Mumba was telling lies that Zambia’s foreign debt stands at U$30 billion when the actual figure was $7 billion.
Meanwhile, 3rd Liberation Movement (3rd LM) president Enoch Tonga said Dr Mumba was a prophet of doom and that because he had turned himself into a UPND member, a party which had promised Zambians Armageddon, he would not speak any good about the country.
Mr Tonga said the clergyman had become a disgruntled element whom the UPND were using as their mouthpiece in spreading lies which could paint the economic status of the country negatively to the international community.
Mr Tonga called on the law enforcement agencies to investigate Dr Mumba for publishing lies on the economic status of the country.
Mr Kandeta said Zambians would believe Mr Mutati’s position and that Government had no reason to hide its debt as that would not help matters.
And Youth Aid chairperson Kachenga Chungu said it was unfortunate that the patriotism of Dr Mumba was eroded and questioned whose interest he was serving.
Mr Chungu said when the Kwacha performed better, it should be cause of celebration and not sorrow.
Mr Chungu said citizens should not be selfish as to wish ill of the country just to gain political mileage.
The youth leader said he would respect Dr Mumba but could never support such ill driven statements from him.
Mr Kandeta challenged Dr Mumba to produce proof of the agreements on which that amount of his was signed.
He warned Dr Mumba not to mislead the nation on an important and delicate matter which affected the lives of Zambians.
In an interview in Lusaka, Mr Kandeta said Zambia’s foreign debt stood at US$7.2 billion and that the international community had confirmed Finance Minister Felix Mutati’s figure.
Mr Kandeta challenged the televangelist cum politician who also served as republican vice president under the Levy Mwanawasa administration to put the interest of citizens at heart by being sincere and truthful when contributing to a public discussion.
‘‘Let Dr Mumba produce proof of the agreements on which that amount of his was signed. As a Christian it is time for him to put the interest of the people at heart by being sincere and truthful when contributing to a public discussion,’’ Mr Kandeta said.
He said Dr Mumba had never handled public debt and that his analysis was as fake as it could ever get.
Dr Mumba was quoted in some sections of the media that Zambia’s debt was around $35 billion to $40 billion.
He said based on his preliminary figures, in 2011 when the Patriotic Front government took office, Zambia’s external debt stood at $3.5 billion (15 percent of GDP).
Dr Mumba claimed that the figure had ballooned to about four times and that with the International Monetary Fund already in negotiations with the government for a $1.6 billion bailout they needed to know the truth if the nation had the capacity to repay.
Mr Kandeta said Dr Mumba needed to demonstrate to the youth and general citizenry that in Christianity, truth was vital and respecting those in leadership and praying for them to rule with God anointed wisdom was equally important.
