[Revised: February 10, 2011]

Zambia:
A Development Agenda
Henry Kyambalesa
Agenda for Change (AfC) Party
www.agenda123.com
agenda@zambia.co.zm

Introduction xx
Priority 1: Existing Projects and Programs xx
Priority 2: A Smaller National Government xx
Priority 3: Competent Government Leaders xx
Priority 4: Free Life-Saving Healthcare
xx
Priority 5: Free Formal Education
xx
Priority 6: Agriculture and Food Security
xx
Priority 7: Economic Growth and Job Creation
xx
Priority 8: Transportation Infrastructure
xx
Priority 9: Sustainable Rural Development xx
Priority 10: Affordable Water and Electricity xx
Priority 11: State-Financed Housing Schemes
xx
Priority 12: The Fight against Social Vices
xx
Priority 13: Caring for Disadvantaged Citizens
xx
Priority 14: Garbage Collection and Disposal xx
Priority 15: The Fragile Natural Environment xx
Priority 16: Libraries and the Internet xx
Priority 17: Reformation of the Public Media xx
Priority 18: Promotion of Zambian Culture xx

Page 1 of 43
 Priority 19: Stemming the Brain Drain xx
Priority 20: The New Republican Constitution xx
Priority 21: Sustained Peace and Stability
xx
Implementation Schedule
xx

Introduction

Our beloved country is currently experiencing

unprecedented socio-economic problems. The healthcare
system, for example, cannot meet the basic needs of the
majority of citizens; tens of thousands of Grade 7 and
Grade 9 students have continued to be spilled onto the
streets every year; so many Zambians have no access to
clean water and electricity; and a critical shortage of
decent public housing has compelled so many of our
fellow citizens to live in shanty townships nationwide.

Moreover, public infrastructure and services are still

deficient; civil servants are still not adequately
compensated for their services; a lot of civil service
retirees cannot get their hard-earned benefits; crime and
unemployment are still widespread; taxes and interest
rates are still very high; and, among many other socio-
economic ills, the constitution-making process is still
fraught with personal, partisan and short-term interests.

These problems affect us all, either directly or indirectly,

in spite of the different political parties we belong to, the
73 different tribes to which we belong, or the different
languages we speak. Besides, we have the same dreams
as members of the Zambian family.

Among other things, we all want a smaller and more

efficient government, free formal education without
Grade 7 and Grade 9 elimination examinations, no
examination fees, merit-based scholarships for vocational
training and university education, low-interest educational

Page 2 of 43
loans, free life-saving healthcare for all Zambians, greater
and sustained food security, lower interest rates, lower
Pay-As-You-Earn and value-added taxes, greater
employment opportunities, safer local communities,
improved public infrastructure, improvements in garbage
collection and disposal, improved socio-economic
conditions in rural areas, speedy rural electrification, and
abolition of TV licensing and privatization of most of the
government-operated news outlets.

Moreover, we all want lower water charges and electricity

tariffs, a system of justice that is free and impartial in
both word and deed, greater participation by women in
national affairs, greater care for children and the
handicapped, sustained protection of the fragile natural
environment, preservation of our cultural values and
traditions, a genuine effort to address the scourge of
corruption, and consolidation of our oneness and common
future as members of the Zambian family.

In a nutshell, we are Zambians first; all the other

considerations, therefore, are secondary and certainly not
important. As such, the soundness of political players’
contemplated policies in addressing the problems we face
as a nation must be the primary consideration whenever
we go to polling stations to cast our votes.

I now wish to present a summary of some of the projects,

programs and policies which we need to pursue in the
form of national priorities.

Priority 1:
Existing Projects and Programs

Zambians wish for a new government that will adopt and

faithfully implement all the national policies, projects and
programs that were started or planned by previous
governments in Central Province, Copperbelt Province,
Eastern Province, Luapula Province, Lusaka Province,
Northern Province, North-Western Province, Southern Pro-
vince, and Western Province.

Page 3 of 43
They also wish for a government that will honor all
existing bilateral and multilateral agreements,
conventions and protocols that have been consented to
by the current and previous Zambian governments with
countries and institutions within the African Union and
beyond.

This is the kind of government which Zambians should

expect after the forthcoming general elections.

Priority 2:
A Smaller National Government

Our country needs to perform existing and planned

essential government functions with only 12 Cabinet
Ministers. Preferably, the government ministries should
be as follows:

2.1 Education, Training and Sport:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: general and tertiary education;
vocational training; the training of teachers; adult literacy
programs; matters concerning remuneration for teachers,
lecturers, trainers, and researchers; and sporting
programs in all educational and training institutions. And
coordination of national programs and activities
pertaining to education, training and sport with those of
private institutions, as well as local governments
nationwide.

2.2 Public Health and Sanitation:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: medical care, medical research,
child health and development, family planning, disease
control and prevention, food safety (local and imported
foodstuff), drug safety (local and imported medicines),
safety of herbal medicines, public health education, public
health inspections, and matters concerning remuneration

Page 4 of 43
for public health personnel. And coordination of national
public health programs and activities with those of private
health care facilities and local governments.

2.3 Agriculture and Food Security:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: sustainable agricultural devel-
opment and long-term food security – including the provi-
sion of agricultural incentives, support to agribusiness
establishments and agricultural research centers,
damming rivers, and construction of irrigation canals. And
coordination of national programs and activities pertain-
ing to agriculture and food security with those of the
private sector and local governments.

2.4 Finance and Revenue:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: financial matters and monetary
issues, including the stock (or securities) market; national
debt management and external debt resolution;
management of all state-owned enterprises; administra-
tion, dispensation and recovery of loans granted to stu-
dents and trainees admitted to institutions of higher
learning, and management of a government scholarship
fund through a new Loans and Scholarships Committee;
and revenue generation through taxation, customs and
excise duties, service fees (or charges), superintendence
over the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA), and pro-
vision of postal services through the Zambia Postal
Services Corporation (ZAMPOST).

2.5 Commerce and Industry:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: trade and industrialization
strategy, tourism, mining, the energy sector, business
and investment promotion, regulation of imports and
exports, trade relations, registration of foreign compa-
nies, research and development (R&D) support for local

Page 5 of 43
manufacturers, and superintendence over the operations
of the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA). And coordina-
tion of national commercial and industrial programs and
activities with those of local governments.

2.6 National Defence and Security:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: enhancement of national defe-
nce and security – including the issues of training, equip-
ment and matters concerning remuneration and housing
for defence and security personnel.

2.7 Public Safety and Security:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: the protection of life and
property; the preservation of law and order; the detection
and prevention of crime; and cooperation with other
security organs of the government and local communities
in dealing with public safety and security. And coordina-
tion of these efforts with those of private security
companies and local governments.

2.8 Works, Supply and Transport:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: utilization and management of
State-owned pieces of land; provision and maintenance of
vital infrastructure nationwide – including an efficient,
inter-modal and safe network of ground and air trans-
portation; development of malleable stretches of the
Zambezi, Kafue, Luangwa and other sizable perennial
rivers for water transportation – including the proposed
Shire-Zambezi Waterway involving Zambia, Malawi and
Mozambique; and construction, renovation and mainte-
nance of government facilities and pieces of property
nationwide. And coordination of the provision and mainte-
nance of national public facilities with the efforts of local
governments.

Page 6 of 43
2.9 Lands and Public Housing:
To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: delineation, administration and
development of state and customary lands; issuance of
title deeds; resolution of land-related disputes; provision
of consent in the acquisition, transfer and leasing of
lands; implementation of home ownership schemes for all
civil servants; provision of low-cost rental housing units
for low-income families; management of a home-
ownership scheme for low-income families to be financed
through low interest mortgages; stipulation of fair
eligibility requirements to be met by applicants for low-
income rental public housing; generation of rules of
occupancy, and determination of rental and other related
charges; and derivation of a grievance procedure and
guidelines for resolving any and all the issues and matters
relating to non-compliance with rules of occupancy.

2.10 Culture and Community Services:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: preservation of the country’s
national treasures, including national monuments,
museums, historical sites, and cherished traditional and
cultural values; promotion of traditional music and cul-
ture-related crafts; House of Chiefs and traditional
leaders; national unity and patriotism; religious harmony;
national ceremonies and festivals; and issues relating to
women, children, disabled citizens, and retirees and the
aged. And coordination of national cultural and
community programs and activities with those of local
governments.

2.11 Justice, Prisons and Immigration:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies
relating to, the following: legal matters (including
representation of the Government), protection of citizens’
rights and freedoms, administration of the Zambia Prison
Service, legal aid, title deeds, national registration, pass-

Page 7 of 43
ports and immigration, citizenship and naturalization,
work permits, treaties and agreements with other
countries, intellectual property rights (patents, copyrights
and trademarks), and remuneration for judicial personnel
and support staff.

2.12 Foreign Affairs:

To be directly responsible for advising the President
on, and spearheading the implementation of policies re-
lating to, the following: foreign political relations,
including conflict resolution and peace-keeping efforts;
consular affairs and services; profiles of foreign countries;
services and vital information to Zambians in, or traveling
to, foreign countries; publicizing Zambian society abroad;
and management of a program which should confer rare
and special Zambian Residency status upon a selected
number of distinguished foreigners.

Savings to Be Realized:
Let us now compute the savings that would accrue
from trimming the bloated national government from 24
to 12 Ministers, from 33 to 12 Deputy Ministers, and from
24 to 12 Permanent Secretaries. By using the amended
Presidential Emolument Bill No. 18 of 2008, we can
calculate the minimum fixed cost of maintaining a
Cabinet Minister, Deputy Minister and Permanent
Secretary per year as follows:

Minister:
75,117,124 Salary
26,382,673 Special allowance
26,680,000 Utility allowance
------------------
128,179,797 x 12 = ZK1,538,157,564

Deputy Minister:
70,953,196 Salary
24,107,904 Special allowance
26,680,000 Utility allowance
-------------------
121,741,100 x 21 = ZK2,556,563,100

Page 8 of 43
Permanent Secretary:
116,307,282 x 12 = ZK1,395,687,384

The total savings would be:

ZK1,538,157,564 + 2,556,563,100 + 1,395,687,384
=
ZK5,490,408,048.

Other savings associated with the foregoing positions

would be in the form of payments currently made by the
government for housing, phones, buildings, office
supplies, automobiles, gasoline, water, and electricity.

Civil servants in ministries to be abolished or merged

should be encouraged to seek early retirement with full
benefits. Professional and skilled civil servants should be
re-deployed in the new government ministries or
agencies.

Government Agencies:
The functions of government ministries would need to
be complemented by the work of several autonomous
government agencies, such as the Zambia Revenue
Authority, Anti-Corruption Commission, Electoral
Commission of Zambia, Human Rights Commission,
Zambia Public Procurement Authority, and the National
Science and Technology Council.

For reasons of cost, each of the autonomous government

agencies should be managed by a small group of
technocrats, and should be expected to enhance the
national government’s ability to meet the changing needs
and expectations of the people nationwide.

Elimination of Sinecures:
There is a need to reduce the number of Zambia’s
foreign embassies by having clusters of countries to be
served by single embassies, and to abolish the position of
District Commissioner.

Page 9 of 43
And there should be no need to create the position of
Prime Minister. There is really no need to re-introduce a
position that was initiated in 1973 after the creation of a
one-party state and abolished in 1991 upon the re-
introduction of a multi-party system of government. It is
either we have a Republican president or a Prime
Minister, not both, NO!

Consolidation of Services:
There is also a need for service consolidation designed
to yield cost savings, such as the following:

(a) Incorporation of the functions of the Disaster

Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) that is currently
vested in the Office of the Vice-President into the
functions of the Zambia National Service (ZNS).

(b) Creation of an autonomous Bureau of Statistics and

Archives to replace the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and
the National Archives of Zambia (NAZ) so that the new
entity can freely and independently collect, process,
maintain, publish, and archive essential data and
information about our country. And

(c) Detachment of the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) from

the Ministry of Agriculture and conversion of the Agency
into an autonomous body in order for it to perform its
duties without any political meddling or manipulation, and
to broaden its mandate to the provision of assistance to
the needy by incorporating the functions of the Public
Welfare Assistance Scheme currently administered
through the Ministry of Community Development and
Social Services, including the Social Cash Transfer
Scheme.

Decentralization of Power:
A word on decentralization of power to provinces is
perhaps in order at this juncture.

There is a need for us to decentralize economic and

decision-making power to provinces by ensuring that the

Page 10 of 43
72 districts and 9 provinces in the country are
administered by popularly elected district mayors,
provincial governors, provincial secretaries, provincial
treasurers, and provincial police commanding officers and
their deputies, and the abolition of the positions of
appointed Provincial Ministers and Permanent secretaries.

But this should be done cautiously to circumvent the

problems facing some of the highly decentralized
countries like the United States of America, where
localized civil police in the State of Arizona decided to
pursue suspected illegal immigrants between 2008 and
2011 in violation of Federal laws. And in 2010, the semi-
autonomous government in the same State passed
legislation on immigration in violation of Federal law.

Priority 3:
Competent Government Leaders

Clearly, socio-economic conditions in the domestic,

regional and global environments are changing
constantly; they are in a state of flux. As such,
yesterday’s approaches to the resolution of our country’s
problems are not likely to do an effective job; after all,
they have evidently and lamentably failed to do the job in
the past! We, therefore, need leaders who are willing to
develop new attitudes, skills and strategies in order to
wrestle successfully with the complex and volatile socio-
economic conditions of our time.

Accordingly, we should expect all government leaders to

consider themselves as being on job-on-training
regardless of the extent of their previous experience in
politics and governance. And such leaders should be
technocrats, and not clueless figureheads!

Therefore, the citizens we should be considering for top-

level government positions should come from a diversity
of institutional settings – including the Bank of Zambia,
the World Bank, educational and research institutions
within Zambia and in the Diaspora, professional

Page 11 of 43
associations, the civil service, the business sector, and
existing political parties and alliances.

They should be among Zambia’s sons and daughters who

are adjudged to possess the necessary knowledge and
skills relating to the overall missions and objectives of the
government ministries and agencies which they would be
expected to administer.

We should also make an earnest effort to promote the

active participation of women in all spheres and facets of
Zambian society through high-level presidential
appointments at Cabinet and Permanent-Secretary levels.
Also, each of Zambia’s 9 provinces should be well-
represented at Ministerial and Permanent-Secretary
levels.

Priority 4:
Free Life-Saving Healthcare

We should provide free life-saving healthcare to all

Zambians that should be respectful, that should recognize
personal dignity, and that should adequately provide for
personal privacy. And we should also provide for the
following:

(a) Construction of more permanent healthcare facilities

nationwide;

(b) Adequate medicines, medical equipment and

ambulances;

(c) Financing of research designed to find cures for

HIV/AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases;
and

(d) Hiring, training and retention of health personnel.

There is also a need to wage a vicious and relentless war

against HIV/AIDS, malaria, cholera, diarrhoea, cancer,
tuberculosis, whooping cough, and other deadly diseases.

Page 12 of 43
Priority 5:
Free Formal Education

There is a need to abolish examination fees on

inauguration day for all Zambians. Besides, we should
abolish Grade 7 and Grade 9 elimination examinations.
And we should provide for free education through Grade
12 as an initial step in making education more accessible
to all Zambians.

In this endeavor, we are mindful of the following words of

U.S. President Barack Obama, excerpted from his speech
of July 24, 2009 to his fellow American citizens:

“[T]he future belongs to the nation that best educates

its people.”

In March 2007, the National Assembly recognized the

need for such an educational policy by supporting the
need to phase out Grade 7 and Grade 9 final
examinations. But given the current bloated national
government, free education from Grade 1 to Grade 12 will
remain a pipe dream until the people elect leaders who
are committed to the creation of a smaller and more
efficient government.

Here is how we need to maintain the quality of

education after abolishing Grade 7 and Grade 9
elimination examinations:

(a) End-of-term and end-of-year examinations should

continue to be administered to gauge each and every
pupil’s intellectual development.

(b) Results of end-of-year examinations from Grade 1

through Grade 12 should all be depicted on students’
transcripts.

(c) Homework should be mandatory, and should be given

out to each student weekly or fortnightly.

Page 13 of 43
(d) Computer laboratories should be established at all
educational and training institutions, and the computers
should eventually be connected to the Internet.

(e) We should support the planned establishment of The

Teaching Council of Zambia, The National Qualifications
Framework Authority and The Higher Education Authority,
which are designed to monitor, regulate and/or boost the
standard and quality of education and training in the
country.

(f) Government-supported publishers of educational

books should be adequately financed in order to make it
possible for them to have the necessary material and
financial resources to saturate the local market with low-
cost reading materials.

(g) Taxes on all kinds of school supplies and reading

materials should be removed in order to make them more
affordable and provide greater opportunities for citizens
to enhance their knowledge and skills. And

(h) We should make a sustained effort to cater for the

basic needs of the educational system, including: (i)
schools and classrooms that are adequately equipped for
both teaching and learning; (ii) qualified, self-motivated
and well-paid teachers or lecturers in every classroom;
and (iii) competent school administrators on competitive
conditions of service, and adequate office supplies and
fixtures.

And high-school graduates who would obtain a Division 1

should be automatically awarded scholarships upon being
accepted at any Zambian college or university. All other
high-school graduates and working Zambian men and
women wishing to pursue further studies should be
granted with low-interest loans upon being accepted into
classroom-based or correspondence-based study
programs offered within Zambia.

Page 14 of 43
Loan recipients who would graduate with “Distinction”
should be excused of 75% of their debt obligations, while
those who would graduate with “Merit” should be
absolved of 50% of their debt obligations. And all college
and university graduates who would sign contracts to
work in the teaching, healthcare or agricultural
professions within Zambia for at least 4 years should be
absolved of 100% of their debt obligations.

Besides, all citizens who would graduate from Zambian

colleges or universities with “Distinction” should be
automatically awarded scholarships to pursue higher
educational or training programs within Zambia or in
foreign countries – that is, upon advising the government
that they are accepted by accredited educational or
training institutions to pursue further studies.

Apart from government loans, we should encourage

commercial banks and other financial institutions
operating in Zambia to consider lending for education as
part of their business. The Indo-Zambia Bank students’
loan scheme launched at Mulungushi University in April
2009 is a good start in this endeavor.

To accommodate primary school leavers in secondary

schools, as well as continuing Grade 9 students, we
should take the following measures:

(a) Provide for immediate expansion of facilities at

secondary schools which do not currently have extra
space for Grades 8 and 10 classes;

(b) Allow interested secondary school teachers destined

for retirement to delay their retirements, as well as hire
more of the trained teachers who are currently
unemployed; and

(c) Step up enrolments in training programs for secondary

school teachers.

Priority 6:

Page 15 of 43
Agriculture and Food Security

We need to boost agricultural production through

government-financed irrigation dams and canals,
continued cattle re-stocking and disease control, free
seeds and fertilizer for 2 years, a seed and fertilizer
subsidy at 50% after 2 years, and zero value-added tax
on all agricultural inputs and raw food.

We should also promote food canning, efficient marketing

of agricultural produce, and agribusiness.

Besides, we should promote agricultural schemes by

municipalities, the civil police, the prison service, the
defence forces, and by educational and training
institutions in order to enhance Zambia’s food security
and self-sufficiency.

And we should revitalize Farmer Field Schools nationwide

to teach integrated plant nutrition in order to enhance soil
productivity through the application of both mineral
fertilizers and organic sources of plant nutrients.

We need to strive to make food readily available and

affordable in order to make “good milile” or “kulya
bulotwe” the norm in each and every Zambian household
within the shortest possible time!

Priority 7:
Economic Growth and Job Creation

We should bolster job creation through heightened

promotion of both private-sector investments and small
business ownership. Moreover, we should reduce interest
rates by 2 percentage points per year over a period of 4
years. Also, we should reduce value-added tax from 16%
to 12.5%.

We should also broaden the PAYE taxable income bands

in order to make income taxes lower and fairer. For

Page 16 of 43
example, we could re-arrange the income bands in such a
way that the tax rates are 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%,
30% and 35% instead of the current 0%, 25%, 30% and
35%. Following are schedules of the current and proposed
income bands and tax rates:

Current Income Bands and Tax Rates:

K0 – 1,000,000 per month 0%
K1,000,001 – K1,735,000 per month 25%
K1,735,001 – K4,200,000 per month 30%
K4,200,001 and above (?) 35%

Proposed Income Bands and Tax Rates:

K0 – K1,000,000 per month 0%
K1,000,001 – K1,500,000 per month 5%
K1,500,001 – K2,000,000 per month 10%
K2,000,001 – K2,500,000 per month 15%
K2,500,001 – K3,000,000 per month 20%
K3,000,001 – K3,500,000 per month 25%
K3,500,001 – K4,000,000 per month 30%
K4,000,001 – and above per month 35%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corporate Tax (maximum): 35%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Value-Added Tax: From 16% to 12.5%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is high time we had a government that will make it

possible for people to keep more of their hard-earned
incomes for investment, savings and consumption! This is
one of the practical ways in which we can stimulate the
national economy and create more jobs. And it is one of
the practical ways in which we can broaden the tax base
by getting more citizens to work who would pay taxes.

Besides, there is a need to:

(a) Achieve at least 5% annual growth in our national

economy’s output the first year, and at least 7% annual
growth thereafter;

Page 17 of 43
(b) Attain at least 2 percentage points annual reduction in
unemployment in the first year, and at least 3 percentage
points annually thereafter;

(c) Attain at least 2% annual growth in per capita income;

and

(d) Attain a 3% growth in exports the first year, and 5%

annual growth thereafter, through an ambitious pro-
motion of non-traditional exports and attractive incen-
tives to local suppliers of products currently being
imported.

We should expect to attain a relatively high annual rate of

inflation of around 20% owing to contemplated reductions
in taxes and interest rates intended to stimulate both the
supply of goods and services and the demand for goods
and services in order to bolster job creation and economic
growth. In this regard, we need to reverse the current
emphasis on stabilizing inflation at the expense of job
creation and economic growth.

By the way, the attainment of single-digit inflation is a

target that is appropriate for countries which have
already achieved a high level of job creation and socio-
economic development. Zambia is clearly not one of such
countries!

A word concerning the taxation of mining operations

is perhaps in order at this juncture. Currently, mining
companies are taxed as follows:

(a) 3% mineral royalty on income (that is, earnings) from

copper sales;

(b) 30% corporate profit tax on profits declared after

deducting costs and mineral royalties;

(c) 15% variable profit tax on all taxable income (that is,
profits) earned that exceed 8% of copper sales;

Page 18 of 43
(d) Deduction of 25% of expenditures on machinery and
equipment from taxable income per year once a mining
project starts operating;

(e) 15% income tax on foreign companies and expatriate

consultants providing services to locally based mining
companies; and

(f) Mining companies cannot deduct from taxable income

on a profitable mining site its capital expenditure on
another mining site.

There is dissatisfaction among some segments of

Zambian society that this taxation regime does not
provide for adequate contribution of tax revenue by
mining companies to the country’s coffers, and that the
government should not have shelved the idea of a
“windfall tax,” which would have provided for a charge on
the sales of copper for every US$0.50 increase in the
price of copper per pound on international copper
exchanges.

The government, however, wishes to maintain the

existing taxation regime in order to foster the
development of the mining industry.

But it may not be possible for Zambia to devise a new

taxation regime for mining companies without losing its
credibility in the eyes of potential foreign investors.
Besides, there is a risk of legal action by mining
companies against the government if it seeks to institute
changes to the terms of the existing mining contracts.

However, we can start thinking about negotiating a

contract which will increase the mineral loyalty from 3%
to 6% and the income tax on foreign companies and
expatriate consultants providing services to locally based
mining companies from 15% to 20%, leaving the other
tax provisions at current rates, and without the
contentious windfall tax.3% to 5%.

Page 19 of 43
We could also provide for a mining company to deduct
from taxable income on a profitable mining site its capital
expenditure on another mining site in order to induce the
re-investment of profits by mining companies on Zambian
soil.

This, of course, is not to overlook the fact that the country

has not benefited much from mining operations over the
years due to low copper prices – a fact which has belied
what has often been said about our beloved country: that
she was born with a copper spoon in her mouth!

In matters relating to the economy and job creation, there

is a need to seek the active involvement of the Zambia
Association of Manufacturers, the Zambia Association of
Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Economic
Association of Zambia, the Civil Society for Poverty
Reduction, the Zambia Federation of Employers, and the
labor movement in the provision of decision inputs.

The Minister for Commerce and Industry should be

expected to liaise with representatives of these orga-
nizations at the beginning of his/her tenure of office to
outline the modalities for their involvement in this
endeavor.

We should also support all fields of entrepreneurial

endeavor—that is, manufacturing, construction,
agriculture, mining, retailing, wholesaling, and services.
Preferential treatment should, however, be accorded to
investments in the local production of building materials,
hardware, and agricultural machinery and equipment.

In all, we need to create what may be referred to as a

“social welfare state” – that is, a dynamic free-market
system that has a human face; or, more precisely, a
socio-economic setting that simultaneously provides for a
highly competitive business system and an effective
mechanism for re-distributing wealth to the needy.

Page 20 of 43
A comment regarding the rampant casualization of
labor in Zambia today is perhaps in order at this
juncture.

It has become common practice for companies to hire

employees on part-time and temporary conditions of
employment in order to circumvent the costs associated
with catering for employees’ housing, medical, vacation,
terminal, and other benefits that are normally accorded to
permanent or full-time employees. Besides, the high level
of unemployment in the country has made desperate job
seekers to willingly accept casual employment.

Moreover, the low incomes earned by individuals who are

employed on permanent conditions of service have
contributed to the casualization of labor by prompting
such individuals to actively seek part-time jobs in order to
supplement their low incomes.

As a result, a lot of Zambians today are subjected to a

high level of job insecurity, unstable incomes and lack of
medical, housing and other employment-related benefits.
To redress the rampant casualization of labor, we should:

(a) Create more jobs through lower taxes and interest

rates designed to induce investments, savings and
consumption in order to make job seekers less vulnerable
to employers of casual workers.

(b) Provide for low-interest loans to small business

prospectors and practitioners through the Zambia
Development Agency in order to lessen the over-reliance
by Zambians on employment in corporations.

(c) Reduce the costs borne by companies in providing for

fringe benefits to their full-time employees through free
life-saving healthcare for all Zambians, government-
financed low-cost housing schemes, and improvements in
social security and unemployment benefits. And

Page 21 of 43
(d) Ensure that labor-related laws and regulations are not
flouted by employers.

Priority 8:
Transportation Infrastructure

Zambia urgently needs a well-developed transportation

infrastructure and adequate transportation services to
commercial, industrial and residential areas – including an
efficient inter-modal and safe network of air, road,
railway, and water transportation.

We, therefore, need to invest massively in creating an

efficient, inter-modal and safe network of ground and air,
road and railway transportation. Also, we should develop
malleable stretches of the Zambezi, Kafue, Luangwa and
other sizable perennial rivers for water transportation –
including the proposed Shire-Zambezi Waterway involving
Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.

There is a symbiotic relationship between the state of a

country’s transportation system and the level of its socio-
economic development. High per capita income,
extensive distribution of income, and increased
production and consumption of goods and services, for
example, are not likely to be realized without a modern,
highly developed transportation system. In short,
transportation development and economic development
are strongly correlated and, as such, they need each
other.

Meanwhile, a great number of Zambians today are highly

stressed by having to walk long distances to and from
work or school mainly because they cannot afford to pay
exorbitant bus fares. We should make local travel – in
both rural and urban areas – more affordable to low-
income families by facilitating the manufacture and
nationwide distribution of low-cost bicycles, motor cycles
and related replacement parts by both local and foreign
investors. In this endeavor, we should provide for the
following:

Page 22 of 43
(a) A five-year suspension of taxes on bicycles, bicycle
bells and reflectors, bicycle spare parts, and cyclist
helmets;

(b) A set of special inducements for the local manufacture

of bicycles, bicycle parts and cyclist helmets in the form
of low-interest loans and tax incentives; and

(c) A nationwide program designed to create safe

roadside pedestrian and cycle routes in areas which have
a high level of automobile traffic, and erection of secure
bicycle stands in shopping areas and schools for chaining
bicycles.

Priority 9:
Sustainable Rural Development

We should foster development in rural areas through

attractive incentives for investors in such areas. And we
should provide adequate public services and facilities in
such areas – including police protection, an inter-modal
road network, postal services, fire protection, low-cost
housing, electricity, and access to clean water, as well as
educational, vocational, recreational,
telecommunications, and healthcare facilities.

Priority in providing for these essential public services and

facilities should be given to resettlement schemes
nationwide.

We should also streamline the process of issuing title

deeds and make it possible for the deeds to be issued in
the shortest possible time.

Priority 10:
Affordable Water and Electricity

We should provide for strict and direct governmental

superintendence over the supply of water and electricity

Page 23 of 43
to facilitate the charging of lower re-connection fees and
lower rates and tariffs by utility companies, as well as
provide for rapid rural electrification and accessibility to
clean drinking water nationwide.

In this endeavor, we need to initiate cost-cutting

measures to be adopted by suppliers of water and
electricity as follows:

(a) We should work with executives of water supply and

sewerage companies in devising a standard and lean
organization structure to be adopted by the companies,
except private providers that exclusively serve their
employees;

(b) We should provide for a forum at which utility

companies would be afforded the opportunity to suggest
viable ways and means by which the government could
facilitate the process of making public utilities less costly
to consumers;

(c) We should require all public utility companies to find

ways and means of reducing marketing, public relations
and administrative costs, and to seek low-cost suppliers
of machinery, equipment, sub-contracted services, office
fixtures and supplies, and so forth; and

(d) We should discourage public utility companies from

sponsoring competitive sporting teams or games.

We cannot talk about electricity without considering other

important sources of energy. Among other things, we
should provide for attractive incentives to the private
sector to engage in the exploration and/or supply of other
forms of renewable and environmentally friendly sources
of energy – including natural gas, solar energy, wind-
generated electricity, methanol, ethanol, and propane.

Moreover, we should work with the Zambia Association of

Manufacturers, Zambia Association of Chambers of
Commerce and Industry and oil marketing companies in

Page 24 of 43
designing a mechanism for pricing diesel, petrol, jet fuel,
kerosene, bitumen, and related products that will take
into account the needs of the transportation,
manufacturing and agricultural sectors, among others.

We should also seriously consider the prospect of either

reducing or completely phasing out the Strategic Reserve
Fee and value-added tax on sources of energy.

Priority 11:
State-Financed Housing Schemes

There is a need for a new “Ministry of Lands and Public

Housing,” which should incorporate all existing national
public housing programs, including the National Housing
Authority (NHA). Its mandate should include the following
functions:

(a) Provision for home-ownership schemes for civil

servants and low-income families to be financed through
low interest mortgages;

(b) Provision of low-cost rental housing units for low-

income families nationwide;

(c) Stipulation of fair eligibility requirements to be met by

applicants for low-income rental public housing;

(e) Generation of rules of occupancy, and determination

of rental and other related charges; and

(f) Derivation of a grievance procedure and guidelines for

resolving any and all the issues and matters relating to
non-compliance with this requirement. (The grievance
procedure and guidelines to be devised should be
consistent with the principles of due process and non-
discrimination.)

Community Service Requirement:

Each and every adult resident in a rental public
housing unit should contribute sixteen (16) hours per

Page 25 of 43
month of community service within the local community
in which he/she resides. Exemptions to this requirement
should be considered for residents who would meet the
following conditions or criteria:

(a) 55 years of age or older;

(b) Physically or mentally disabled;

(c) Primary caretaker of a disabled person, or a child who

is under seven (7) years of age;

(d) Attending school, a program of study or training; or

(e) Employed on a temporary, part-time or full-time basis.

Access to Rental Public Housing:

Priority in the allocation of rental public housing units
shall be given to bona fide Zambian citizens in the
following order, and on a first-come-first-serve basis:

(a) Homeless widows who have minor dependants and/or

their own minor children;

(b) Homeless married couples who have minor

dependants and/or their own minor children;

(c) Widows who live in sub-standard housing units, and

who have minor dependants and/or their own minor
children;

(d) Married couples who live in sub-standard housing

units, and who have minor dependants and/or their own
minor children;

(e) Any bona fide citizen who is homeless;

(f) Any bona fide citizen who resides in a sub-standard

housing unit; and

Page 26 of 43
(g) Any citizen who may wish to rent a public housing
unit.

(Note: The term “sub-standard housing units” is used

above to refer to residential quarters which do not have
piped water, electrical power and modern toilets.)

Squatter Compounds:
We should prohibit forced relocation of squatter
compounds nationwide until: (a) low-cost public housing
units are made available through the Ministry of Lands
and Public Housing; and (b) site and service areas
designated by local authorities for re-settlement are furni-
shed with running water, electricity, public transportation
routes and portals, and other essential public services
and facilities.

To bolster the availability of low-cost building materials

nationwide, we should provide attractive incentives
designed to induce investments in the production of
cement, timber, window panes and frames, paint, bricks,
roofing materials, doors and door frames, and
construction equipment.

With respect to street vendors’ makeshift stalls or

“tuntemba,” which have sprang up in town centers across
the country, we should recognize the fact that they are an
important source of income for so many of our fellow
citizens who cannot find jobs in the formal sector. As
such, the government needs to work closely with
municipal authorities and chambers of commerce and
industry to provide secure, hygienic and low-cost retail
stands in town centers, which are the major customer
bases for street vendors.

In this connection, we should welcome the passage of the

Markets and Bus Stations Act Number 8 of 2007, which
places the control of markets and bus stations under
management boards consisting of representatives of local
authorities, marketeers, bus operators, consumers, and
other relevant stakeholders. The Act will certainly enable

Page 27 of 43
consumers, vendors and other stakeholders to participate
actively in making decisions that have a bearing on their
socio-economic welfare.

Priority 12:
The Fight against Social Vices

The Scourge of Corruption:

We need to resolutely and relentlessly fight corruption
because it has subverted the political process in our
beloved country; it has thwarted economic growth and
stability; it has undermined honest enterprise; it has
discouraged foreign direct investment; it has tarnished
Zambia’s image; and it has eroded the country’s moral
fiber.

But like any other problem confronting us today,

corruption cannot be effectively fought without first
understanding its causes. Since independence, the
causes of corruption in Zambia have included the
following: an unstable political setting; regular reshuffles
of political appointees; a weak legislative system; a weak
judicial system; excessive, cumbersome and/or rigid
administrative routines and procedures; inadequate
wages, salaries and fringe benefits; and delayed payment
of wages and salaries by the government.

We should, therefore, bring corruption under control

through:

(a) Sustained political will and zero tolerance of the

scourge;

(b) Streamlined administrative and bureaucratic

procedures;

(c) Provision of adequate remuneration to civil servants

and public officials;

(d) Compulsory ethics education in educational and

training institutions;

Page 28 of 43
(e) Passage of strict pieces of legislation designed to
prevent conflicts of interest in institutional settings;

(f) Limitation of recourse to immunity by public officials

and business leaders and their organizations;

(g) Fostering the development of a free press to facilitate

the exposure of unscrupulous activities in institutional
settings;

(h) Provision for an anti-graft hotline for individuals and

organizations to report acts of corruption anonymously or
otherwise;

(i) Strict enforcement of the code of conduct established

by the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct Act
(1994) for deputy ministers, Cabinet ministers and
members of the National Assembly; and

(j) Active participation in bilateral and multilateral

conventions, protocols and declarations designed to fight
corruption, particularly in the areas of prevention,
prosecution, asset recovery, and international
cooperation in generating rules for extraditing alleged
fugitive perpetrators of corrupt practices.

Other Social Vices:

We should also combat other forms of crime and social
vices nationwide by allocating more money to police units
to enhance their capabilities in terms of communications,
transportation, bullet-proof vests, night-vision goggles,
security cameras for installation in town centers and on
major roads and streets, and other forms of crime-fighting
gadgets and equipment.

Moreover, we should build, as well as provide for the

electrification of, houses for police officers nationwide.
There are just too many law-enforcement officers who are
having a hard time preparing meals and uniforms in

Page 29 of 43
readiness for work due to the lack of electricity in their
houses.

We should also provide for regular recruitment and

training of police officers in order to increase the number
of officers from the current 15,000 or so to around 27,000
officers.

Priority 13:
Caring for Disadvantaged Citizens

We should make an earnest effort to care for adults and

children who are economically and/or physically
disadvantaged through such institutions as the Zambia
Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Children In Need, the
Zambia National Federation of the Blind, the Zambia
Heroes and Freedom Trust, the Salvation Army, the
Zambia Red Cross Society, the Twalumba Senior Citizens
Organization, the Senior Citizens Welfare Foundation, the
Zambia Interfaith Networking Group on HIV/AIDS,
independent operators of orphanages nationwide, and
many other non-governmental organizations and foreign
governments.

With respect to the unemployed youth who are currently

roaming the streets, we should fully and promptly
revitalize the Zambia National Service (ZNS) production
camps and make it possible for them to enroll in
government-financed entrepreneurial and other skills-
training programs to be offered in the camps on a volu-
ntary basis.

The Chiwoko ZNS Camp in Katete, the Kitwe ZNS Camp,

and the Chishimba ZNS Camp in Kasama should
periodically recruit unemployed youth to pursue
vocational training programs – which should include
courses in carpentry, auto-mechanics, agriculture,
bricklaying, plastering, tailoring and designing, and shoe-
making and repairing. The vacated refugee camps dotted
across the country could also be utilized for skills-training
purposes.

Page 30 of 43
Graduates from skills-training centers should be
encouraged to form joint business ventures, and should
be provided with start-up kits and financial resources
through relevant government ministries, the Youth
Empowerment Program, and the Resettlement
Department of the Office of the Republican Vice
President. And institutions like the King George Centre in
Kabwe should be expanded to accommodate larger
numbers of graduates.

Priority 14:
Garbage Collection and Disposal

Zambia’s towns and cities are currently experiencing

serious problems at all stages of solid-waste management
– that is, the collection, sorting, transportation, and
disposal of garbage. Unfortunately, the accumulated
garbage in our midst is a very serious health hazard. For
instance, piles of uncollected solid-wastes facilitate the
formation of pools of stagnant water and create breeding
grounds for mosquitoes and, as such, dispose residents to
the deadly malaria parasite.

Besides, outbreaks of cholera, meningitis and other

contagious diseases in the country have been directly
linked to the absence of effective solid-waste disposal
systems, together with the lack of potable water in some
communities and unhygienic street-vending of foodstuff.

We should, therefore, provide for adequate financial

grants and incentives to local municipal councils and
private organizations in order to facilitate the regular
collection and recycling of solid wastes, the production of
biodegradable products which can naturally break down
into elements that are less harmful upon being discarded,
and the manufacturing of reusable products and parts of
products.

Priority 15:

Page 31 of 43
The Fragile Natural Environment

We should provide adequately for the financial and

material needs of the Environmental Council of Zambia,
created under the Environmental Protection and Pollution
Control Act of 1990 to protect the environment and
control pollution in order to provide for the health and
welfare of persons and the environment. We need to
make it possible for the Council to perform its mandate of
coordinating environmental management efforts
nationwide, fostering awareness about the need to
protect the fragile natural environment, and enforcement
of regulations pertaining to the control and prevention of
air, water and solid-waste pollution.

Priority 16:
Libraries and the Internet

We should expect provincial governments to provide and

run public libraries in their areas of jurisdiction. The
national government needs to bolster the efforts of
provincial governments in this endeavor through
sustained financial and material support. And we should
strive to narrow the gap between Zambians who have
access to the Internet and those who do not have access
to such a facility by making the Internet available at
centrally located public libraries nationwide.

The Zambia Information and Communications Technology

Authority (ZICTA) needs to play an important role in this
endeavor.

Priority 17:
Reformation of the Public Media

We should open up the Zambia Daily Mail, Times of

Zambia, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
(ZNBC), and the Zambia News and Information Services
(ZANIS) in order to make it possible for all segments of
Zambian society to articulate their needs, demands,

Page 32 of 43
concerns, and aspirations through them. We should not
allow the government to continue to maintain a monopoly
over the use of public media institutions. It is high time
we made it possible for all segments of Zambian society
to gain fair access to such institutions!

In the medium term, there will be a need to break up the

public media through privatization. The role of a free
press in the creation of a system of governance in which
accountability, transparency, rule of law, and public
participation in governmental decision making cannot
perhaps be overemphasized. We should not expect our
multi-party democracy to function effectively without
such a system of governance.

There is also a need for the government to operationalize

the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in order for
the broadcasting media to be regulated by an
independent body, and to enact the Freedom of
Information (FoI) Bill and make it possible for journalists
to access information that is vital to both the media and
members of the public.

Besides, there is a need to create a truly independent

“Public Broadcasting Corporation” designed to provide for
the following:

(a) Coverage of parliamentary and judicial proceedings;

(b) Regular broadcasts of Zambian, African and world

news;

(c) Non-partisan and non-sectarian educational, cultural

and informational programs to be generated by ministries
and government agencies;

(d) Coverage of sporting events and ceremonial activities;

and

Page 33 of 43
(e) Programming of government-censored movies and
music which do not have the potential to promote moral
decay in our country.

The effective checks and balances we seek to introduce

into our system of government are not possible in a
political setting where the government is a prominent
player in the fourth estate – that is, the media.

On the other hand, members of the private media need to

be professional and responsible if they are to play an
important role in exposing abuses of power and
deficiencies in governance. They, for example, need to
avoid statements or actions that are demeaning,
inflammatory and/or harmful to others.

Press freedom carries with it a great deal of responsibility

on the part of journalists; it is, therefore, important to
remember that other societal members have fundamental
and constitutional rights which need to be safeguarded,
too. In shorthand, a journalist’s freedom to report on any
given issue ends where societal members’ rights also
come into play – such as the right to privacy.

It is also essential for journalists to guard themselves

against engaging in speculation and rumor-mongering.

In all, we should expect the functions of the mass media in

our beloved country to include the following:

(a) To serve as a watchdog to the three organs of

government – that is, the judiciary, the legislature and the
executive;

(b) To inform the public about issues that are of national

interest;

(c) To serve as a medium of communication that

guarantees free and open debate and discussion among
members of society;

Page 34 of 43
(d) To influence public opinion through impartial, balanced
and fair analysis of issues that are of national interest;

(e) To serve the economic system through sponsored

advertisements designed to bring buyers and sellers into
contact with each other; and

(f) To serve as a medium for entertaining the public

through the following: (i) comics, humor columns,
crossword puzzles, sports coverage, and other forms of
entertainment provided by the print media; (ii) movies,
comedy, music, sports commentaries, and other forms of
entertainment provided through television; (iii) music,
comedy, sports commentaries, and other forms of
entertainment provided through radio programming; and
(iv) video games, music, sports coverage, and other forms
of entertainment provided through the Internet.

Priority 18:
Promotion of Zambian Culture

We should make an earnest effort to preserve our count-

ry’s national treasures, including national monuments,
museums, and historical sites through the National
Heritage Conservation Council and a new Ministry for
Culture and Community Services. Besides, we should
promote our cherished cultural and traditional values, as
well as promote traditional music and culture-related
crafts.

Without the cherished cultures and traditions, which our

chieftains nationwide are expected to play a vital role in
preserving for their subjects and for future generations,
we would have been a lost and bogus people.

In this endeavor, we should convert the National Cultural

Centre for Zambia into a self-sustaining and autonomous
agency upon ensuring that it has an adequate sitting
capacity, a modern art gallery, a well-furnished crafts
workshop, a modern and well-equipped photographic and

Page 35 of 43
recording studio, and a modern and well-equipped
printing press.

And we should expect the National Cultural Centre for

Zambia and the National Arts Council to work hand in
hand in promoting culture nationwide.

We should also provide for government subventions to

support the local publication of biographies on notable
citizens in any field of human endeavor. We have an obli-
gation to catalogue the exemplary accomplishments of
our fellow citizens for future generations – outstanding
citizens in sport, politics, journalism, broadcasting, music,
art, business, teaching, science and technology, trade
unionism, the military, law enforcement, social work or
community service, civil rights, and traditional leadership,
among many other facets and spheres of human
endeavor.

The government subventions would also need to be made

available to support the publication of books and booklets
on traditional ceremonies nationwide. And we should
require municipal councils to provide for the naming of
some of the new streets, parks, playgrounds, residential
sites, and public buildings in their areas of jurisdiction
with names of traditional ceremonies or deceased
prominent Zambians.

Priority 19:
Stemming the Brain Drain

The exodus of trained citizens to foreign countries is, no

doubt, one of the major constraints on our beloved
country’s quest for heightened socio-economic
development. Some of the obvious causes of the exodus
of Zambian talent are poor conditions of service, human
rights abuses, nepotism and favoritism, disregard for local
talent, scarcity of jobs, limited access to education, poor
healthcare services, and a high level of crime.

Page 36 of 43
There is a need to pursue initiatives designed to prevent
the exodus of Zambian professionals, including the
following:

(a) Making improvements in education, healthcare, food

security, and crime-fighting;

(b) Adherence to the dictates of good governance;

(c) Introduction of retention allowances for skilled

personnel on government payroll;

(d) Provision for research grants for academic staff in

government-supported educational institutions;

(e) Provision for car-ownership and home-ownership

schemes;

(f) Upward salary adjustments for employees on

government payroll; and/or

(g) Assistance with passages for emigrant citizens wishing

to return to Zambia.

We need to work relentlessly in ensuring that Zambia’s

professional talent is enticed to work locally in order for
such talent to contribute to the development of our
Motherland.

Priority 20:
The New Republican Constitution

From the beginning of the on-going constitutional

process, there has been a general clamor by Zambians
for a completely new Republican constitution. The current
deviation from this expectation is, therefore, autocratic
and a reflection of the political malfeasance which has
become ingrained in our beloved country over the years.
And, by and large, Zambians expect the new Republican
constitution to include the following:

Page 37 of 43
(a) Provision for the appointment of ministers by the
Republican President from among persons qualified to be
elected as members of parliament, but who are not
members of parliament;

(b) Provision for the election of the Republican President

under a system where the winning candidate should
receive not less than 50 percent plus one vote of the valid
votes cast;

(c) Provision for the Republican Vice President to be

elected as a running mate to any citizen seeking to be
elected as Republican President;

(d) Provision for a consultative, transparent and

accountable debt contraction law designed to give power
to Parliament to oversee and approve all loans to be
contracted by the government on behalf of Zambians;
and

(e) Provision for religious neutrality by removing the

declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation and any
related Articles and Clauses.

If these concerns cannot be addressed now, we should

hold the forthcoming tripartite elections under the 1996
constitution in its current form. There is really no wisdom
in trying to push through a constitutional Bill which has so
many contentious issues and inconsistencies.

Priority 21:
Sustained Peace and Stability

We should foster the evolvement of a society in which

people’s rights and freedoms would be fully recognized
and respected by the government through a new Ministry
for Culture and Community Services; and a society in
which political, ethnic, cultural, racial, and religious
diversity would be appreciated, tolerated and celebrated.

Page 38 of 43
Among other things, we should initiate and promote
programs and activities aimed at bolstering national
unity. In this endeavor, we should make an effort to build
on Dr. Kenneth D. Kaunda’s concept of “One Zambia, One
Nation” in order to make our country more cohesive,
more peaceful and much stronger.

One Zambia, One Nation! One Zambia, One Nation! One

Zambia, One Nation!

Tiyende Pamodzi Ndimutima Umo,

(Tiyende Pamodzi Ndimutima Umo)
Tiyende Pamodzi Ndimutima Umo,
(Tiyende Pamodzi Ndimutima Umo)

We should also relentlessly pursue lasting peace and

stability within Zambia and the African Union, as well as
foster sound relations between our beloved country and
all peace-loving nations worldwide.

A Final Word …

What is outlined above are great priorities for our beloved

country; by and large, they reflect any patriotic citizen’s
desire to give our beloved country a fresh start and a new
direction. And they are the kinds of priorities that will
make it possible for our beloved country to lay a new and
strong foundation for a more democratic, more peaceful,
more prosperous, more egalitarian, and more
environmentally sustainable country.

We should, therefore, ask all those who teach our

children, those who take care of the sick, those who
extract and process copper and other minerals, those who
provide transport services, those who create goods and
services in the private sector, those who sell products in
open markets and retail outlets, those who work in the
civil service, those who serve orphaned and vulnerable
children, and those who are currently unemployed to join
and participate actively in this endeavor.

Page 39 of 43
Together, we can realize the benefits of independence,
democracy and economic liberalization by means of
simple, practical and commonsense solutions to the
problems facing our beloved country.

Together, we can make the year 2011 the beginning of a

new era for our beloved country – an era in which the
purpose, the sole purpose, of the government is to
address the needs, concerns and expectations of the
people.

Together, we can close the door to socio-economic decay

and backwardness, and open the door to greater
opportunities and a higher quality of life for all Zambians!

Finally, it is perhaps important to pay tribute to the

pioneers of Zambian politics – including Dr. Kenneth
David Kaunda, the late Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, and
the late Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula. Further, it would be
unfair not to recognize those who have been at the helm
of national leadership since independence – that is, Dr.
Kenneth David Kaunda (Republican President, 1964 –
1991), Dr. Frederick T. J. Chiluba (Republican President,
1991 – 2002), the late Dr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa
(Republican President, 2002 – 2008), and Mr. Rupiah
Bwezani Banda (Republican President, 2008 – 2011).

May God bless you all, and may He also bless our beloved
country.

Thank you.

Page 40 of 43
 Henry Kyambalesa
Founder, AfC Party

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE:
The Time for Excuses Is Over!

Sound long-term planning is essential to our country’s future,

and to the well-being of future generations. But such planning
should be balanced with the needs of our generation because
in the long run, to paraphrase the words of the famous
economist John Maynard Keynes, we are all going to be dead!
For this reason, we have devised the following schedule for
implementing some of our short-term and medium-term
projects and programs to strike a balance between our needs
and expectations, and the needs and expectations of future
generations. The schedule does not include recurrent projects
and programs like investments in healthcare and
transportation infrastructure.

1. Inauguration Day:
(a) Appointment of 12 Cabinet Ministers.
(b)Abolition of the position of District Commissioner.
(c) Abolition of examination fees in formal education.
(d)Abolition of TV licensing and related levies.
(e) Incorporation of the functions of the Disaster
Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) that is
currently vested in the Office of the Vice-President into
the functions of the Zambia National Service (ZNS).
(f) Detachment of the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) from the
Ministry of Agriculture and conversion of the Agency into
an autonomous body in order for it to perform its duties
without any political meddling or manipulation. The

Page 41 of 43
 Agency should be expected to provide assistance to the
needy and, as such, should incorporate the functions of
the Public Welfare Assistance Scheme currently
administered through the Ministry of Community
Development and Social Services, including the Social
Cash Transfer Scheme.
(g) Removal of public assistance to chiefs from the office of
the Republican president and placed under the auspices
of a new Ministry for Culture and Community Services.

2. June 1, 2012:
(a) Privatization of the Times of Zambia (TZ).
(b) Turning of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
(ZNBC) into a public broadcaster not controlled by the
government.
(c) Reduction of Zambian foreign missions, appointment of
diplomats, and re-assignment of countries and regions to
be covered by each mission.
(d)Creation of a fund for assisting orphanages.
(e) Creation of a fund for assisting local organizations which
cater to the needs of handicapped citizens.

3. October 2012:
(a) Start improving infrastructure in schools, colleges,
universities, ZNS camps, and vacated refugee camps.
(b)Start providing free seeds and fertilizer for 2 consecutive
years.
(c) Start upward revisions of compensation packages for
employees on government payroll.

4. January 1, 2013:
(a) Re-arrangement of the income bands in such a way that
the tax rates are 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%
and 35% instead of the current 0%, 25%, 30% and 35%.
(b)Reduction in value-added tax (VAT) from 16% to 12.5%.
(c) Reductions in interest rates by at least 2 percentage
points per year over a period of 4 years.
(d) Payment of all due retirement benefits owed by the
government.
(e) Free healthcare without inhibiting the operations of
private healthcare providers.
(f) Free formal education (up to Grade 12).
(g)Abolition of Grades 7 and 9 elimination examinations for
all school children.

Page 42 of 43
(h) Provision of scholarships to Grade 12 students who
would obtain a Division 1 in order for them to pursue
studies at locally based institutions of higher learning
registered in Zambia.
(i) Provision for low-interest government loans for Grade 12
students who would not obtain a Division 1 to make it
possible for them to pursue studies at locally based
institutions of higher learning registered in Zambia.
(j) Mass enrolment (on a voluntary basis) of street kids and
other pan-handlers into skills training programs at ZNS
and vacated refugee camps.

5. January 1, 2014:
(a) Start the implementation of home ownership schemes
for the police and all civil servants, provision of low-cost
rental housing units for low-income families nationwide,
management of a home-ownership scheme for low-
income families to be financed through low interest
mortgages, and rehabilitation of shanty townships.
(b) Start improving infrastructure in resettlement schemes
nationwide.

6. October 2014:
(a) Revert to the provision of a seed and fertilizer subsidy at
50%.

Page 43 of 43