Guest Diggers

E-voucher Delays: How and why they matter
By CUTS on 7 Nov 2019
While much of the country is waiting for rains to cool the current heatwave, many farmers under the e-voucher are hoping they will hold. Our....
2020 Post Budget Analysis: What will next year hold?
By CUTS on 7 Nov 2019
What will next year hold? Making predictions can make a fool of any of us. But, as the dust settles on the 2020 budget which....
Ministerial statement on 51 houses raises more questions
By Rueben Lifuka on 31 Oct 2019
Transparency International Zambia has followed with keen interest the investigations into the ownership of initially 48 and now 51 houses in Chalala area. Following the....
Goal driven businesses
By Chibamba Kanyama on 22 Oct 2019
Before you consider financing your business, ensure that both your personal and business goals are clearly defined. Even in putting up a business plan that....
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Business Risks in Livestock Farming Enterprises in Zambia
By Chisoni Mumba, PhD on 20 Oct 2019
Livestock farming is an investment which most of us venture in because we have seen and heard how successful other farmers are doing. I have....
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Load shedding: The underlying causes that we are overlooking
By Douty Chibamba on 19 Oct 2019
In its press release of September 19 2019, the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) Limited informed the citizenry that the hours of loading shedding would....
The Proposed 2019 Constitution Amendment Bill: A Threat to Zambia’s Democracy?
By Felicity Kayumba Kalunga on 18 Oct 2019
1. Introduction Zambia is in the process of amending its constitution for the fifth time since independence in 1964. The most recent change occurred in....
Opinion: The world mustn’t sleep-walk into another debt crisis
By Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General on 17 Oct 2019
Trade wars, protectionism, and nationalist rhetoric are combining to create the possibility of a nightmare debt crisis that could be worse than any previously experienced.....
Inside President Edgar Lungu’s SONA: What went Right?
By Simon Manda, PhD on 16 Oct 2019
Many judges of have characterised President Edgar Lungu’s State of the National Address (SONA, themed ‘Accelerating Sustainable Development for a Better Zambia Amidst the Impact....
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The Perils of Elitism in Zambian Politics and Economics
By Simon Manda, PhD on 14 Oct 2019
This feature argues that tendencies to curtail comments on the Zambia economy by some social commentators highlight a worrying trend of possibilities of elitism in....
Vaccinate to Eliminate: Rabies kills, kill rabies!
By Chisoni Mumba, PhD on 30 Sep 2019
28th September is World Rabies Day. It takes place each year on this date, the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur who, with the....
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How the razing of Forest 27 threatens the survival of Lusaka’s inhabitants
By Douty Chibamba on 25 Sep 2019
‘Water is Life, Conserve it!’ is the marketing slogan of the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC). What this slogan obscures, however, is the point....
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Time: a non-renewable resource
By Chibamba Kanyama on 25 Sep 2019
Business acumen may mean making business decisions on time. Time is an important business value in the life of an entrepreneur! Time is more than....
Prepare for opportunity
By Chibamba Kanyama on 25 Sep 2019
Opportunity is not only in supplying goods and services but in making investments. When you see an opportunity hanging, you respond by making an investment.....
Parastatals can be revived if…
By Chibamba Kanyama on 25 Sep 2019
In the past 17 months, my company Bridges Limited has closely worked with a number of State Owned Enterprises: developing business and strategic plans, building....
Arrears: Real Business Demon
By Chibamba Kanyama on 25 Sep 2019
When I asked my accounts manager to give me a summary of outstanding liabilities, with the hope of clearing them on one transaction, I was....
Resilience defines Zambian businesses
By Chibamba Kanyama on 25 Sep 2019
I was at the Latitude 15 Degrees Restaurant last week sharing notes with a group of American Fund Managers monitoring the performance of the economy.....
Judiciary has the right to make submissions to ‘Bill 10’ committee
By McQueen Zenzo Zaza on 23 Sep 2019
(The views expressed below represent my personal opinion and are not attributable to any organization or institution I may be affiliated with). The Judiciary Arm....

The Type of Permanent Secretary we Need in the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock

By Chisoni Mumba, PhD on 22 Sep 2019

On 3rd September 2019, President Lungu made reshuffles at Permanent Secretary (PS) level. He indicated that he would not renew the contract of the current....

Xenophobic Attacks and Failure of National Politics in South Africa

By Simon Manda, PhD on 16 Sep 2019

This current feature argues that xenophobic attacks in South Africa (henceforth SA) are unfortunate but help highlight three fundamental issues. First is that challenges facing....

Hunger or No Hunger: Two Wrongs don’t make Right

By Simon Manda, PhD on 7 Sep 2019

This feature makes an argument that the prospects for a comprehensive way forward around hunger situation in Zambia are slender at the moment but reside....

Children’s lives matter

By pilAto/ Fumba Chama on 7 Sep 2019

The recent Human Rights Watch report exposes a disaster that has for so many years been hidden from the attention of the public. This is....

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the Livestock Subsector in Zambia

By Chisoni Mumba, PhD on 17 Aug 2019

This is a follow-up to the News Diggers article published on 26th July, titled, “A welcome message for Prof Luo: Possible Holistic Strategy for Transforming....

Improve State Owned Enterprises performance to tackle high debt

By CUTS on 4 Aug 2019

The government whole or partially owns State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and is therefore responsible for the financial liabilities of these companies. If allowed to escalate,....

Public Financial Management Reforms: a key step in tackling Zambia’s debt situation

By Kangwa Muyunda on 3 Aug 2019

Recently, the President, His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu, held an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the state of the economy. This included a focus on....

Don’t threaten whistleblowers, give us clear, tangible roadmap for wiping out corruption

By Rueben Lifuka on 31 Jul 2019

President Edgar Lungu’s pronouncements made during the swearing in of the ACC Commissioners cannot go without comment and as Transparency International Zambia, we wish to....

A Welcome Message for Prof Luo: Possible Holistic Strategy for Transforming the Livestock Sub-sector in Zambia

By Dr Chisoni Mumba, PhD on 28 Jul 2019

I wish to start by congratulating Prof. Nkandu Luo for the appointment as Minister of Fisheries and Livestock. Congratulations madam! You have a big task....

The crisis of University Education in Zambia

By Prof Muna Ndulo on 21 Jul 2019

Human capital enables countries to harness skills, knowledge, and innovation to grow their economies and improve the well-being of their citizens. The significance of education....

Preparation key in Realising Fiscal Benefits of the E-voucher

By Ishmael Zulu on 10 Jul 2019

Earlier this month, the Government through the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) announced that preparations for the FISP for the 2019/2020 farming season were underway putting....

Village Chicken Rearing in Zambia: A Hobby or Business?

By Dr Chisoni Mumba, PhD on 22 Jun 2019

Currently, there is inexplicable hype for village chicken rearing in Lusaka and other urban areas. What are the drivers behind this hype? Is it because....

Reducing Food waste: Don’t buy more than you can consume!

By Chewe Chishala on 22 Jun 2019

The recent cyclone Idai which affected Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi left almost 2 million people needing emergency help, killed over a thousand people and left....

Keep it simple!

By Chibamba Kanyama on 11 Jun 2019

We use big words in business but the bottom-line remains that a business exists to make money. A plane is a plane. We have single....

An encounter with Henk Mulder, ZANACO boss

By Chibamba Kanyama on 28 May 2019

I had met him a few times before when he came to officially open training programmes in which my company, Bridges Limited, was involved. However,....

Why Farmers and MPs Prefer The E-voucher: The Case for Full Rollout

By Guest Digger on 22 May 2019

In 2018, CUTS found that 58% of e-voucher users prefer the e-voucher to the traditional FISP; last week we met with farmers who confirmed that....

Why Farmers and MPs Prefer The E-voucher: The Case for Full Rollout

By Ishmael Zulu on 22 May 2019

In 2018, CUTS found that 58% of e-voucher users prefer the e-voucher to the traditional FISP; last week we met with farmers who confirmed that....

Timely payment of suppliers defines your business reputation

By Chibamba Kanyama on 21 May 2019

In 2017, a couple of months after my arrival from my assignment at the International Monetary Fund, Steven Din, the Chief Executive Officer of Konkola....

Public Order Act must go

By Dr Munyonzwe Hamalengwa on 19 May 2019

The Public Order Act must go. Offensive sections to the freedom of assembly, association and speech had been struck down by the Supreme Court of....

Unresolved theft scandals worsening donor confidence

By Rueben Lifuka on 16 May 2019

The recent statement by the British High Commissioner- Fergus Cochrane- Dyet that all direct funding from the UK government to Zambia, remains suspended following the....