HONOURABLE KAFWAYA SAYS ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY IS “COLLAPSED” AS POLITICAL CONTROVERSIES MOUNT
By Brian Matambo – Sandton, South African
DEATH AT A PROMINENT FARM
On Emmanuel Mwamba Verified (EMV), Lunte Member of Parliament and former Minister of Transport and Communications, Honourable Mutotwe Kafwaya, delivered a blistering critique of the United Party for National Development (UPND) government, tying together three crises that have unsettled Zambia in recent weeks.
He first addressed the brutal killing of 22-year-old Enock Simfukwe, who died after being beaten and tortured at a farm linked to Maria Zaloumis, popularly known as “Zed Farmer,” the daughter of Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson, Mwangala Zaloumis. Despite a leaked video showing her present at the scene, police quickly ruled her out as a suspect, sparking widespread outrage. “If a death occurs at your farm, and you are present and fail to stop it, you are a co-conspirator,” Ambassador Mwamba said, echoing public sentiment that the police may be shielding the powerful.
Honourable Kafwaya called the case a reflection of deeper systemic rot. “Justice which is not balanced, justice which is not taking everybody to account, is shameful for government. Zambia needs to return to a system that offers fairness and support to its people,” he said.
HICHILEMA’S SON AND THE ARMY CONTROVERSY
The broadcast also revisited the controversy surrounding President Hakainde Hichilema’s son, Lieutenant Habwela Hichilema, who was quietly recruited and commissioned as an officer in the Zambia National Service under a concealed name. The government initially claimed he was part of a voluntary training scheme, only later admitting he was a regular officer.
“The problem is not the young man’s choice of career,” Honourable Kafwaya argued, “but the duplicity of the father.” He noted the president had publicly promised none of his children would serve in the public sector, only for evidence to show otherwise. “Most of his pronouncements never come true. He promised cheap fuel, he promised unity, but none of those promises have become a reality,” Kafwaya said, warning that such contradictions erode public trust.
A COLLAPSED ECONOMY
On the economy, Honourable Kafwaya dismissed government claims of stability and growth, calling Zambia’s situation “terrible” and “collapsed.” He highlighted company closures, job losses, and the crippling impact of up to 19 hours of daily load-shedding. “There is literally no business in our country. Our economy has collapsed,” he said, pointing to the closure of manufacturing firms and the export of copper concentrates as policies that destroy local jobs and revenue.
He accused UPND of reckless spending, noting that in four years it had spent 872 billion kwacha, more than double the 443 billion kwacha spent by the Patriotic Front in a similar period, yet delivered “no tangible development.” He criticized the absence of published audits at the Ministry of Health and ZAMMSA, alleging massive corruption and financial leaks. “At the same time UPND has allowed billions of dollars to fly out of the country through illicit financial flows. Until accountability is restored, Zambia will not develop,” he warned.
CALL FOR OPPOSITION UNITY
Honourable Kafwaya closed with a call for opposition parties to unite under a single front. “There is no question about that. We must demonstrate unity in the PF and invite other parties to join forces so that we can remove UPND, which has doubled spending and done nothing,” he said, confirming that he remains in the race for Patriotic Front presidency ahead of the party’s convention.
Callers from Zambia, the UK, and Botswana echoed his concerns, pressing for opposition coordination, accountability in Parliament, and reforms to reduce presidential powers. Ambassador Mwamba concluded the broadcast by framing the 2026 elections as “Independence 2.0,” urging Zambians to rescue the nation from economic collapse and political duplicity.