As the year comes to a close we reflect on some of the memorable events of 2016. The list may not necessarily be exhaustive but tries to capture the most significant events during a very eventful year.
10. The year 2016 brought with it talk of the International Monetary Fund visit that is supposed to culminate into a recovery. Initially the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visited the country on 18th March, 2016 on a fact finding mission. The IMF team was back in the country in November on the final visit before a deal is hammered out. Government is reportedly seeking a US$1 billion bailout package. Anxieties about the IMF are something that the country will carry on with even in 2017.
9. The country witnessed a spate of ritual killings that were mostly around George and Lilanda Townships.The ritual killings drew ill founded anger toward some foreign nationals that were attacked on rumours that they were behind the killings. Eventually the rumour was duly dispelled when four people, all of them of Zambian nationality were arrested and charged for the killings. The killings happened between 16th March and 17th April 2016 with the four accused charged with seven counts of murder. The four were identified as Luck Siame, Lewis Chishimba Bwalya, Christopher Kasapo and Elvis Nyanga. Among the accused are two army soldiers, a Zambia Air force civilian employee and a traditional doctor.
8. The country also witnessed something of an anathema with women taking the notoriety of killing the men folk in a spate passion crimes. The motives were as diverse as the methods with the most high profile being banker Precious Litebele allegedly pumping five bullets into her husband Akakanda Lubinda on May 19 after a domestic dispute. There was yet another dramatic one of a woman running over her husband with the car while other primitive methods like axing, knifing added to the long list of woman induced murders.
7. On June 20, the country’s largest circulating newspaper The Post was closed by tax authorities over a disputed K52 million debt. It brought a longstanding threat into reality with the law enforcement agencies taking over the premises. The matter is still under the courts of law with a provisional liquidator having been appointed in Lewis Mosho. Some former employees have moved a motion to wind up operations so that they reclaim their money with the legal process in motion. Owner Fred M’membe is not going down without a fight and has re-incarnated the paper The Mast with his wife as the proprietor.
6. On January 5, President Edgar Lungu assented the amended constitution bringing to an end the drawn out debate about the constitution. It was to be the first time a Head of State signed the highly volatile document that along the way knocked out some high profile names from being eligible for elections on account of not having the requisite Grade 12 certificate. Many other clauses in the country’s most sacred document are still wrecking havoc in the political circle.
5. There can never be any talk about the year 2016 without referring to the high profile dismissal of Chishimba Kambwili as Information Minister. Ironically Kambwili had been the last minister to be re-appointed after President Edgar Lungu won the August 11 elections and then also became the first one to be fired. For a man who barefacedly says that he is PF and PF is him there was not going to be silence over his dismissal. The drama keeps popping up and given his penchant for courting controversy, it could be a long way before this chapter is closed.
4. With so much gloom in the football platform, the Zambia Under-20 national team gave the country a little joy by winning the Cosafa Castle Cup for the 11th time giving FAZ president Andrew Kamanga some breather from some of his sworn critics that have never rested bashing him from the time he took office. More than just winning the Cosafa trophy the Under-20 provided the catalyst as the country prepares for the Africa Cup next year to be hosted by Zambia. On the cards is a fight for a place in the top four to qualify for the World Cup in South Korea later in the year.
3. Few will forget outpouring emotions in the post August 11 elections that have seen losing candidate Hakainde Hichilema on the legal battle front since the winner was announced. Political archivists will list this as his fifth loss at the ballot having come short in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2016 and is still gunning for a record sixth attempt. The newly created Constitutional Court threw out the Presidential petition after the 14 days window lapsed. The process was mired in constitutional arguments that rendered many clauses in the amended constitution ambiguous. Since then Hichilema and his running mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba have never left the court room shuttling among courts that hold a promise for recourse. And they have not hidden the fact that should they exhaust the local options, the UPND will take the petition to international courts.
2. Something of a tsunami happened at Football House where business magnate Andrew Kamanga defeated incumbent Kalusha Bwalya in the race for FAZ president. Bwalya was going for a third term at the helm of the Zambian game but was shown the door by councillors having lost by 163 to 156 votes. The pattern was reminiscent of what had happened in the global game where the corruption ridden Sepp Blatter era was brought to a crashing end. Kamanga has yet to completely weed out some offshoots of corruption from the previous era with some fighting hard to return the old order where business was conducted on a cash basis.
1. Of course on the national scale the biggest story was the re-election of President Edgar Lungu after a closely contested poll. The election was held under the 50% plus one vote that was enacted in the new constitution. President Lungu had just come off another gruelling election 20 months before. The election earned him a full five year mandate.
NOTE: The list is by no means exhaustive but a summation of some of the highlights.
Happy New Year!
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