COUNTERFEIT ZAMBIAN KWACHA A GROWING PROBLEM

Zambia faces a growing problem of counterfeit Zambian currency. In the past three weeks several people have been arrested in connection with the possession or printing of the currency.

In Ndola, on the Copperbelt three people were arrested in possession of ZMK66.6 million (about US$13,200) while in Chipata Eastern Zambia another three persons were arrested with ZMK15,000,000 (about US$3,000). Most counterfeits are in ZMK50,000 (US$10) and ZMK20,000 (US$4) bills.

Apart from the ZMK counterfeits in US$ have been confisticated and the latest of US$500,000 (ZMK2.5 billion) was confiscated in Nakonde last month.

Times They are a Changing

True that times they are a changing
I last posted on this blog in 2006 and many things have happened since. In 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections took place. Michael Sata nearly won - I say nearly won because the results appeared to point that way.

But for the little apparent help from The Post newspaper when it published results that showed Levy Mwanawasa leading and winning the election. Nothing wrong with that except the source - if it was the Electoral Commission of Zambia then all media should have had them. But no, only The Post newspaper and some members of the public smelt a rat.

The publication infuriated Sata and his supporters in the Patriotic Front. As my posting of 2006 show, they protested while Sata attacked the managing director Fred Mmembe.

But Zambia's political history is short or rather Zambians generally have short memories on political matters. In the 2008 presidential by elections The Post newspaper and Michael Sata were bosom friends against Rupiah Banda. That is another story that will need a separate address.