Claim
On Monday 27th June 2022, Lusaka Times online page reported that the Zamtel Chief Executive Officer, Joshua Malupenga had stated that the state-run network service provider had been put on sale and that government had already found an equity partner for the firm. In the article, Lusaka Times claimed that a source within the corporate firm stated that the Zamtel acting CEO had convened a virtual staff meeting to brief the workers and explain the implications of a recent visit by the Minister of Technology and Science, Hon. Felix Mutati, who allegedly revealed that the government had no intentions of recapitalizing the company as it was making losses. The article further alleged that a source who attended the virtual meeting claimed that Mr. Malupenga directly stated that the decision to sell the company had been taken, and changes by the new equity partners such as job losses were inevitable.
Rating Justification
The fact checking process has determined as false, the claim by Lusaka Times, that the Zamtel CEO had stated that government had put Zamtel on sale and had already found an equity partner to run the state owned entity. A press release by the Zamtel Corporate Communications Office refuted as false, the allegation that in a virtual meeting convened virtual meeting, the Zamtel CEO had stated that Government had decided to sell the parastatal company, and an equity partner had already been found. The statement issued further clarified that the article, which is attributed to an undisclosed person, alleged to have attended the virtual meeting, is false, as at no time during the said virtual meeting did the acting CEO issue, whether directly or indirectly, such a statement. There is therefore no verifiable basis for the claim by Lusaka Times, that the Zamtel CEO had stated that government had put Zamtel on sale and had already found an equity partner.
