Mines Minister, Yamfwa Mukanga has implored investors in the country to give priority to Zambians when recruiting employees.
Mr. Mukanga said government appreciates every investment in the country but such investments should benefit Zambians in terms of employment opportunities.
He said investors should only think of sourcing expatriate employees only for skills that are not readily available in Zambia.
The minister said jobs whose skills are locally available should be given to Zambians because it is illogical to bring people from outside just to do simple jobs that can easily be done by locals.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Mukanga who is in North-Western province to familiarize himself with the operations of mines, said this after touring Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi yesterday.
Meanwhile, the minister expressed happiness at the massive investment First Quantum Minerals has put up in the Kansanshi mine.
He said government is happy with such massive investment that will drive a lot of production.
Earlier, during a courtesy call, North-Western Province Minister, Josephine Limata said her office is not going to allow people who undermine locals because locals as owners of the land need to be proud of developments going on in their area.
Ms. Limata said traditional leaders also need to have a say in whatever is going on in their chiefdoms for the sake of harmony between locals and investors.
You should not even beg. It should be made into law. And keep an eye on those that keep changing ownership every 5yrs.
The Middle East is developing because resources revolve around the area where raw material is being taken out. In Africa and Zambia in particular it is the opposite. It is no longer true to harp about value addition; we just have weak laws and interestingly benign mindsets.
True that.
locals must be given priority and developmental projects in these areas are a must…schools, clinics, supporting sportetc……its must be mandatory!
Are you sure that skills that are locally available can be tapped by investors, when the position of Vice president can be held by a local person and yet a muzungu masqerading as zambian is their??/
Imwe naimwe a bwidi
Why give the local when they may not be as educates as some of us abroad, Do most locals have an MBA, CIMA , ACCA MSC, and soon PHD?
Thats what I thought, NO
So reward people with great education background such as people like myself
Mr Minister does not sound too clever if you ask me , on this point.
People who are as educated will conquer with me, and those inferior , will very likely oppose me again
Thanks
Mushota,
I think you need a mix of locals and zambians-living-abroad to strike that equilibrium in terms of national debate and national issues such as employment. I agree that some diasporans may have superior education backgrounds and international experience that may be very attractive to the the employers but the local guys know the ins and outs of the terrain and both the locals and diasporans can make a strong team to take our country forward.
Mushota,
It is surprising that with all the qualifications you claim to have you can not differentiate between ‘conquer’ and ‘concur’.
from how many …ministers in this ministry have heard the same words so far…..pliz its time to work ,,,pliz PF no more resuffles…u can do it!!!!
You should have said Bembas should be given priority because they are only one who are given jobs these days and this is the policy of your Government. Stop fooling us.
Mabotu,
You devisive words are injurious my friend. Lets built harmony versus putting a wedge where it should not be. You know that not only bembas are being hired; why would you say that? This type of rumor mongering and inciting the masses is what can bring a country down.
@Mushota, you dont say ” conquer with me”, this is coroquial or outdated but say ” agree with me”,
It is supposed to be ‘concur’ and not ‘conquer’.
Same old song, who has never listened to such an old old song?
HOW STUPID IS IT THAT A GOVT CAN BE BEGGING FOR JOBS FOR ITS OWN CITIZENS IN its OWN COUNTRY??????????
This useless speaches ‘begging’ investors to employee locals are mere refelection of the toothless nature of government (lacking of balls by political leadership). The law is very clear and it protects interests of Zambians at both individual and corperate levels. An expertriate needs a work permit to work in Zambia and this document is processed by the immigration department. One of the basic requirements for approval of work permit is that the applicant (employer) must show that the skills required for the job on offer are not readily available in Zambia. How is it that we have experiate Administrators, engineers,Accounts clerks, foremen and wheelborrow pushers in a number of foreign owned firms (which are registered in Zambia under Zambian law)? Who issues these work permits Minister?
You are spot on Pal! Nonetheless, we do not have Law makers in the making in Parliament. We have spectators droning to the gallary of Rallies such as we have experienced with HH, alas his MP and the Opposition at large. It is a daunting task vested in us the young to turn around the scourge, but we must get to work and be overcomers.
Mines are not obligated to do that so long as its not law, instead of him wasting his breath he should be pushing for such policies in Parliament. In the UK before an employer, sources for the services of a non EU national they have to show proof that the advertised the vacancy in local media channels and proof that no suitable British applicants have met their requirement criteria.
Lets be wary of First Quantum Minerals….it is on a charm offensive and is after 15 year developmental agreements with tax breaks and reduced fixed royalties, from the look of things it seems to be working and very soon this government will sign those documents.Â
@Mushota, it’s not “conquer” but “concur”.
Concur (kunKUR) means to agree.
Conquer (KONker) means to have victory over.
Also, it’s MSc and Phd. Not MSC and PHD.
Finally, put commas and full stops in the right places. Yaba!
Correction, PhD.
The National Council for Construction (NCC) Act makes it very clear under Section 23 that no foreign construction company can under take works in Zambia save with special approval by the responsible minister and where such approval is granted the company concerned shall partner with a Zambian company in executing the works. The reality is that currently 90% of public works (government contracts) are awarded to foreign companies without Zambian participation. If we are so impotent in enforcing the NCC Act is reasonable for a government minister to point fingers at foreign investors?
The many zambians living abroad should be included in this conversation. We need both locals and zambians-living-abroad to work together to build our country. They both bring something to the table. Some of the exptriates hired are less qualified compared to some of the zambians living abroad.
Mutu yo Munsu
That’s very enlightening…so a foreign construction firm can undertake or contest for any government contract provided that it sub-contracts 50% of the works to a local firm? Â
As long as you can’t do your own mining projects, you will always be beggars.
IT’S SIMPLE…SIMPLY CONTROL THE ISSUING OF WORK PERMITS. ALLOW ISSUE FOR THOSE JOBS THAT ARE NOT FOUND ON ZAMBIANS…
I just have one question, Where is president Sata? Can someone please answer me?
Fathers,Mothers and all Zambians forgive the minister as he doesn’t know that there are pipo who have more information and experience than him concerning how to recruit.I agree with Mutu yo Munsu.
The one thing that has eluded our Leadership or People in Government is a failure by them to meet these so called Investors head on. In the first instance, this business of Experts with only previous work experience and a wishy washy skin as the only attainable qualification has failed to bring any meaningful developemnt to Zambia despite the immerse invesment in the recent past. Apart from the capital gateaway, which has continued even under our so called Economists at BOZ to be curbed. Honestly speaking, I am yet to see an Expertriate who has had an impact on a Zambian Worker!!! We are doomed to say the least, with this politicking asking them investors rather literally begging for our birth right, the Zambian Resource. Enact Laws to coerce them to act otherwise, period!
I couldn’t agree with you more..its just painful unpleasant sight!!
Mushota is a dull educated person. You can not spell simple English words but you full of self praise and foul language. Try bitching, at least you will not need to be taught anything.
Mushota its not conquer with me but concur with me….. i doubt yo education…..
I agree with 11. The govt have the tools to control influx of foreign labour through the issuance of work permits. Why can they not do it ? Or do the development agreements with the mining houses give them a free hand or who to employ? Somebody is not being honest here.
For the information of this foolish girl who calls herself Mushota, in a small parastatal that i am working for with about 53 employee 9 of us have either full ACCA, CIMA ZICA, MBA or Similar qualifications. So stop flapping your beak thinking Zambia is short of qualified people. you’re just a big *****.
Ubu ebupuba! How can the entire Minister go to that far place just to talk like a Kinder care child? Ma Rubbish…………!
Jay Jay,
the NCC Act prohibits participation foreign companies in works which Zambian companies have capcity to execute. It is only in cases where local capacity lacks that the minister reponsible for Public Works may authorise a foreign company to undertake such works but this is also subject to partnering with a local company (no percentages mentioned). The Act also defines a foreign company as one in which less than 50% shareholding is in Zambian hands.
Let us not kid ourselves, these investors are more powerful than governments so the minister has to use diplomatic language to point out certain issues.
As a country, we are yet to enact laws that protect our national interests.
I think the position taken by both ministers is the right one in the current environment but more needs to be done to put the nation first.
I AM GREATFUL TO THE MINISTER TO HAVE TOURED THE PROVINCE.I DONT KNOW WHAT MEANS OF TRANSPORT YOU USE BUT IF YOU USED THE ROAD,HOW IS THE STATE OF THE ROAD FROM CHINGOLA TO SOLWEZI? ARE YOU HAVE TO HAVE SUCH A ROAD IN SOLWEZI WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND WERE YOU HAPPY WITH THE OVERALL INFRASTRACTURE IN THE DISTRICT AS COMPARED TO THE REVENUE COMING FROM THE PROVINCE?
NOW THE MINISTER YOU TALKED OF EMPLOYING ZAMBIANS BUT WHAT OF THE LOCALS OF NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCE HOW MANY ARE EMPLOYED AND HOW MANY ARE ON JOB ON TRAINING SUCH THAT THE PROVINCE BENEFITS FROM ITS RESOURCES? AND HOW MANY PROJECTS HAS PF GOVERMENT INATIATED IN THE PROVINCE SINCE 1O MONTHS IN OFFICE?
MY APPEAL TO ALL THE CHIEFS IN NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCE AND THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS TO RECONVENE AGAIN IN 3RD QUATER OF THIS YEAR.
If this chap was serious, he would not be talking about it but would be busy in Parliament tabling a Bill. When will this Opposition Party in government called PF start governing?
If you want investors to give jobs to locals why don’t you make it Law? You talk to please nincompoops, playing to the gallery, who have no clue as to what goes on, but you have no guts to face the investors.
Imagine people like Yamfwa Mukanga, Fackson Shamenda and Bob Schinga are the people who represent our interests on the negotiation table with these savvy mining executives, these muzungu mine CEOs will just run circles round them with jargon before you know it… the dull minister is signing on the dotted line. How long are we going to be robbed by these foreigners due to incompetent “short sighted” greedy political dinosaurs in our public offices; once they are done with the place… all they will leave us is an open pit fit for dumping municipal refuse.
To be qualified is one thing to be a thinker is another.
The world is full of qualified derelicts.
Some of the richest people in the world, today
don’t possess a qualification.
May I find out,is Yamfwa Mukanga Minister of Mines or Energy or are two ministries combined?
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