As president of the Association of Unemployed Youths speaking on behalf of the organization and my fellow youths I urge Mopani Copper Mines to heed not only the governments directive but also the peoples call not to put the mine under Care and Maintenance because in the long run, it’s in the company’s and the peoples best interest.
Conditions prevailing on the ground cannot be tantamount to “Force Majeure” which MCM wants to use as a scapegoat.
MCM should not test the patience of the Zambian people. Durinng hard times like this, when our country is struggling is when they are supposed to show care, support and solidarity. They should not think the meagre Corporate Social Responsibility package they give has ever been enough compared to the billions of dollars they have been getting from these mines.
Laying off 11,000 workers is ridiculous more especially at this time when we are battling the economical effects of the covid19. Having been concerned with affairs of the youths I have noticed that in these instances its the youths who suffer the biggest blow because they are always in majority of the people who get laid off. Such decisions have ripple effects both economically and Socially. Not beating about the bush, they have the ability to foster crime.
I want to caution Mopani Copper Mines PLc not to play games or arm twist the government by using scare tactics. I am not suggesting anything but this is also how their colleagues from KCM started. They should take a big leaf from what happened to their colleagues.
Fellow countrymen and women the time is nigh when we should stand together and fight for the betterment of our country and it’s people. Let’s put our differences aside and fight for the common good.
I stand with the government of the republic of Zambia on this note.
Aluta continia
David Chishimba
AUY President
Youth Advocate
Youth Commander.
On the contrary, government should not pay a deaf ear when mines present a clear business case of losses! When a business is no longer making profit, you close shop temporarily until conditions get favourable again. The Mines Minister is the one politicizing a clear business case for care and Maintenance. Anyway, most Zambians don’t understand business so they may not understand the current business situation for mines. Don’t turn Mopane into another KCM!
I just read President of the Association of Unemployed Youths…..I stopped reading as I knew this chap doesnt know what he will talking about moreover how do his members even pay membership if they are unemployed…must be another thug!
Chikubabe – The former Primary school teacher minister Richard is simply playing politics he knows there is nothing he can do but he looks like he is fighting the mine workers corner. These are clueless Minsters with an inept President in State House.
Consequences of poorly negotiated Sales & Development Agreements, Zambia was betrayed a long time ago and now we’re bearing the consequences of mistakes made long ago. This is the legacy of the negotiating team. Most members of the team now boast of being rich without shame. Some were even convicted of taking advantage of the loopholes to sell some properties to themselves. However, it doesn’t mean that the few that were prosecuted were the only criminals, some are even seeking higher office without shame and their follower insult us at every opportunity. MCS could have sorted them out but he died prematurely and now PF is on care & maintenance as well. NO DIRECTION
Ayatollah – These are compromised officials on these negotiation teams you have chaps like former Finance Minister Fossil Chikwanda he was one of the biggest local suppliers to the mines what would he negotiate apart from his belly.
David Chishimba, we shall fix you *****. Commander, Commander, Commander.of what? Uzanya Chomsky, watch your dirty step!
Michael Sata was a minister in the govt that sold the mines and he ysed to sit in cabinet as reports were brought for final approval. Wht questions did Sata ask in cabinet meetings? This business of not linking Sata to the privatisation decision is selective and therefore unfair.
We hv a problem in Zambia. Govt exists to make laws, enforce laws and review laws if they require changing. Richard Musukwa had better explain hw he’ll keep Mopani Mining Co’s mines running if the holder of the operating licence has decided to halt operations and put the mines on care and maintenance by citing a relevant law. Strong feelings and wishes are not the law. We all hv them but they’re irrelevant. It’s not like Kaunda’s first decade of independence where an indigenous skilled workforce was lacking. We now hv expertise in various fields and some of it is in the diaspora. Organize this expertise and let it examine our challenges.
@Tarino Orange, ABC wasn’t in the negotiating team. Michael Sata never bought even a single nail from the privatization program, neither did he own shares in any of the sold companies. Elias Chipimo Jr was one of the consultants. Valentine Chitalu was the Chairman. Others are prominent politicians in the opposition and their supporters insult us everyday. They’re super rich and they can afford to donate Yebo carbolic soap. There was the notorious Kafue Consortium, it was a group of economic hit men sponsored by the Freemasons .
The problem stated when this small god who win election in his region privatised our mines .if it were zccm the story could have been now, tarino orange dont be a useless ***** read
I met the useless fool
Iwe Nemwine, who told you that PF wants expertise? Don’t you see the calibre of their ministers and officials? What would they do with expertise?
I would advise that we avoid looking at the case of Mopani with political prisms. Basing our argument on political inclined opinions will not solve the matter. Whether we like it or not , MCM and any other company has been affected in one way or another. We should also resist the temptation to think that the major concern of the company should be towards the welfare of its employees as opposed to the interest of its shareholders. The best way at the moment is to find a win win situation as opposed to intimidation. At the same time I have always wondered why Agriculture has not been harnessed as a business in Zambia when there is unsatisfied market around us. It is not the first time the mines have let us down but I dont know why all governments which have come have never prioritized…
I dont know why all governments have never prioritised Agriculture as the country’s economic main stay. It is time a serious study was done to see how we as a country can use agriculture as a foreign earner. I urge the able Minister of Agriculture to start the race now by instructing his technocrats to prepare a document on agriculture as a sustainable business in Zambia. This talk of the mines all the time is becoming very distressing not only to the govt but the citizens as well. I rest my case.