UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema says he sympathises with the plight of workers, mine suppliers, contractors, other stakeholders and the Copperbelt community at large following the happenings at Mopani Copper Mines.
Mr Hichilema says he is watching the developments at Mopani Copper Mine on the Copperbelt where two mines in Kitwe and Mufulira have been placed on care and maintainance with keen interest.
Mr Hichilema says the sad developments at Mopani Copper Mines come at a time when Zambia still has unresolved issues with KCM in Chingola.
He said the Zambian economy cannot afford to have an additional 11,000 plus jobless people that MCM is laying off.
“ZCCM-IH is a shareholder in MCM. It should therefore be true that ZCCM-IH is part of the decision to put MCM on Care and Maintenance, a situation Government has known all along”, said Mr Hichilema.
He said for the the politicians in the Patriotic Front to express surprise about this development is purely a political stunt and an act of populism.
“We have advised on diversification of the economy on several occasions, we have spoken about supporting Zambians through positive contract discrimination, financing, market linkages, but there is a tendency to always wait for a disaster to strike, and indeed the handling of MCM is a disaster. Today we are talking about a negative situation where the MCM’s Chief Executive Officer is being intercepted at the airport for allegedly trying to flee the country”, he added.
Mr Hichilema said Zambians must own the economy, even on joint venture arrangements.
He said the sad part is when citizens try to own business entities, they are either closed, victimised or intimidated into towing a particular political line, the case of the Post Newspaper and now Prime TV are fresh in our minds.
Mr Hichilema has since called for the immediate resolution of this Mopani versus Zambian government dispute for the benefit of all stakeholders and the citizens.
He said the UPND economic and mining team are on standby to help Government navigate through this mess.
Unless my memory fails me.The UPND leader had advocated for the TOTAL lock down . This is exactly what MOPANI has done. Should there fore not be surprised .
Kalampa you cant lock down onw place. and leave the rest open. The Australian was just trying to come home for safety after briefing of a possible, note possible situation developing. God forbid it does. Glencore is very proactive. If you only new how we work down here. Cant say more
No mines will run profitably without pollical pressure weather locally or internationally owned. a business is a business. The situation becomes unattainable especially with all external donors pulling for almost 90 percent of cooperation local projects which leaves govt very few places to pick up money.
The problem is this country has been labelled as up mostly corrupt and the courts haven’t done a good job just by quickly and transparently dealing with cases causing a stigma as a government of thieves from ecl to his sweeper in a council. It will take a while with people like of some around the leadership now.
Good night too late here
Our leader’s statement in this case is not clear. He says he is watching closely. Is he in support of MOPANI or not? Mopani have taken a clear business descision in line with the depressed wprld economy and rampaging Covid19. So what position is HH watching? Be clear Sir. Do you support the care & maintenance stance by Mopani or not?
PF govt only have themselves to blame for not revising the clauses in their agreement with this mine – Mopani clearly exercised so even if CEO was trying to run away there is no basis to detain him. And some fooooool here were saying the miners will be paid on leave.
Level headedness is needed in this case….We should not go the KCM way. Mopani and many other mining houses have taken advantage of our weak position as a country. When prices of copper increase, they hide their profits in re-investments/ increasing their costs of operations. When prices fall, they are quick to threaten us by cutting jobs/downsizing. We need a long term solution and that will only come with government increasing its shares from 20% to at least 49%. We need a strategy that will lead us to this position, look at Botswana, they don’t go through this with their diamonds.
If indeed HH is on a crusade to empower Zambians and foreign interests,then he has total support from many who have been oppressed out of business for not toeing ruling party lines.Would be happy to hear what his team will do for GRZ to have more say in these mines!
..empower Zambians and NOT foreign interests…
Uwakwisano – Tswana dont have corrupt greedy politicians…Zambia has Gold and Makula but what is happening? Can you imagine what would happen if it had diamonds?
I am sure you are watching keenly. Trying to see if an opportunity presents itself for you to sell out your country’s resources for peanuts again as you did during privatisation. Alas, we have a very patriotic government which won’t let you anywhere close to our resources. The zambian people cannot entrust you with our resources. Kz
You need to make your stand, mulumbwana. It’s either you are with GRZ or Mopani. But then again, what would your sponsors think if you spoke against a multinational??? Brenthurst is a creation of another multinational miner, Anglo American, no???
“Mr Hichilema said Zambians must own the economy, even on joint venture arrangements”…I wish he advised the Chiluba’s mmd government not to sale the mines to foreign entities during privatization. This guy is a joke!
KZ, I will sympathise with you for lack of in depth knowledge concerning how the Zambians mines were initially privatised, who were in government at that time and how the political agenda to privatise was hatched. What form and style of sale of mines was to be executed. Parliamentary passed a vote and a Zambia Privatisation entity was formed that spear headed the entire sale. Valentine Chitalu was CEO of Privatisation in Zambia.
HH during the privatisation of Zambian mines was working for a private consulting firm, most likely junior but up-coming young entrepreneur. He had nothing to do with privatisation of mines. Ask Dr Mphande and Valentine Chitalu still alive who was minister of mines and head of privatisation at that time. Records exist and if you are normal and believe any…
individual privatised mines in Zambia you are at liberty to take him/her to ACC for prosecution.
KZ insulting well meaning citizens will not insulate you as public enemy of Zambia. You or impostor, Zambians will not forget that you have harassed, beaten, maimed, humiliated, kidnapped, fired guns and shot Zambians and dehumanise Zambians. Zambians deserve justice and time is coming to get it. Cleansing yourself on this site will not wash up, records, living witnesses exist and testimonies will be in your face.
Let people of copperbelt suffer more and more that is the award for voting on tribal line but not intelligence..
T hi is is a result of corruption and mismanagement, lack of integrity on the part of GRZ under lungu.
How many people did the closer of the post, a viable business that was capable of paying debts put out of work ? Now as Hh says prime tv ??
Even after they have indebted Zambia to the tune of more than $17 billon , they still have no plan B and C
Even their plan A was riddled with corruption, lawlessness and disorganisation.
In fact the PF had no plan A, only a pipe dream that foreigners will come falling over them selves to come and invest and provide jobs …….
We are closing in on 2021, there is no use advising PF anymore, just sit and watch, the job should have been done
You people trying to advise the PF now is like farmers trying to plant maize in March …….
Where is the Primary school Tutor Richard the Mines Minister…really laughable …you will be cited for kidnapping the CEO of Mopani
What is Hichilema observing when he was in the team that sold Nkana and Mufulira mines to these crooks! He profited from the sales to crooks by having cuts! He’s richest person in Zambia because of those kick backs! God will punish him!
Mr Panama Paradise is watching for an opportunity to privatize our mines again. He caused the retrenchment and deaths of young miners in the 90s. He is a crook and a cheap thief.
Manganga
He should be arrested for that , or has he bribed lungu not to arrest him for selling the mines ?
Kawalala wa privatization. Nensoni tawata mambala
Kawalala wa privatization. Nensoni takwata mambala
When is Commission of Inquiry on privatization starting
Offer Advice and alternative solution,people will judge you on those grounds,you want to appear intelligent by merely watching badala,you came out strong on lock down knowing very well the intended evil situation “unrest” and most Zambians now know you more.Proceeds of of unethical behavior are now safe in paradise papers, we are also watching you mambala ewe not to get anywhere near the mines.
The beauty of being in opposition is that you dont have to say anything if you dont want. So you can keep your and choose when to speak.
In this case, HH chose to speak when he didn’t have to because he said confused us instead.
He needs to tell us if he supports Govt or the Mine Owners – he cant be in both camps.
Even worse, he is alluding to the UPND mines team which nobody knows. Who is in that team? Only him knows!
This simply shows the man himself is not sure about the MCM situation and wants to hide behind a team which is not even there. HH should have just watched PF slowly burn to death in the KCM and MCM saga.
We are here today because of this man.
Even when you bury evidence, there is still someone to testify. Crooked man.