MUZ acting president Charles Mukuka said in an interview that the manifesto’s segment on mining did not represent any ideas that were not tackled in the MMD’s 2007 manifesto.
Mr Mukuka said it was disappointing that the PF lifted similar plans from the ones that the MMD had in 2007 to implement in the mining industry instead of working on different ideas that would attract support from the public.
He said various policies and frameworks that the PF were referring to in their new manifesto had already been or were being successfully undertaken by the Government.
“It is surprising that the PF’s manifesto talks of uncertainty in the mining industry when in fact Government has managed to woo a lot of investors to the sector,” he said.
Mr Mukuka said the PF manifesto talked of failure by the MMD Government to diversify the mining sector but he said various new mine activities had been established including manganese and nickel mining in Luapula and Southern provinces respectively.
He said Government had undertaken various policy changes, which had galvanised and increased mining investment in Zambia and that it was unfortunate that the opposition did not provide convincing new policy plans for the sector.
“This is simply a replica of the MMD’s 2007 manifesto which also tabulated how the party would provide among other things revolving funds for small-scale miners,” he said.
Mr Mukuka said under the MMD manifesto also contained plans to diversify mining activities from the traditional copper mining and a review of the legislative frame work.
Meanwhile, the Sub-Saharan Gemstone Exchange (SGE) has said there has been unprecedented investment in the mining sector in the last five years.
SGE president Phesto Musonda said in an interview that the high levels of investment could only come about with the implantation of good economic policies and an attractive investment environment.
Mr Musonda said investment confidence was clear through the amount of pledged investment by mining companies, especially on the Copperbelt.
“Already we have Luanshya Mine committing US $300 million to its expansion, with Mopani and Trident announcing billions of dollars in investments,” he said.
Mr Musonda said the long-term tax regime in Zambia had played an important role in attracting more investment because it in turn allowed the investors to recoup the investment, make their profits and remit the required taxes.
He said policy on small-scale mines had also improved with a focus on empowering Zambian entrepreneurs, especially those in the gemstone industry.
“In the past there had been challenges in implementing diversification but it was realised that the small scale mining industry was a major contributor to the success of the process,” he said.
Mr Musonda said the Government had put up policy that ensured that all artisan licenses such as construction in the industry were given to Zambians.
And some civil society organisations have described the PF manifesto as inadequate and hollow because it was mostly a replica of the MMD and UPND manifestos, with most of the proposals already being implemented by the current Government.
Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire said in an interview yesterday that his organisation was disappointed that the PF manifesto wants to promote a secular State.
“The manifesto and the party constitution contradict themselves, in their constitution they are saying that State institutions would be run by party loyalists. Instead of giving a proper road map of their own of how they want to manage the affairs of the country, they keep referring to the MMD which means it is a copy cut,” he said.
The PF manifesto did address the real issues and does not inspire confidence that the opposition party would be the alternative Government.
Forum for Leadership Search executive director Edwin Lifwekelo said most of the proposals in the PF blueprint were already being implemented by the MMD Government.
“I have read through the manifesto which the PF is circulating and clearly it is a copy cat of the MMD manifesto which RB (President Rupiah Banda) and the MMD are already implementing even better,” he said.
He said with the revision of the MMD manifesto at the party convention in Kabwe, the ruling party was well placed to move the country forward.
“The PF manifesto is a duplicate of the MMD manifesto, Mr Michael Sata has no capacity to write his own manifesto, he had copied the UNIP constitution as well, so it is a blank cheque,” he said.
Bishops Council of Zambia spokesperson Gibson Nyirenda said the PF manifesto was a confirmation that the ruling party was on the right track in developing the country.
“We have seen how the economy has been growing under the MMD Government and am sure that the PF manifesto is an acknowledgement of that the economy is growing,” he said.
The PF recently launched its manifesto which they have been circulating.
Times of Zambia
mmd ure fools let sata be and see how is going to implement them uve failed us oooh
Yazanda PF,ku copela nama manifesto yabene,anyway,what do you expect from kaponyas,even asking them to interprete what they have copied will be a hussle for them.
Muz f.uck you. You have been bought by MMD, even Hikaumba of ZCTU has been bought. so we know you guys – we shall come for you soon
. Its not the manifesto that works, its the spirit. Chiluba had the besst manifesto but look at how much the guys stole while the manifesto was lying on the table.
I HAVE A COPY OF THE PF MANIFESTO AND HAVE READ A FEW PAGES. IT STRIKES ME AS CRITIQUE OF THE MMD MANIFESTO. U HAVE A A PF MANIFESTO WITH MMD WRITTEN IN IT EVERY WHERE. I THOT THAT A MANIFESTO IS SUPPOSED TO OUTLINE PF PROGRAMME AND NOT HAMMER MMD PROGRAMMES…… IT IS A BIG SHAME.
zambolina
Cobra loves rats. That is why you are scared. The serpent with eastern head will be swallowed by the mighty Cobra. MMD will be finished this year. All thugs and looters will be locked up in 2012 and then 2016 HH will be true and democratically elected presido of zed.
Does this mean that when one is in opposition they should have a manifesto which comes with wholesale changes accross all sectors? Come on ebufontini ubu nomba!!! Like Kafupi has said, his name sake had the best manifesto but he left more damage than good. What we need is proper governance. If the MMD could make wholesale changes starting with the president himself and rebuild the party with strong willed people with a a true passion for the masses, then we wouldn’t have to change government. At present we need a change of government not because the ruling party has a bad manifesto, but because the ruling party has for the most part failed to deliver what is in it’s excellent manifesto
I grew up respecting Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) but this guy is completely ignorant. Miners are underpaid yet this guy tells us that mining is doing very well under the MMD? How about the deaths and accidents in the industry? Charles Mukuka you are just a pony of MMD and you are reprensenting the MMD and not miners. After all, your days are equally numbered.
THE SOURCE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TIMES OF ZAMBIA….WAT DO U EXPECT…WE ALSO KNO THAT LT IS AGAINST PF…NO WONDER EVEN ON FOOLS DAY THEY MADE THAT FOOLISH JOKE AGAINST PF………….THE WIND OF CHANGE IS BLOWING….PABWATOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
number 5 kwindi kodjo walasa thakyou four your wise obervations, please continue teaching the other ignorant *****************
The Zambian economy is one of the ten fatest growing economies in Africa. This is a fact from the World Bank and the the IMF. Why would any sane country disrupt this very important trend. This country needs jobs and it is growth that creates the jobs for citizens. Fortunately Zambians as a whole are very reasonable people and they can see the construction and the change that is taking place everywhere in the country and they will show their support in the elections.
pipo do not eat figures on paper and the GDP that ends up in the pockets of a few elites. We need windfall tax, zambians controlling all sectors of the economy, financial, mines, trading, and not the other way round. we need jobs for our children. do not talk rubbish and do bootlicking.
No.9 Dream on. Which IMF or World bank are you talking about. Do you honestly think at 6% your economy is among the top 10? Just in africa you the following 10 countries have there economies growing at over 7.5% in 2010 alone e.g. Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Mozambique, Angola, Ethiopia. So which ten are you talking about? M.bo.lo kwati in ba…
All the chaps with doubtiful characters have spoken but nonsense as usual. Doesn’t Rupiah and MMD know that well-meaning Zambians do not take Chifwekelo, Chifire and all the other chaps who have spoken seriously. Even the time these brats will talk about a sensible thing,people will not take it seriously because fulls are synonimus with MMD propaganda. They are feeling the heat from PF anyway.
VIVA SATA AND PF COME 2011.
Rupiya epoishila,mu ma mines mwabafyee PULUNING no job creation!! and am wondering were that chap got the gats 2 talk about PF manifesto.Mbulo was the greatest, BAPOMPWE BA mmd EBALENGESHE ATI BA MUTANFYEE JOB.We all know this and u cant cheats us.PABWATOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That talk should not come from MUZ. God a help the miners if this Charles Mukuka really represents them in the capacity of a president. How can he praise MMD when all the miners work under terms and conditions worse than most of key mining industries like Zambia. MMD has failed the mining sector.
this Charles is a stooge looking for the job after GRZ/MMD successfully silenced Rayford Mbulu following the Hikaumba ZCTU presidency saga at the quadrennial conference in december last year. liato engineerd Mbulu’s contract termination at Chambeshi Copper Smelter and pulled the plug at MUZ as well so that they could put their person who wud sing silly praises for nothing.. MMD think they are clever. Mbulu was a powerful ardent critique of GRZ mining / labour policies. they even sent FTJ to try and talk to him.. They think this person of theirs will have the same influence over the Miners.. really dumb.. The miners know what they want.. so this is a trash story… in fact on the front page of the Times of Zambia.. MMD then sing praises about their hollow manifesto.. full of hot air
All those who now see Sata as “CHANGE” have a hollow skull. You can’t even validate properly how Sata the MMD stalwart will change Zambia. How forgetful and unintelligent are PF supporters Your answers to defend this Sata nincompoop are unbeliavably unintelligent example:
Question Tell me how Sata failed to resign from the disgraced Chiluba govt if he is upstanding?
Answer from PF: He was just a passenger not the driver. Now he wants to be a driver.
Question: How will PF “change” Zambia?
Answer from PF: Less Taxes- more Money in your pockets
Question: But how will he do that from nowhere:
Answer from PF: Donchi Kubeba….how shallow minded are we honestly????
I said this when Panji was on radio on Qfm on monday. The Pf manifesto has undressed Micheal sad indeed, I advised Michael to fire Winter Kabimba otherwise the road to destruction is broad for him.
This is not suprising at all. You cannot build your manifesto by making reference to another manifesto it is a shame period.
“Muz ***** you. You have been bought by MMD, even Hikaumba of ZCTU has been bought. so we know you guys – we shall come for you soon”….
There we go again, they never learnt from the Pact.
i recall asking for this manifesto some time back and one of the PF supporters go upset to my suprise. The issue is that we have a lot of lazzy leaders in this nation and PF is being leader by such. Ba Sata need not know everything, but the advisor must. This implies he has wrong team advising him or he does not listen like the party he has been part of. Pls Zambians we have a unique chance to put in a govt of young people. let us think for the future too. For intance GDP is be slowly replaced with another indicator called General Well being. I do not see Ba Sata understanding such issues
#5 kwindi, that is another flip flop. Not too long ago RB was accused of implementing Levy’s policies. He was supposed to completely abandon Levy’s projects, destroy the roads and schools that he found at foundation level and start everything all over. So now PF believes in continuity? Awe mwandini chashupa……..and remember that voters are observing your every move and word. Don’t take their silence for granted.
[-(:-? Watching from a distance like (zambians ) do it .just watch ,talk and do nothing.its not new\:d/
MUZ you are cheap. check it at patriotic-front dot com and you will see it is talking about failure to diversify, then Mukuka ati “MMD is tackling it”. Total BS
It is impossible that the majority of Zambians reason like PF cadres, who seem to believe that every person should think like them.
And anyway they are such a bunch of flip flops who don’t even know what they stand for, they change every moment.
Both the PF and MMD agree on the need for an independent and accountable media, the difference here again is just in the sequencing and extent of consultation and ownership rather than in the need for reforms. Apart from semantics, the basic principles of running the treasury and the need to reduce donor dependence, the respective manifestos read like similar passages of scripture, with one preferring a newer version while the other using an older version with a new glossary of terms!After dusting the documents, the long and short of the argument is that the PF manifesto is more of an MMD replica than a new way of doing business.
It appears the PF intends to rectify the ills of the MMD rather than offer freshness. The ideals of both parties are the same. The leanings are different with the PF being more socialistic while the MMD is leaning towards the centre.In the final analysis, it will be down to who has the best record and team to implement the programme that best meets the aspirations of Zambians. Rude as it is sounds, the PF manifesto is a watered down version of the current MMD’s. In a word it is a gong’a! It is Zambia “B” verses Zambia “A.”
what major changes do you expect ba MUZ in this kind of economies we have? moreover the diferences between these political parties are very minimal and not ideological. ideological differences are the ones that will come with wholesome changes in the way enterprise is managed and the like. now our political parties are all the same really except a few differences. what the opposition will have to do is strengthen what the rulling party is doing and bring in more controls and polices that will benefit the poor zambians. like in terms of mining the issues of attracting genuine investment will continue but we need to tighten our labor laws, investment and tax regime to benefit the nationals. it shows to me that ba MUZ are now
ba MUZ are now another MMD vuvuzela. shame. thats why miners are suffering in this nation which is producing so much copper at a very high price.
Charles Mukuka, mwalya pafula. Lekeni PF ateke so that miners’ lives are uplifted. Some of you chaps in the Labour Movement at national level are crap. Watch out, i am coming to show you the way. MMD is gone for good, so throw away your VUVUZELA because they are useless in PF. Good works and practical solutions will speak for us. No more endorsements.