Chief Mukonchi chases away Chinese 'investors'
Chief Mukonchi chases away Chinese 'investors'By Sandra Lombe
Monday May 14, 2007 [04:00]
CHIEF Mukonchi of Central Province has chased away Chinese investors who were illegally mining copper in his chiefdom. In an interview chief Mukonchi said he chased the Chinese investors because they did not obain his approval to mine in his area.
“I chased them because they were illegally in my chiefdom. I went to see them to talk to them but they were not responding well so I chased them,” he said. “They were about 25 and they only employed five locals. They had got 22 loads of trucks, about 40 tones of the copper ore. They have taken their equipment and have not come back to me.”
Chief Mukonchi said he wanted his subjects to benefit from the minerals in the chiefdom. He said he would be happy if someone took over from the mine (Nalusanga) that the Chinese left and helped improve the chiefdom. “I want such a company to help improve and build some hostels for boys and girls at Mukonchi school,” he said.
Chief Mukonchi said some illegal mine investors were ‘hiding’ under the ministry of mines. He advised the Ministry of Mines to consult chiefs before giving mining rights. “They (investors) should wait to get letters from chiefs before they start mining,” he said. “I have a lot of minerals in my area and I need serious investors who will be concerned with the welfare of the local people.”
Meanwhile chief Mukonchi said lack of dormitories at Mukonchi school was affecting the pupils’ performance. “That is why I need serious investors to help improve the school and the health centre,” he said.
He said some pupils had been forced to find accommodation in nearby villages. “There are two dormitories, one for boys and one for girls. We need at least four more. Two for boys and two for girls,” he said. “Some pupils are staying in Zambia compound. Even if they are intelligent, pupils can’t do better because they can’t concentrate. This is worrying because some may marry or get married while looking for accommodation.”
Chief Mukonchi said that he was constantly monitoring the pupils to ensure they did not get married. He said that at Mukonchi Health Centre, children were sharing the two wards (female and male) with elders. “Adults are admitted in the same ward with children, this is not good,” he said. Meanwhile chief Mukonchi said the human rights were destroying traditions.
He said chiefs needed powers to punish parents that married of their children. He said some parents married off their children in the name of human rights. Chief Mukonchi vowed to withdraw about eight girls that were married off and take them back to school. In 2003 chief Mukonchi withdrew two girls from early marriages and one of them is in grade 10 now.
Labels: CHIEF MUKONCHI, CHINESE, FDI
posted by MrK @ 4:46 AM
1 Comments:
I like this chief already. It also seems like he is ready for some real investment.
What guys like him need, is sound legal and business advice. They need to own at least a fraction of the business that is going on in their chiefdoms.
For instance, if a company is attracted to set up in his chiefdom, he should own (say...) 20% of the shares of that company, so 20% of the dividends go his way. He would never have to depend on government allowances again.
I wonder what the chief's legal status is, and what his rights are? Does he own the land? The rights to certain use of the land (like agriculture, or industry)?
There has to be a way in which he could attract business to his chiefdom, and own a significant number of the shares.
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