KK advises against selling NCZ

KK advises against selling NCZ
By Brighton Phiri and Agness Changala
Wednesday June 25, 2008 [04:00]

ZAMBIA risks denying itself the chance of developing its agricultural sector if they sell off Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ), Dr Kenneth Kaunda has said. And NCZ workers and their families yesterday staged a protest over the recapitialisation of the company.

Commenting on agriculture minister Sara Sayifwanda's recent disclosure that the government was considering getting an equity partner to run NCZ or sell it off completely, Dr Kaunda said the government was bound to face some serious difficulties in its plans to revive the agricultural co-operative movement in the country.

"It is good that government is discussing the issues surrounding NCZ because it is an indication that they are still listening to various views over this serious matter," he said. "My view is that we need to produce our own fertiliser if we are to sustain and develop Zambia's potential in the agricultural sector. As a country, we shall face a lot of difficulties if we are to depend on imported fertiliser. Let us not deny ourselves chance of becoming the greatest African nation in the field of agriculture."

Dr Kaunda asked the government to recapitalise NCZ instead of selling it to the private sector, as many peasant farmers could not cope up with the increased prices being demanded by the private sector.

He reminded the MMD government that his former UNIP government established the NCZ plant after realising that the country had great potential in the agricultural sector.
"Let me remind the country that just as we were leaving office, we had reached a stage where co-operatives were buying fertiliser for themselves without relying on government. But the Chiluba government destroyed all our well-stocked co-operative societies," he said.

He said it would be difficult for the government to revive the co-operative movement without the existence of NCZ.

Dr Kaunda said it was not possible for the government to empower its citizens in the agricultural sector without NCZ.

"Reviving the co-operative movement will definitely help government reach out to many of our people in the agricultural field, but we must remember that this is not possible through the private sector," he said.

NCZ managing director Richard Soko said NCZ had a lot of potential but lacked recapitalisation.

Sayifwanda said a team of five ministers had been appointed to review operations of NCZ and chart the way forward. She said Cabinet was still discussing whether it should go ahead and invest K58 billion in the company or not.

And NCZ workers, together with retirees and their families, marched to the district commissioner's office in Kafue seeking an audience with Sayifwanda.
The workers called on the government to inject more money into the company as nothing was happening at the moment and that terminal benefits to the retirees should be paid.

And addressing the protestors, Kafue mayor Goodson Sansakuwa said he would stand for the people and he did not care what the government would do to him.

Sansakuwa expressed disappointment that the government had allowed problems at NCZ to worsen.

"This started a long time and should not have come this far," Sansakuwa said.
And NCZ chairman Robert Munsanje called on State House to intervene in the matter.
Munsanje said they had tried as a company to fight for what belonged to them by asking the government to recapitalise the company.

He said the workers were told as early as last year that they were going to be given K58.3 billion which they had been waiting for up to date.

"We were told that our money is being finalised and when the Cabinet sat they agreed that we must be given the money," he said.

Munsanje said when they went to the ministry; the minister said she could not manage to give them the money unless there was an intervention from State House.
"Now we want State House to intervene in this matter and if they have failed to run this company let them close it and pay off the workers. They must separate people from machinery," he said.

Munsanje said they were tired and called on the government to come up with a lasting solution to the NCZ workers' problems.

Munsanje also vowed that the workers would not stop protesting until a solution was found.

Meanwhile, Kafue district commissioner Henry Bowa told the crowed to be calm saying the minister would address them.