Govt has kept its promise on LCM, says Banda

Govt has kept its promise on LCM, says Banda
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 3:28:41 AM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday said the government had kept its promise and negotiations on the handing over of Luanshya Copper Mines to ZCCM-IH are quite advanced.

Speaking when Luanshya district commissioner George Kapu presented a petition from Luanshya residents over the government's delay to reopen the closed Baluba Mine which was placed under care and maintenance by Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM), President Banda first thanked Kapu for travelling a long distance at such short notice to deliver the petition from the people of Luanshya.

"I must congratulate you district commissioner for the effort that you have made in recognizing the importance of such a petition. Luanshya is not experiencing these problems for the first time, therefore the people of Luanshya tend to be very agonised to be affected more perhaps seriously than anyone else because they have gone through and they have suffered for many years," he said.

President Banda explained that when the whole saga started, he travelled to Luanshya and held discussions over the matter, promising that the government would engage the owners of LCM to ensure that the mine was not closed but instead handed over to government through Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) who were the vehicle for ownership of mine interests.

"We promised them that, in the presence of all their members of parliament, the district commissioner himself, all the union leaders in other words representing the workers, the management of LCM and the appropriate ministers of this government namely the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Mines," President Banda said

"We promised that we would engage the mines and I want to take advantage of this petition that you have given me that we kept our promise and as we are speaking, the negotiations are quite advanced as to how these mines would be handed over. It is not as simple as some people may want to make it, that we just go and say because this is a mine in Zambia we just take it over because we have to realise that the world has changed, this world is not about nationalising of people's assets. We have to negotiate with them to conclude properly these negotiations so that we can go ahead."

President Banda said the government had also engaged other mining groups in the world who were interested to come as strategic partners.

He said the government's discussions with them were also advanced and were only awaiting the conclusions of the negotiations on the LCM mines.

"Therefore, I want to say people, you the people of Luanshya and the DC for the prompt action you have taken, I have accepted the petition. I know what is in it because you told me already and what is in here is that they are requesting that the government should speed up the process of rejuvenating Luanshya Copper Mines and I want to assure the people of Luanshya and the people of Zambia that your government is not sleeping over this matter. I think every day on our screen we are seeing continuous delegations from our government visiting LCM and assuring the workers, going underground the mines to check that the maintenance and care of the mines doesn't result in flooding of the mines," President Banda said. "So once I want to give this assurance to everybody that we are negotiating, we will be about to conclude and when we are ready, we will let you know what we concluded accordingly."

Earlier, Kapu said he received a petition from the people of Luanshya on Monday and promised them that he would deliver it to President Banda.

And Roan Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili said he was humbled by Kapu's response.

Kambwili said he believed that they were working as a team for Kapu to make an effort to bring the petition to State House.

Kambwili appealed to President Banda to quickly emulate Kapu's style and sort out the issues in Luanshya at the speed at which the petition has been delivered to him.

Kambwili said if this could be done, then President Banda deserved a pat on the back.

Scores of Luanshya residents on Monday morning took to the streets over the government's delay to reopen the closed Baluba Mine, which was placed under care and maintenance by Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM). The closure of the mine led to over 1,700 job losses.