(LUSAKATIMES) Repossess Kawambwa Tea Company, Chief Mwata Kazembe.Repossess Kawambwa Tea Company, Chief Mwata Kazembe
Repossess Kawambwa Tea Company, Chief Mwata Kazembe.Thursday, July 16, 2009, 8:13
CHINA HENAN SITE Engineer Mr. Lou showing a map for the multi-million plan for the ongoing Government constructed Chienge District Hospital to PRESIDENTIAL Special Assistant for Projects implementation and monitoring Ben Kapita, Provincial Health Director Ericho Bwalya and Chienge District Commissioner Mwaba Lwaminda
Chief Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people in Luapula Province has appealed to government to repossess both the Kawambwa Tea Company and Mununshi Banana Estate.
Chief Mwata Kazembe implored government to consider repossessing the companies or find new investors to manage and run the estates.
The Mwata made the appeal today in Kawambwa when Presidential Special Assistant for Government Policy Implementation and Monitoring (PIM), Ben Kapita paid a courtesy call on him at his palace.
He noted that Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Estates were still viable projects but had been mismanaged by private investors who were currently managing them.
The chief said the managements at the companies had not paid workers their salaries for over 12 months and that production at the firms had extremely reduced.
The Mwata said that the management at Kawambwa Tea had not also laboured to reinvest in the company and to expand the plantation as it was still picking tea from the 423 hectares initial plantation put up by government before privatization.
Kawambwa Tea Estate is on a 2000 hectare plot most of it which is not utilized.
The traditional leader said both Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Companies were productive when they were in government’s hands prior to privatization.
He suggested that the two companies be repossessed and run as a consortium by government in order to ensure that the welfare of workers was safeguarded.
He said it is government’s responsibility to ensure that lives of the people in the area are protected.
“I’m not happy about the state of affairs at both Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Estate, my appeal is government should repossess these companies because our people are not benefiting from the current investors there,” Chief Mwata Kazembe said.
Meanwhile, the Mwata has commended government for creating the position in the President’s Office aimed at monitoring and evaluating government projects and programs in the country.
The late President Mwanawasa created the position of Presidential Special Assistant for government Projects and Programs in charge of monitoring and evaluation of the projects.
Mwata Kazembe said the position would enable reliable and informed feedback to the President on projects and programs that government was implementing.
The traditional leader said this would ultimately ensure that resources allocated to project implementation are used as intended in order to benefit the people.
The traditional leader said both Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Companies were productive when they were in government's hands prior to privatization.
And Mr. Kapita has said that government would consider the best alternative to revitalize Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Schemes to make them profitable again.
Mr. Kapita said government would not sit idle and watch its people suffer despite putting in their best to improve their livelihoods.
“it is not right to have workers go for months without pay, these companies were created at public funds expense and the public should benefit, government will find an alternative to make these companies profitable and stable again,” Mr. Kapita said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kapita said that government would continue funding and implementing programs and projects aimed at improving livelihoods of the people adding that it would not segregate development on political party lines.
Mr. Kapita has since urged government workers who are implementers of these projects to be committed in order to guarantee that government programs and projects benefit the people as intended.
He said government would not condone wastage of its resources on projects that had no positive impact on the ground.
Mr. Kapita is in Luapula Province to inspect government funded projects and programs.
ZANIS
Labels: CHIEFS, KAWAMBWA TEA COMPANY, MWATA KAZAMBE, NATIONALISATION
posted by MrK @ 5:08 AM
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