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Rupiah will suffer massive defeat on C/belt - Mbulu

Rupiah will suffer massive defeat on C/belt - Mbulu
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Tue 31 May 2011, 03:40 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda will suffer massive defeat on the Copperbelt because development has been elusive, says Rayford Mbulu.

In an interview yesterday, Mbulu, the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) immediate past president, said the people of the Copperbelt were annoyed with the MMD because they had not seen the benefits of foreign investment in the mines.

Mbulu said it was surprising that President Banda was busy announcing that the Copperbelt was developing following huge investment in the mining sector when in fact the people’s living standards had continued to deteriorate.

“The people on the Copperbelt have seen meaningful development before and they’ve also experienced terrible situations under MMD. Many people understand what development means and their decision to change government will not be swayed by mere political rhetoric,” Mbulu said.

He said the much-talked about road rehabilitation exercise in urban areas did not qualify to be called development because it was just last-minute appeasement by the MMD.

Mbulu said President Banda’s claims that the country had immensely benefited from the mining sector were distressing in that unemployment levels had risen and the government had refused to re-introduce the windfall tax.

He said the country had reached a point where it needed a pragmatic leader to take over government power.

He said the governance system would completely collapse if the MMD were given another term.

“Change of government is inevitable this year. Zambia is not a monarch were the MMD should be in government forever, no! It’s a democracy.

“They have been in power for 20 years and they have proved to the nation that their governance style is corrupt and cannot be trusted,” he said.

Mbulu said due to lack of firm and visionary leaders, the country had seen mineral resources being taken away without economic benefits in return.

He said the government was responsible for the failure by foreign mining investors to give the nation real corporate social responsibility.

Mbulu said the country needed leaders that would reintroduce the much needed windfall tax and ensure that there was human capital development in the mining sector.

Mbulu said mine workers deserved better salaries and conditions of service than they were receiving because the investors were realising huge dividends from the mines.

Labels: MMD, RAYFORD MBULU, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:21 PM