Maravi

(LUSAKATIMES) Sata promises to restore operations of Munali Mine as he questions source of HH wealth

Sata promises to restore operations of Munali Mine as he questions source of HH wealth
TIME PUBLISHED - Thursday, November 24, 2011, 10:40 am

PRESIDENT Sata says he has found investors to take over operations of Mazabuka’s Munali Nickel Mine, which was recently put under care and maintenance for the second time. The move is aimed at saving a number of jobs that are at risk of being lost at the mine.

Mr Sata announced this when he addressed a campaign rally in Magoye yesterday to drum up support for Patriotic Front (PF) candidate Eugene Munyama in the November 28 parliamentary by-election.

At the peak of the global financial crisis in 2009 the mine was put under care and maintenance and only resumed production in March 2010.

But just a few days ago the mine stopped production due to insolvency.

The President told scores of Magoye residents who attended the rally that they should vote as they wish and that he will not force them to vote for Mr Munyama. He, however said should Mr Munyama win he would appoint him Southern Province Minister.

“If you people here still trust Hakainde Hichilema (UPND president), it is not my problem. It is your problem. It is up to you to reject him (Mr Munyama), the choice is yours. You have had your own UPND MPs for 10 years but you have seen what they have done for you. Southern Province is one of the richest and if we work together as one, the sky is the limit,” Mr Sata said.

Mr Sata instructed Southern Province permanent secretary In’utu Suba to advertise for feasibility studies for the Magoye, Mazabuka-Nampundwe Mine and the Mazabuka-Itezhi Tezhi roads.

He said UPND MPs have no solution to the animal diseases that have continued to ravage the province.

Mr Sata said if elected, Mr Munyama will find it easy to access funds for development from Government.

The President cautioned Mr Munyama against neglecting the people once elected MP.

“When I was in MMD government, the late Ronald Penza picked him (Mr Hichilema) to sell parastatals. We gave him Luanshya Mine to sell but we have never seen the money. We gave him Lima Bank to sell but he got a house for Lima Bank and that is the one he lives in. We gave him to sell Kagem Mine but we don’t know how much he sold it. We gave him to sell Intercontinental Hotel in Livingstone but today he is the chairman of Sun Hotel (the former Intercontinental Hotel).

“When you go to Parliament don’t just go to drink tea and beer. Speak for the silent majority. Some people go to Parliament and forget where they come from. I am talking from experience because I was MP for 20 years and I know problems of MPs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Sata has questioned Mr Hichilema’s source of wealth after the latter chaired the Zambia Privatisation Agency, which was responsible for selling Government companies and institutions.

However, Mr Hichilema could not be reached for comment on his mobile by press time.

“When I was in MMD government, the late Ronald Penza picked him (Mr Hichilema) to sell parastatals. We gave him Luanshya Mine to sell but we have never seen the money. We gave him Lima Bank to sell but he got a house for Lima Bank and that is the one he lives in. We gave him to sell Kagem Mine but we don’t know how much he sold it. We gave him to sell Intercontinental Hotel in Livingstone but today he is the chairman of Sun Hotel (the former Intercontinental Hotel).

“Today Mr Hichilema has more than 75,000 animals in Southern Province. Where did he get those animals?” Mr Sata wondered.

Mr Sata said Mr Hichilema has no track record of political experience and that he assumed the UPND’s leadership using money.

The President reiterated that in 2009 Mr Hichilema formed the pact with the PF in the hope that he would lead the alliance in the event that Mr Sata died. “After seeing that I did not die in 2010 he left,” he said.

Mr Sata said shortly before the September 20 tripartite elections, the UPND leader started peddling lies that he had died. Mr Sata also dismissed Mr Hichilema’s claims that he (Mr Sata) is tribalist.

He said he is determined to address problems of all Zambians regardless of their tribe because hunger does not choose tribe.

Mr Sata also said he has appointed a number of people from other tribes to key decision-making positions.

To demonstrate this, Mr Sata announced that he has appointed former minister in the UNIP government Frederick Hapunda as a diplomat.

Speaking at the same rally Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism Given Lubinda said Mr Hichilema hijacked the UPND and that he has been peddling lies because it has become difficult for him to lead the opposition political party.

The PF local leadership commended Mr Sata for choosing Mazabuka as his first place to visit outside Lusaka after winning the September 20 tripartite elections.

And speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Chief Hanjalika, Mr Sata also instructed Minister of Agriculture Emmanuel Chenda to buy tractors, which will be given to traditional rulers to lease them out to farmers.

Labels: CHILUFYA SATA, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MUNALI NICKEL MINE

posted by MrK @ 5:29 PM