Maravi

Zambians able to address their challenges - ZCTU
By Moses Kuwema
Thu 13 June 2013, 14:00 CAT

ZCTU general secretary Roy Mwaba says Zambians are capable of addressing the challenges that the country is faced with.

Commenting on Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Lena Nordstrom's observation that Zambia's challenges can be fully addressed by Zambians and not foreigners, Mwaba said Zambians were the creators of the challenges hence they understood them better than anyone else.

"As ZCTU, we totally support the stance by the Ambassador. We are capable and we have the capacity to address our own internal issues. Our colleagues from outside can only give advice. Each country has its own way of handling its development programme. As a labour movement, we are supposed to partner with the government, just like what is happening with the constitution. Most of the problems that we have are created by ourselves," Mwaba said.

He said Zambia as a sovereign state should not depend on other countries to develop.

"These people who give us aid, for instance, if it is economic aid, it should be specifically for that. We don't want aid that will be based on how the country is supposed to be governed. We want to maintain independence as a country. We have to resolve our own internal issues as a country, after all, we are the people who created them and we have the capacity to put our heads together. For example, the issue of KCM planning to lay off workers, we did not call foreigners but we solved the issue ourselves," said Mwaba.

During a three-day national legal and clinic for women community workshop held in Mantumbusa community in Mansa District a fortnight ago, Ambassador Nordstrom said Zambians were capable of solving the problems that the country was facing because they understood them better.

"Also if you look at the support which foreign countries render, it is meant for a short period which of course might be hard to rely on. You have enough resources, knowledge and capacity to address all the challenges which you are facing but what is important is to work together and speak one voice. Anyway chilikuliimwe (it's up to you)," said Ambassador Nordstrom.

Labels: LENA NORDSTROM, ROY MWABA, TRADE UNIONS, ZCTU

posted by MrK @ 5:27 PM