(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) Let's stay united for development: President
Sunday, 03 November 2013 00:00
President Mugabe has implored Zimbabweans to remain united and peaceful in order for the country to achieve its development goals.
Cde Mugabe said the country needs peace and there was no need for Zimbabweans to fight. Speaking at the burial of former Mashonaland West Provincial Governor and Resident Minister Cde Nelson Samkange, in Zvimba yesterday, the President said the country’s development goals were now achievable because capable people were voted into office in the July 31 harmonised elections.
“Kana tichigona kudanana kuti dzimba dzibatane, tozviita tiri pamwe chete. Tinoda runyararo. Tinoda maitiro akanaka. Tinoda mabatirwo ezvinhu pahunhu; hatidi bishi. Tirambe tichinzwanana, tichitaurirana. Hatingagare matare nguva nenguva, asi ngatipanane pfungwa nguva nenguva,” he said.
President Mugabe said education was crucial to the development of the country, adding that almost every family was encouraging their children to pursue education.
“Gushungo mofamba zvakanaka, makatara gwara rakanaka refundo. Iyezvino hapana mhuri inongoti vana vasvika maO-levels, aah, zvaguma.
“Vana varikungoramba vachienda mberi. Ndiyo Zimbabwe. Ndozvatinoda. Ndokuti vana vabudirire nenyika ibudirire.”
The President said there was need for the educated to occupy national leadership positions.
“Hatingotora zvituta. Eeh, mazuvaano, hatidaro nokuti vana vakafunda vakawanda. Totowanikwa tichinotora chituta chakazvigarira zvacho saTsvangirai. Kuti tashayeyi? Madegree hobho.
“Aya mamwe tirikutoviga. Inzira dzatirikusiirwa nevarikuenda. Vana ngavarambe vachisusukidzwa; tirambe takabatana nyika ibudirire; tose nyika yose.”
President Mugabe said Cde Samkange was appointed as governor and resident minister because he is an honest man.
“Tazowana mukana ndakamudaidza ndikati; ‘Ndoda kukuita governor. Akati, aah zvakanaka.’ Ndopaakashanda. Waive munhu aive nechido. Waive munhu akanga asina manomano kana asingade chinhu haachide. Asi aida kuti mhuri dzibatane, vanhu vanzwanane.
“Paakapedza materms maviri, takanzwanana kuti achimira ari kuno. Taiti achabudirira kuconstituency nokuti vanopinda muhurumende tinovasarudzaka kune avo vanenge vasarudzwa nevanhu.
“Aah, hameno kuti vanhu vekwaZvimba vakafungawo seyi. Chido chevanhu vanovhota. Havana kumuvhotera. Zvino chance yaivepo yekuti achikwidziridzwa haina kuzovapowo nekuti vatinoita maminister vanenge vachibva kune vakavhoterwa.
“Kana vanhu vati hatikude, ndizvozvoka. Vanhu vanenge varamba. Hazvineyi kuti uriGushungo. Kana vati hatichada hatichada. Tinotambira izvozvo.”
He also urged Zimbabweans to undergo medical examination regularly and bemoaned the low life expectancy in the country.
“Vanga vasvika 82. Vangani vanosvika ipapo? Pwere dzemazuvano dzirikutisiya 40 years, 50 years munhu atochembera. Ko, chii? Kuvavarira 60 years oh o-o-oh! Zviri kure kure!
“Mwari anotipa zvakasiyana siyana. Vamwe vanopihwa miviri yakasimba, vamwe vanopihwa isina kusimba. Isu tinosungirwa kuti pachipo chatakapihwa ichi tirikuchichengetedza here. Kuti azosvika 82 years ange achiedza kuzvibata, kuzvichengeta.
“Zvipatara zviriko hamungomhanyi kunoona vanachiremba marwara chete.
“Ivayi netsika yekuti mukapedza mwedzi mitanhatu moti, aah ndoda kumbonoongororwa zvose mukati. Asi zvino vamwe vanozeza kuti, aah ndikazonoonekwa chirwere. Hazvizezwe. Kana zvauya zvauya.”
He added that people must respect traditional leaders and the country’s cultural ideals and values.
“Patsika yedu, isusu vatema tine zvatinoti izvi hazviitwe. Usabe. Usatore zvisi zvako. Zvinhu zviri mumagariro edu, mutsika yedu. Usatore mudzimayi wemumwe, hazvibvumidzwe izvozvo.
“Mambo wedu ndiye mukuru wedu. Kana ndauya kuno kwaZvimba ndiye mamboka.
“I submit myself to him. Ndobaba vedu. Tikarega kudaro hatina hunhu.
“Kusarwisana, kubatana - ndicho chinhu chinodiwa patsika. Zvino Nelson nyaya yekuedza kubatanidza vanhu waive nayo zvizere. Nyangwe akanga asingaende zvake kuchurch, asi aibatsira Moleli. Tinoziva kuti chikoro cheMethodist chakasusukidza vanhu vakawanda vakasvika kumusoro.”
He also thanked the electorate for voting for Zanu-PF overwhelmingly.
“We are now pure, pure Zanu-PF. Hatisisina kana kamwe katsanga, kana kanobva kupi kari mukati medu. Asi tine hurombo nekurasikirwa kwataita negamba rakatishandira mumusangano nemuhurumende,” he said.
Speaking at the same function, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Cde Ignatius Chombo said the province had lost a unifier and peace-loving cadre.
Member of the National Assembly for Zvimba West and Deputy Home Affairs Minister Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi said Cde Samkange was a fatherly figure who was always cheerful.
The burial was attended by Zanu-PF national political commissar Cde Webster Shamu, Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Cde Faber Chidarikire, Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman Cde John Mafa and several senior Zanu-PF and Government officials.
Labels: DEVELOPMENT, NELSON SAMKANGE
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(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) More grain from Zambia by month end
Sunday, 03 November 2013 00:00
Sunday Mail Reporter
Zimbabwe is set to receive an additional 28 000 metric tonnes of grain from Zambia before the end of the month, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation, Cde Davis Marapira, has disclosed. The grain is set to be immediately distributed to some drought-stricken areas where Government has been distributing maize from the 10 000 metric tonnes it accessed from the country’s strategic grain reserve.
Cde Marapira disclosed that efforts to mobilise the money needed to ensure that the country takes delivery of the grain are already under way.
“Treasury is currently mobilising resources to import our next consignment of grain which should arrive in the country in the next 30 days. At least US$10 million is needed for the next consignment before the consignment is shipped.
“Presently we are distributing grain from the strategic grain reserves to areas where there are food deficits. We have also been receiving wheat from some friendly countries and it is always being distributed as part of measures aimed at ensuring that no one starves,” he said.
Recently, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Minister Dr Joseph Made told Cabinet that Zambia was demanding cash upfront before delivering any grain, resulting in only less than 20 000mt of grain out of the agreed 150 000mt having been received from Zambia so far.
He highlighted that the process of delivering grain takes more than 14 days since by law all maize must be fumigated before transportation while the transportation itself takes between seven to 14 days.
Labels: DAVIS MARAPIRA, MAIZE, ZAMBIA
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(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) EDITORIAL COMMENT: Stop the industrial bloodbath
Sunday, 03 November 2013 00:00
The catastrophe which has hit the manufacturing sector is astonishing in its sheer size and scope. Hundreds, if not thousands, of companies are helplessly losing their valuable equipment and buildings after failing to repay loans. On a daily basis, there are many factories being auctioned at give-away prices. The industrial imbroglio is scandalous, heartbreaking and shameful.
In most of the cases, the pattern is invariably the same.
You can trace the problem to 2001-2002 when the economy was jolted by Western sanctions. The subsequent years were extremely difficult for companies as hyperinflation took hold.
When the nation dollarised in 2009 following a decade of economic turbulence, everyone assumed that the worst years were finally behind us. With the benefit of hindsight, we can now see that this was wishful thinking.
There was no way the nation could wave a magic wand and wish away all the problems of the hyperinflation years. The damage had been done. Although corporate executives heaved a sigh of relief in 2009 and salivated at the prospect of raking in the green backs, they failed to realise the brutal reality of the deep-seated malaise that had taken root in the economy.
Sanctions-induced hyperinflation had inflicted massive damage. With no stock, no money to buy raw materials, no money to pay US$ salaries, no money to finance operations and no money to pay utility bills, most corporate executives rushed to the banks. They needed a rescue package to inject life into their comatose factories.
To be fair to the corporate executives, they had run out of financing options. Shareholders had neither capacity nor appetite to chip in.
Offshore funding was near-impossible to get owing to fears of economy-wide contagion. The Government had no rescue fund in place. Where else would companies find the money to kick-start operations?
The companies — struggling in the face of competition from cheap imports and stymied by a liquidity crunch that had left corporate entities gasping for oxygen — approached the banks for some respite.
With their backs to the wall, company executives literally sprinted to the banks. The banks — being what they are — welcomed them with open arms. In fact, so desperate were the firms for US$ loans that the banks had the luxury of cherry-picking the companies to do business with.
After all, banks aim for minimum risk and maximum profit.
The banks extended the companies some loans, but charged extortionate interest rates. What happened next is the stuff of corporate nightmare.
A lot of the companies which took out bank loans got entangled in a messy web of high production costs, unrealistic salary demands, outdated machinery, depressed sales and a slowing down global economy. Quite predictably, they could not achieve their performance targets.
Meanwhile, the bankers were waiting for their pound of flesh.
Four years later, here we are. The bankers have lost their patience. Instead of gently reminding the companies to pay up, they are swiftly instructing an army of hungry lawyers to pounce on the defaulters. The result is a bloodbath — on an industrial scale.
At first the defaulting firms that were losing their assets were predominantly those based in Bulawayo, Mutare and to some extent Gweru. The tide is turning. Harare-based companies are in the line of fire and the collateral damage is nothing short of catastrophic.
Loyal workers who have stood by the companies through thick and thin are being retrenched and just told to go home empty-handed.
What is heart rending is that a company can lose buildings worth US$5 million over a US$500 000 loan.
And the building is sold at a measly US$400 000. Where is the justice? Where is the Government?
If we are not careful in this country, the painstaking gains of indigenisation will be reversed overnight. Many of the businesses that are losing equipment and buildings are owned by indigenous business operators.
If they fail, they do not drown in the sewer as individual players. Rightly or wrongly, their collapse will be seen as the failure of an entire indigenisation revolution. If the manufacturing sector ends up in foreign hands, the empowerment revolution would have suffered an agonising setback.
To be sure, not every company deserves to be rescued by the Government. Some are collapsing because their owners have been profligate and reckless. Those should be allowed to die. But the truly strategic companies must never be allowed to crumble.
A firm that makes essential medicines, such as CAPS Pharmaceuticals, is surely of strategic importance. Why do we take chances on fake imported drugs? The maker of tyres, such as Dunlop, is another example. Defective second-hand tyres which are being imported by sleazy businessmen are claiming lives on our roads.
When Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa carries that hallowed briefcase to Parliament this month, the masses are expecting him to announce quick-win remedies for the industrial bloodbath.
The final countdown to the 2014 National Budget has indeed begun, amid high expectations that the Government will use this important instrument to provide the much-needed financial momentum to the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset).
In many ways, the budget will be seen as the financial mirror of Government policy as enunciated in Zim Asset. The Government’s commitment to the success of Zim Asset’s four clusters and two sub-clusters will find practical expression in the way financial resources are allocated.
But Zanu-PF must get its act together, to allow the new Government to do some meaningful work. Looking at the party’s ongoing provincial elections brouhaha, a visitor from planet Mars, landing here for the first time, would be puzzled by Zanu-PF’s propensity for self-destruction. The party seems determined to squander the huge mandate it received in the July 31 elections.
What the nation needs is not a fractious Zanu-PF mired in perpetual election mode. The nation needs a strong, focussed, disciplined and united Zanu-PF because when the party does well, the nation prospers.
Labels: SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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(SUNDAY MAIL ZW, REUTERS) Rio Tinto withdraws employees from Mozambique
Sunday, 03 November 2013 00:00
Mining company Rio Tinto is withdrawing the families of expatriate employees from Mozambique for their safety in a sign that an upsurge in kidnappings and violence is worrying investors. Other major companies developing big coal and gas reserves in the former Portuguese colony, Brazil’s
Vale, US oil company Anadarko and Italian oil and gas group Eni, said they were closely following political developments there, after clashes between the government army and opposition Renamo guerillas.
London-listed Rio Tinto, which mines and exports coal from north-west Tete province, said in a statement it was arranging to send home the families of foreign employees.
It announced the move a day after tens of thousands of Mozambicans marched in the capital Maputo and two other cities to protest against the threat of armed conflict and a recent spate of kidnappings by criminals.
“The safety of employees and their families is the number one priority,” Rio Tinto Coal Mozambique said, calling this a temporary precaution.
Its coal operations, including shipments, continue as planned, it said.
Seeking to reassure foreign investors and donors, President Armando Guebuza said last week he did not believe Mozambique ran the risk of sliding back into the kind of civil war that ravaged the country from independence in 1975 to 1992.
That conflict, which killed up to one million Mozambicans, was fought between Renamo and Guebuza’s Frelimo party.
Armed partisans of Renamo opposition leader Afonso Dhlakama have carried out sporadic raids and ambushes since April and in the last two weeks have clashed with government troops in central Sofala province and in Nampula province in the north.
Vale, which is also mining coal in Tete, and Eni, which is exploring large untapped offshore gas deposits in Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin, said they had no immediate plans to follow Rio Tinto’s action.
“We do not currently see a risk to our staff but we are of course monitoring the situation,” an Eni spokesman said. — Reuters.
Labels: MOZAMBIQUE, RENAMO, RIO TINTO
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Chikwelete
By Editor
Sun 03 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
IF Michael Sata is able to forgive those who were hired or had hired themselves out to claim he was a Tanzanian and not a Zambian, who is Wynter Kabimba not to forgive Robert Chikwelete?
If Michael easily finds it in his heart to forgive those who were hired or had hired themselves out to beat him up at Ichengelo Radio Station in Kitwe, who is Wynter not to forgive Chikwelete who was hired or had hired himself out to denounce him, humiliate him and accuse him of all sorts of things?
Wynter says if he is going to be a disciple - a true disciple - of Michael, he must practice his virtues. We agree. We should not forget that the name Christian means like Christ, follower of Christ. Now, Jesus Christ was humble, most pure, poor, meek: how can his disciple and imitator be proud, dishonest, angry, greedy and unforgiving?
Alexander the Great once said to a soldier who also had the same name but was sluggish, mean and cowardly: "Either change your name or change your behaviour."
Forgiveness is the only way to inner peace. A Chinese proverb says, "One who pursues revenge should dig two graves."
There are people who do wrong things because they do not have sufficient knowledge or freedom. If they are not guilty, what is there to forgive? The tendency to behave in a particular way is so deeply rooted in our nature as a result of childhood and adult experiences.
This obviously raises the question of free will. We know that we have free will and that human beings are not totally at the mercy of the past. Yet how much influence free will has on us is a moot question. Human experience shows that it is very, very fragile. Though the concept is hard for us to accept, it seems to be well-founded on the Bible and human experience, taken in a wider perspective.
True, the evildoer's action is bad or wrong. It hurts us. He knows what he is doing. But how much does he know? Does he know all the implications of his actions on himself or on others?
To realise that there is nothing to forgive is true forgiveness. There is nothing to forgive because he acted out of ignorance, he was misled, he was manipulated. To forgive just because the other apologised or admitted his mistake or out of condensation, is no true forgiveness. Forgiveness is an act of love and in love, one does not put another down. The interaction has to be on the basis of 'win-win'.
When I forgive because the other apologised, it is like saying, "Okay, now that you have realised your mistake or admitted it, I forgive you." Here obviously one is in a one-up position. On the other hand, when one says, "oh, what is there to forgive? I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes," both are winners.
Hence the words: 'It is easier to forgive an enemy after you have gotten even with him.' True forgiveness is as rare as true greatness. "Unless your justice exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom" (Matthew 5:20).
Forgiveness is difficult, especially for those who have been brought up in an atmosphere of harshness and resentment. But forgive we must, if we are to find peace of soul and health of body. It is said that life is an adventure in forgiveness.
Nothing clutters the soul more than remorse, resentment, recrimination. Forgiveness is a gift we need to give not only to others but to ourselves also, freeing us from self-punishment and enabling us to see wider horizons. There are times when we feel wronged, betrayed, deceived, humiliated.
It would be unhealthy not to react against the outrage. Certainly, we ought not to grant others the right to give us ulcers.
But we shouldn't think that forgiveness is only a precept of Christ or of religious teachers, it is also a law of nature. Forgiveness helps health. Non-forgiveness, holding a grudge, resentment and various forms of anger, all perform the same task - they keep us protected from perceived danger and away from the pain of loss.
Much psychic and physical energy is needed to keep up this defensive attitude. Most of us have experienced how resentment fatigues us. Forgiveness, on the other hand, puts us in contact again with people. This relaxes us, saving a lot of energy.
Forgiveness is easy when the violators see the pain they have caused us and sincerely apologise for their wrongdoing. The trouble is that they may not always apologise. Some people just don't realise how much pain they cause us.
Some of the careless, untruthful and malicious things people say about us can indeed cause us a good deal of pain. Yet others may feel that they have pained us, but are too proud to apologise. They feel that if they do, they diminish in our estimation, forgetting the truth that admitting a mistake is a sign of greatness.
Forgiving is not easy and sometimes we may find it too hard to forgive. Some may try different means and yet not succeed in forgiving.
Christ tells us three things we can do, as a last-ditch effort, which can help us towards forgiveness, provided, of course, we want to forgive and are ready to do what he asks of us. He says: "But I tell who hear me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28).
If we want to forgive and love our enemy, we need to do good to them, bless them and pray for them. These are all acts within our power. Forgiveness, like love, is not so much a feeling, as a decision to act in a particular way.
Feelings are not directly under our control, but actions are. We may have to do these actions almost mechanically for some time before we begin to experience feelings of forgiveness, namely the absence of resentment and certain degree of closeness to or freedom with the other person.
The first requisite to reconciliation is that we do good to those who have hurt us. This is what St Paul means when he says: "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge: I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: if your enemy is hungry, feed him: if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head" (Romans 12:19-20).
The second is to bless them. "Bless them", as its Latin root "bene dicere" means to speak well of the other. Avoid all criticism, slander and gossip about the others and say good things about them.
The last prerequisite is to pray for them; pray, not that they may realise their mistakes and come to apologise to us, but that God grant them their wishes and all things that would make them happy. It is remarkable how those who do these things get rid of their resentment and come to forgive others. Some might object that it is hypocrisy to behave towards others as if we love them when we really don't.
There is no hypocrisy here, because we admit that we don't have feelings of forgiveness but we are doing these acts precisely because we want to forgive. Hence the saying, "Enemies are not those who hate us, but rather whom we hate."
We usually say 'forgive and forget', as if to mean that when we forgive someone, we also forget the incident that caused us pain.
Forgiveness does not imply forgetting. As long as our memory is reasonable good, we will remember most of the things of our pasts, both good and bad. So remembering a painful incident does not mean that we have not forgiven. The test whether we have forgiven or not is whether we behave lovingly towards the other and speak well of him. One indication of such forgiveness is that we do not get emotional when we think or speak of the event that pained us.
However, to forgive does not imply that we are as close to the other person as we were earlier. This could happen; but not necessarily. It is perfectly okay to forgive one and at the same time decide not to have the other around too much, if that is possible or desirable. If from previous experience we know that temperamentally we do not get along too well with the other, it would be in the interest of both parties, to keep a respectable distance without, of course, alienating the other.
To such as those who thus forgive will peace be given: "Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body, you were called to peace. And be thankful" (Corinthians 3:12-15).
It is in this light that we look at Chikwelete's apologies and Wynter's forgiveness of him. There are great lessons for us all to learn from this.
Those who were using Chikwelete will see his act as one of betrayal, of selling out to Wynter. Others who are of goodwill will see Chikwelete's act as a good thing and in line with Christ's teachings and the behaviour expected from a good citizen, especially one who aspires to be a political leader of his people at any level.
Labels: MICHAEL SATA, PF, ROBERT CHIKWELETE, TRIBALISM
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War in PF over - Scott
By Ernest Chanda, Namatama Mundia and Prince Chibawa in Mansa
Sun 03 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
VICE-PRESIDENT Dr Guy Scott says no one will chase Wynter Kabimba, himself or President Michael Sata from the party, "we are here to stay and that's final". And Dr Scott says the 'war' in the Patriotic Front was over.
Featuring on Radio Yangeni in Mansa yesterday before he addressed two public rallies, Dr Scott said he was not worried about beginners in the party who thought they could take over power using money.
"I know Michael Sata very well, in 20 years we have traveled on the same vehicle, we have slept in the same guest houses, we drove across the country together and exchanged many, many words. So, I'm one of the better judges of Michael Sata around," he said.
"And I don't know him as well as his wife knows him about so on and so forth, but I know him pretty well. And I'm not at all worried there're some beginners, some amateurs who think that with cartons of money you can change the balance of power."
And when asked whether the wrangles in the party were over now, Dr Scott answered in the affirmative.
"I think so, I've been very confident throughout. And I think that confidence is paying up. What's going on in the Patriotic Front obviously is that there has been an attempt to disrupt it or to change the balance of power in the party. And that attempt has basically failed. People sometimes continue fighting a war when it's over because they don't know it's over," Dr Scott said.
"But it's over, if you read The Post this (Saturday) morning you will find apologies from Mr Chikwelete; a letter to me, a letter to Wynter Kabimba saying 'I'm sorry for everything'. Certain key people have been removed; there is really no need to talk about these things because they are internal matters.
And in Bemba people say kwapa tacila kubeya (a subordinate cannot be more powerful than his superior). So, you take Michael Sata as a shoulder that you could ride on top if you wanted. And everything is as far as I'm concerned back to normal."
Dr Scott praised PF members in Luapula Province for not participating in the wrangles.
He said they had displayed a mature way of handling internal differences by keeping quiet.
Asked to mention the people that were causing wrangles in the party, Dr Scott declined, saying he did not want to wake up sleeping dogs.
Dr Scott said there had been a group of senior PF officials whose aim was to distabilise the intra-democracy of the party.
He said it was unfortunate for some party officials to start challenging President Sata and Kabimba prematurely.
"President Sata has suffered for the PF party for over 22 years. And some people, they thought they could commence challenging him prematurely," he said.
And Dr Scott said majority Zambians would vote for the PF based on the tangible development and not mere promises.
He said it had been witnessed in the past two years that the PF government was determined to develop the country within the planned time frame.
"Our developmental agenda is clear. We want to deliver massive economic development to all parts of the country. Come 2016, there will be less talk in terms of campaign because the people will be judging on the development to be delivered," Dr Scott said.
He said the government had committed to addressing high levels of unemployment.
Dr Scott said much consideration was made to invest more in infrastructure development which had potential to create more job opportunities.
"Our key priority is to address the high leaves of unemployment especially among the youth. And this is the major factor contributing to high levels of poverty not only here in Zambia but in most African countries including South Africa," he said.
Dr Scott added that other areas of developmental focus were in agriculture, health and education.
"Agriculture is our top priority area on the PF developmental agenda. For example, here in Luapula Province, this year, the Food Reserve Agency has paid farmers over K72 million, remaining only with K2 million," he said.
Dr Scott further said the government was also in the process of revamping the Mununshi banana scheme in Mwense district and the Kawambwa tea estate.
He said that it was for that reason that people of Mansa Central Constituency should vote for PF candidate Dr Chitalu Chilufya in the November 22 parliamentary by-election.
"You need to vote for Dr Chilufya so that he can continue implementing the developmental agenda which has been set for this area," added Dr Scott.
And Chipili Constituency member of parliament Davies Mwila revealed that the government had secured land for the construction of University of Luapula and that the funds had been allocated in the 2014 national budget.
"The government is also in the process to construct Mwense Technical College in a bid to make tertiary education accessible in all the areas," said Mwila.
And Mansa Central Constituency PF candidate Dr Chitalu Chilufya who featured on the same programme, said the party had a developmental agenda which should be carried on.
" The vision is very clear for all to see. We are focusing on education, health, water and sanitation, agriculture, road infrastructure and job creation," said Dr Chilufya.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, MICHAEL SATA, PF, RADIO YANGENI
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Wage freeze for govt workers final - Scott
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sun 03 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott says corrupt people get attracted to the ruling party. And Vice-President Scott says the two-year cap on wages for civil servants is final but the government is willing to engage trade unions. Vice-President Scott said this in Parliament on Friday during the Vice-President's question time.
Mapatizya UPND member of parliament Clive Miyanda caused laughter when he asked Vice-President Scott to apologise to home affairs minister Edgar Lungu who said he was uncomfortable working with corrupt ministers. Lungu on Friday sat next to Vice-President Scott in the National Assembly.
"If the Honourable cares to go back to the story in The Post newspaper, he will find no mention of me saying that we have corrupt ministers in the government," Vice-President Scott. "What I said is that corrupt people such as those in the land-grabbing industry in Lusaka are attracted to the ruling party. The people in Lusaka West, when the MMD was in power, they had blue chitenge; as soon as PF came into power, they had green chitenge. I will stand by that."
Vice-President Scott said the government would proceed to implement the planned two-year ban on increase of salaries for civil servants and also the recruitment of new government workers.
This was in response to Sinda MMD member of parliament Levy Ngoma who queried on the planned picketing of Parliament by the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions to force legislators to overturn the proposed freeze in wages and hiring of new public workers.
"The wage freeze is for two years and there hasn't been a freeze this year. There had been enormous increments at certain levels in the civil servants," Vice-President Scott said. "We are not authoritarians, we are not dictators, we are prepared to talk about almost anything. We are not afraid to talk, but we have made our position very clear."
And Nalikwanda MMD member of parliament Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa, quoting the Daily Mail, asked him on what the government planned to do for the people of Sioma who were reportedly buying roller meal at K150 per 25 kilogrmme bag.
In response, Vice-President Scott said: "That is Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit DMMU's responsibility and I will see to it that is done, but I wouldn't believe everything I have read in the Daily Mail anywhere."
Labels: CLIVE MIYANDA, GUY SCOTT, PF, SALARIES
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Govt determination to improve lives impressive - Kabanda
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Sun 03 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
SIMON Kabanda says the government's determination to improve the lives of many Zambians has been impressive.
Speaking at Kitwe's St Joseph Catholic Church in Buchi after a thanksgiving mass on the occasion of his 50th birthday, Kabanda who is Citizens Forum executive secretary said the change of government in 2011 had given many leaders an opportunity to contribute positively to national development.
He said many good things were happening in the country after a long time because of a leadership that had a heart for the people of Zambia.
"Regarding my life, some people have told me that Kabanda you have abandoned us, that these days I'm lukewarm about issues of governance, that I'm not speaking on behalf of the people and that maybe I just hated the MMD that's why after the change of government I have gone quiet.
My straight answer to all this is that I have not abandoned anybody. I have not abandoned the cause of justice...the change of government in 2011 has given us an opportunity to work hard to better the lives of many people, especially the poor," Kabanda said.
He said the energies that were being used to make constructive noise when there was a call for the change of government, have to be directed towards ensuring that the opportunities to better the lives of the people were fully utilised, so that the country could become a better place for everyone.
Kabanda said there was need to direct more energy towards promoting a culture of responsible citizens.
"As I am ageing now beyond 50 years old, my duty is to ensure that I participate actively and responsibly in bettering the lives of people. It is not time to simply speak on behalf of the people, it is time to work, to mobilise people into being more responsible citizens who should participate actively and responsibly in bettering the lives of others," Kabanda said.
And speaking in his homily during mass, Fr Peter Mwila commended Kabanda and a Catholic nun, Sr Mary Beti who were celebrating their 50th anniversary, to remain focused and determined in their work to serve the majority poor through promotion of human rights and the cause for social justice.
Labels: PF, POVERTY, SIMON KABANDA
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Farmers are failing to graduate from dependency on govt, says Fr Mwanza
By Mwala Kalaluka and Christopher Miti in Petauke
Sun 03 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
COMMENT - Fr. George Mwanza should familiarize himself with American agriculture, which is very heavily subsidized. No one is wondering when the transnational corporations that now own American agriculture will ever 'graduate from government support', and unlike Zambian farmers, they don't need it. Supporting agriculture is one of the tasks of government. - MrK
A PETAUKE clergyman says farmers are failing to graduate from government dependence following the removal of maize subsidies because the farming cooperatives aimed at sustaining their agricultural power solely concentrated on acquiring bags of fertiliser.
And Fr George Mwanza, the parish priest at Petauke's St Thomas Anglican Church, says the government has concentrated its road rehabilitation programmes in Msanzala constituency of the district where the area member of parliament is a member of the ruling party.
Fr Mwanza said in an interview in Petauke on Friday that the area's economic activities were driven by the agriculture sector, but the marketing system in the district was not okay and as such, the economy of the district was struggling.
"Things are not okay in terms of the market system. FRA this year, I don't think there was much. People were still complaining," Fr Mwanza said. "Last time they were told the government was going to buy the crops but to their disappointment, it was not what they expected and at the end of the day, they sold their maize earlier than the FRA market season."
He said the other problem was that none of the depots in the district had been supplied with fertiliser.
"It's not promising that the farmers are going to have their inputs earlier, which is another threat and I don't know what will happen because the issue of the removing of subsidy; they were just taken unaware," Fr Mwanza said. "If they had done it slowly, that was going to create space for the farmers to start preparing themselves."
The clergyman said farmers depend on the crops they sell to realise monies which they use for their day-to-day business.
"Most of the farmers they expected subsidies maybe to be removed slowly, gradually. Now they don't know where to begin from because our cooperatives here, they were only cooperatives which were meant to acquire fertiliser only and not to sustain them for a longer period that they can be weaned," he said. "So it was just a group which would acquire fertiliser that is all…I thought maybe, this was not properly done when they were forming cooperatives. It was supposed to be a cooperative where five years, people have to graduate and stand on their own financially, but this is not the case."
He further said the concept of cooperatives was not well understood because as far as farmers were concerned, they only needed to come up with a team that would put its money together without looking at how they would sustain that cooperative.
"But the removal of subsidies meant that these people were not prepared and I don't know what will happen this season," he said.
"To my understanding, shares were supposed to be accumulating interest but for them, it is just a matter of getting a bag of fertiliser, that is all."
And Fr Mwanza said although very few people would complain about roads in Petauke, there was always a political interference whenever it came to rehabilitating or upgrading them.
"During the time when there are by-elections, you see the tippers and people being employed, but after the by-elections, you find that all the vehicles that are supposed to be on the site, they are all removed, which I also look at to be politically moved," he said.
"I have seen roads like in Msanzala area where most of the roads are being done but here in Petauke Central, there are very few roads that are being done.
If there is any road that is being done, it should be the Kalindawalo road. In Msanzala, there is a PF member of parliament, but we don't have anyone to represent us here in Petauke Central. So, most of the things are slowing down."
However, Fr Mwanza said the people of Petauke Central had seen development on the part of the market which he said was well done.
On education, he said that the state of most community schools was deplorable but was quickly to mention that the standards in other schools that were in the vicinity of the Boma were fine.
"Just some 10 kilometres from here, you find that some children are still sitting on the floor. Not even a floor where there is cement, but on the dust and using their laps as desks," he said.
Fr Mwanza called on health workers to change their work culture and serve people in the district without looking at their political affiliation or otherwise.
"The working culture is very bad, especially this time when people want to go on a go-slow, you find that people are not caring," said Fr Mwanza. "The 'Church', we have different programmes which are community-based looking at how we can educate the people as well as alleviate poverty."
Labels: AGRICULTURE, FISP, PETAUKE, SUBSIDIES
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Zim court invalidates law that criminalises insulting president
By BBC
Sun 03 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
COMMENT - So much for the corrupt BBC mantra that Zimbabwe is 'a dictatorship'. So it is no longer illegal to insult the head of state in Zimbabwe? Great Britain to follow, some day, because lese majeste is still a crime in the United Kingdom itself. - MrK
ZIMBABWE'S highest court has declared unconstitutional a law which makes it a crime to insult the president.
Prosecutors should not be overzealous about charging people who comment about President Robert Mugabe "in drinking halls and other social places", the Constitutional Court said. At least 80 cases have reportedly been filed in recent years under the law.
In May, opposition activist Solomon Madzore was arrested for allegedly calling President Mugabe a "limping donkey". He denied a charge of insulting the president.
Under Section 33 of Zimbabwe's Criminal Codification and Reform Act, a person could be jailed for up to a year or fined US $100 (£64) for insulting the president's office.
The law was challenged by several Zimbabweans, including a resident of the southern city of Bulawayo, Tendai Danga, who was arrested two years ago for allegedly insulting President Mugabe during a row with a policeman in a bar.
The court's nine judges were unanimous in ruling that the law undermined freedom of expression, making it unlikely that the government will appeal against it, reports the BBC's Brian Hungwe from the capital, Harare.
However, the court gave justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa until November 20 to file an appeal.
In August, a court acquitted a 26-year old man, Takura Mufumisi, charged with intending to use a poster of President Mugabe as toilet paper in a bar.
Zimbabwe approved a new constitution which expands civil liberties in a referendum in March.
Many Zimbabweans have welcomed the court's ruling, believing the law had insulated the president from criticism, a BBC correspondent says.
President Mugabe, 89, extended his 33-year rule in elections in July.
His rival Morgan Tsvangirai rejected the result, alleging it was marred by widespread fraud.
The court also declared unconstitutional a law curtailing media freedom, following a challenge by a privately owned financial publication, Zimbabwe Independent.
The state should not "penalise people who make false statements in good faith about a matter of public concern", deputy Chief Justice Luke Malala said.
Zimbabwean law currently states that a person can be sentenced to 20 years in prison for publishing falsehoods. - BBC
Labels: COURTS
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(NEWZIMBABWE, 'THE SOURCE') Banks lend $4.5bln, most to individuals
01/11/2013 00:00:00
by The Source
THE banking sector has spent $4,5 billion in the economy – about 120 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, most of which has been in the form of loans to companies and individuals, the central bank governor said on Friday.
Addressing members of the house of assembly at a pre-budget seminar in the resort town of Victoria Falls, Gideon Gono said of the $3,7 billion disbursed as loans, $900 million was advanced to individuals.
“For every dollar in the market, 83cents have been given out as loans,” Gono said, adding that it was ‘a disturbing reality’ that the $900 million advanced to individuals was more than the $600 million loans to the agriculture sector.
About $75 million was advanced to the mining sector while less than $50 million was availed to the transport sector.
Gono said the import bill for the nine months to September was $6,6 billion and that Zimbabwe was becoming a retail economy as its manufacturing base continued to decline.
A recent CZI manufacturing survey showed that industrial capacity utilisation dropped to 39.6 percent in June this year from 44.9 percent last year.
“We need to control imports because we are impoverishing our nation. We need laws that support local industries,” Gono said.
Labels: GIDEON GONO, MANUFACTURING, NEOLIBERALISM
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Unite for the common good
By Editor
Sat 02 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THOSE who are ready to join hands can overcome the greatest challenges. For our country, one of the most important things is unity - of our people, our forces and our country.
Without unity, we will have instability. And with instability will come divisions. Our country will be divided into countless parts. And with divisions, our country will not be able to tackle its basic problems.
Therefore, whatever political arrangements we come up with to govern the affairs of our country should promote unity.
It cannot be denied that although multi-party politics appear to the best form of political organisation, if not handled properly can be a source of serious divisions and instability in our country. We will never go back to the one party state, de jure or de facto. This is so because the one party political system has been found wanting. The single party state, except at rare moments in history, is a recipe for tyranny. We have learnt from the Soviet experience and from the African experience that the concept of a one party state is a disaster. And we therefore have to work very hard and entrench the multi-party political culture.
But without the necessary culture of tolerance, consensus and coalition building, we will not get much out of our multi-party politics. Multi-party democracy is not a machine that runs by itself once the proper principles and procedures are inserted. A multi-party society needs the commitment of its citizens who accept the inevitability of conflict as well as the necessity for unity, co-operation and tolerance.
It is important to recognise that some of the many conflicts that tend to divide us on party lines are not between clear-cut "right" and "wrong", but between different perceptions of multi-party political rights and social priorities.
There are no easy solutions or guidelines for addressing these issues. And it is for this reason that the culture of multi-party democracy is so important to develop. Individuals and their political parties must be willing, at a minimum, to tolerate each other's differences, recognising that the other side has valid rights and a legitimate point of view. When there are differences, they should meet in a spirit of compromise and seek a specific solution that builds on the general principle of majority rule and minority rights.
As we have stated before, coalition building is the essence of multi-party democratic action. This is so because it teaches people from different political affiliations to negotiate with others, to compromise and to work within the constitutional system. And by working to establish coalition, politicians from different political parties with differences learn how to argue peaceably, how to pursue their goals in a democratic manner and ultimately how to live and work in a world of political diversity and plurality.
It is equally for these reasons why we have been advocating for "loyal opposition". We know some narrow-minded politicians have denounced our appeal for a "loyal opposition" because in their narrow-mindedness, they see this as a way of trying to bring them under the control of the ruling party.
Anyone committed to the idea of multi-party politics cannot suggest schemes that destroy political diversity and plurality and attempt to create a one party state by the back door. What we are simply advocating is a situation where all our political parties share a common commitment to the basic values of a multi-party political dispensation. Political competitors don't necessarily have to like each other for them to unite in dealing with problems and challenges facing our country, but they must tolerate one another and acknowledge that each has a legitimate and important role to play. Moreover, the ground rules of the society must encourage tolerance and civility in political discourse. And no matter who wins elections, all must agree to co-operate in solving the common problems of our country.
We are not in any way suggesting that for there to be national unity and stability, those in the opposition should be loyal to the specific policies of the party in government. No. We are simply saying that those in the opposition should be loyal to the fundamental legitimacy of the state, and to the multi-party democratic process itself.
We call for unity among our political parties, and especially between the opposition and the ruling party, because multipartism can indeed favour democracy but cannot always guarantee it. Democracy, like any other human institution, is vulnerable and fragile. As Pope John Paul II correctly observed, "authentic democracy is possible only in a state ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person".
Therefore, a real multi-party democracy in this country has to be built on the basis of justice and moral values and has to look to the common good. And this common good is not simply the addition of individual particular interests; "rather, it involves an assessment and integration of those interests on the basis of a balanced hierarchy of values; ultimately it demands a correct understanding of the dignity and rights of the person" (Pope John Paul II, on the Human Person at the Centre of the Society, No.37).
We shouldn't also forget that multi-party democracy is a demanding form of government, and neither leaders nor citizens are naturally prepared for it. A long process of moral and civic education is required in order to understand and to implement a real multi party democracy.
There is no perfect form of human government. Abuses can take place in every system, but the fundamental value of multi-party democracy is to allow the participation of citizens in the government of their country. In this regard, multi-party democracy as a system of government is consonant with human rights and the respect of human dignity and freedom. In fact, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is explicit in affirming the value of political participation: "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of one's own country, directly or through freely chosen representatives." The right to political participation is equally enhanced by the African Charter on Human and People's Rights approved by the member states of the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union, in their meeting of June 1981 in Nairobi.
It is common knowledge that no system is perfect. And this includes our multi-party political system. Any system, no matter how good its principles may be, can be manipulated in order to exploit the very people whose best interests it is meant to serve.
We therefore value our multi-party democratic system in as much as it ensures the participation of our people in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate.
Multi-party democratic participation requires, not only the creation of political parties and structure, but also the reign of multi-party democratic values in the hearts and minds of our politicians, their cadres and followers and indeed in all our people. A proliferation of political parties without the corresponding multi-party political values in the heart and minds of our people are rootless. There is need for a multi-party democratic culture that will help give full meaning to our multi-party political dispensation and ensure our success in fostering the welfare and progress of our country.
For a multi-party political system to function well, there is need for multi-party democratically minded people - a true multi-party democratic spirit.
It is for these reasons that we welcome MMD's attempt to work, in certain areas and on certain things, with the ruling Patriotic Front. Doing so, contrary to the perceptions of politically narrow-minded elements, will not weaken the opposition. It will actually strengthen the opposition and give it the credibility it now lacks. Unity is for the good of the country and the common good and as such, it cannot result in weakening the opposition or the ruling party.
But those in the MMD should not in any way deceive themselves that co-operation or unity with the ruling Patriotic Front will mean a licence to doing wrong things, to corruption. Those who are facing corruption charges or investigation, like Dora Siliya, should not in any way deceive themselves that with co-operation or unity with the Patriotic Front, their corruption prosecutions or investigations will be halted. This is not the unity that the Zambian people expect from all this. That will actually not be unity but impunity. If anything, the new leadership of the MMD should join hands with the Patriotic Front government to investigate and prosecute the corruption of the Rupiah Banda regime and those before it. MMD should not continue to be seen to be a political party that favours corruption and corrupt elements. We know that MMD party president Nevers Mumba is facing legitimate corruption charges in our courts of law. The MMD should not try to misinterpret this as vindictiveness, vengeance or an attempt to crash the opposition. No one should be above the law regardless of the political position they occupy. If Nevers did something wrong, he should be prosecuted. If at the end of the trial he is found to be innocent, he should be acquitted without any hesitation. That's how the rule of law operates.
We hope this is the unity and political co-operation that Dora and her colleagues are talking about and are seeking. Anything else will be a deformation of genuine and legitimate unity and co-operation.
And the MMD's decision to attend independence celebrations is a good thing but it is not a favour to the Patriotic Front and its government. MMD is simply doing what it should be doing; it is simply fulfilling a duty that it should fulfil. Independence Day celebrations do not belong to the ruling party. It belongs to us all. And those in government have a duty to make the atmosphere at these celebrations conducive for all patriots, regardless of their political affiliations, to attend. Independence Day celebrations are not and should never be a ruling party function but a national and state function. And if one looks at things this way, it will not be difficult to realise that the position the MMD has taken on national events is the correct one and that the position of the UPND on this score is a misinformed and ignorant one and seriously lacks patriotism.
It will also be difficult for a political party led by a patriot like Michael Sata to co-operate with a treacherous political party that has no respect for the independence of our country. You cannot claim to love your country without being a patriot. Lack of patriotism leads to a lot of treacherous acts. It is this lack of patriotism that led some elements in MMD and UPND to launch an international campaign calling for sanctions against their own country in defence of Rupiah and his corruption. Unity and co-operation is only possible among political parties that are patriotic, regardless of the differences in their specific policies.
Labels: POLITICS
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Chikwelete sorry
By Roy Habaalu
Sat 02 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
ROBERT Chikwelete has apologised to PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba for his offending conduct towards him.
According to a letter of apology dated October 31, 2013, Chikwelete further apologised to Vice-President Dr Guy Scott for denouncing, insulting and humiliating the duo.
"Re: Apology for offending the party. I refer to the above matter and would like to apologise to you sir, as secretary general of our party, Patriotic Front, for the offending conduct towards the senior leaders of our party especially yourself as the secretary general and the Vice-President of our party Dr Guy Scott and other genuine members of the party who were offended by my conduct, I ask for forgiveness," read Chikwelete's letter in part.
And Kabimba said he had accepted Chikwelete's apology because he was convinced it was in good faith.
He said he had no doubt in his mind that Chikwelete, the suspended PF Chawama constituency chairman, was sorry and that he regretted his actions.
"I told him I had accepted his apology because I myself remember very well Chikwelete's contribution to the party and therefore I thought he could still be useful as a member of the party and that those demonstrations against me would not be the way of him developing his career in the party for the future," Kabimba said.
"I also told him that I did not see how anybody would give him credit as a member of the party for leading those demonstrations by way of addressing his grievances. The meeting was very cordial and I have no doubt in my mind that the man was sorry and contrite and he had regretted his actions."
He said two days before the Lusaka demonstrations, he had phoned Chikwelete to discuss his grievances and those of others.
Kabimba said he sought a meeting with Chikwelete so that he could hear him out, to which he agreed.
"I was therefore surprised and disappointed that instead of coming to see me on the appointed day he (Chikwelete) decided to get involved into those demonstrations," he said.
Kabimba said Chikwelete told him that he was a troubled person and that his conscience was not free because he saw that there was nothing wrong that he had done against him personally or to the party.
He said Chikwelete complained that he had been let down by not being given a job despite promises by President Michael Sata to him personally.
"He went further to say one of the first promises was that he would be sent into the foreign service, when that didn't work out he was promised that he would be appointed district commissioner for Chitambo district. To his disappointment, neither of them materialised. He also claimed that he was disappointed and not happy with the provincial and district committees and he thought that the two committees were being protected by the secretary general and for that reason he decided that him and his colleagues should rise against the secretary general in order to get rid of Lusaka Province and district officials," Kabimba said.
He said Chikwelete told him that senior members of the party were financing the demonstrations and named them.
But when asked to reveal the names, Kabimba said it was not necessary to do so.
"We want to put this behind us and move our party forward," he said.
"...The gist of his apology was that he had recognised that I had worked very well with him as a councillor until he became (Lusaka) mayor. He praised my contribution to the party since I became secretary general so he wanted to make amends so that we continue working together."
Kabimba said the meeting where Chikwelete apologised was sought through his lawyer Robson Malipenga.
He said Malipenga phoned him that Chikwelete wanted to personally apologise over the demonstrations against him which he led in Lusaka.
Kabimba said he was initially reluctant to meet Chikwelete but because the request came from his lawyer and his personal friend, he accepted because he did not want to appear to be harbouring a grudge against Chikwelete.
"I decided I would meet Robert Chikwelete in the presence of Robson Malipenga hence our meeting held on 21st October, 2013. In the meeting there was Robson Malipenga and myself," said Kabimba.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, ROBERT CHIKWELETE, WYNTER KABIMBA
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Zambia, Zim and Malawi oppose stiffer legislation on tobacco
By Gift Chanda
Fri 01 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
SOUTHERN African countries have opposed stiffer tobacco legislation to compel them to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.
Francois van der Merwe, chief executive officer of the Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa (TISA), said the countries, including Zambia, are concerned at the growing trend to introduce cigarette packaging regulations that encroach on existing legal trademarks.
Ukraine and Honduras are reviving a dispute at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) challenging Australian laws that introduced the so-called "plain packaging" requirements regarding the appearance and packaging of tobacco products.
Inclusive of significant trademark restrictions, the legislation requires tobacco products to be sold in standardised, olive-green packs with large graphic health warnings on both sides of the pack.
But van der Merwe said, "Any measure that goes beyond what is necessary to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco by limiting trademarks of legal products, runs the risk of achieving many unintended consequences for years to come".
"Extreme regulations, such as standardised packs, as in Australia will make it difficult to differentiate between tobacco products and will make counterfeiting easier, leading to a further rise in illicit trade," he said.
He explained that illicit trade in tobacco products was already of considerable proportion in the Southern African region, affecting all stakeholders throughout the tobacco value chain.
"Any increase in illicit trade due to extreme regulation which is not based on evidence and science, and on which full consultation has not taken place, will have disastrous negative consequences for countries in the region," said van der Merwe.
"SADC members Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi have registered their concerns around the impact of extreme tobacco packaging legislation, with all three having notified the WTO of their interest in becoming third parties to the Ukraine dispute on tobacco plain packaging. This is on the basis of the
contribution of tobacco to their economies, a point on which they refuse to be mute participants and powerless negotiators in international forums where the outcome impacts their economies."
Plain packaging was introduced in Australia in December last year, and there has been manoeuvres by anti-smoking pressure groups to have African countries introduce the law after the big tobacco companies in Australia lost a lawsuit challenging the regulation.
Tobacco is grown in six out of 15 member states of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), including Zambia, and in all of the five tobacco growing member states, the crop is a key export earner with a significant contribution of between three to 10 per cent to the GDP of those countries.
Labels: TISA, TOBACCO, WTO
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Revocation of SI 89 may delay revenue to treasury - Chikwanda
By Abel Mboozi
Sat 02 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
FINANCE minister Alexander Chikwanda on Thursday told Parliament that the reversed SI89 was issued as a cash flow management measure to avoid a situation where the government will be compelled to resort to short-term borrowing at high cost or curtailing expenditure to institutions due to non-receipt of mineral royalties.
And Chikwanda says the revocation of Statutory Instrument number 89 will not occasion any revenue losses but may only result in further delays of revenue to the treasury.
He explained that the rationale of SI 89 was to ensure that revenues from the mines to the national treasury were not unduly delayed as a result of the stockpiling that was currently going on.
He said according to section 134 of the mines and minerals development Act, mineral loyalty was due when minerals were sold either in raw or processed form.
"Given that mining companies have been producing and stockpiling, the government has not been able to receive revenues as projected to fund its operations," he said.
"The issuance of SI 89 was part of the cash flow management so that government could not be compelled to resort to short term borrowing at high cost or curtailing expenditure to institutions due to non receipt of mineral royalties."
Chikwanda said the delay in receiving mineral royalty on copper ores and concentrates was dependent on the time it would take the mining companies to process and sell copper.
On Wednesday, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini directed Chikwanda to provide an explanation on the SI 89 of 2013 and implications of its re-alignment at the behest of President Michael Sata.
Speaker Matibini gave the directive following a point of order by Mwandi MMD member of parliament Michael Kaingu who asked what the financial implication of the realigned SI was.
Earlier in the week, Chikwanda told the parliamentary committee on estimates that reversal of the SI would cost the country revenue because of inadequate smelting capacity.
On Monday, President Sata cancelled Statutory Instrument Number 89 which Chikwanda signed on October 4.
SI 89 which was to be in force up to September 30, 2014 was to reverse the November 2011 decision of the PF government to impose a 10 per cent export levy on copper concentrates and ores to encourage value addition to copper exports and improve accountability in the vast mining sector.
SI 89 has since been replaced with SI 99 which has reinstated the 10 per cent export duty on copper concentrates and ores which Chikwanda briefly abolished after being lobbied by First Quantum Minerals and Lubambe Copper Mines.
And local government minister Emmerine Kabanshi told Parliament on Thursday that her ministry had received K50 million to pay off constituencies that had not received their Constituency Development Fund.
In her policy debate on the budget, Kabanshi dispelled allegations that the government was segregative in the way it administered CDF.
"MPs that have not received CDF should remain patient, besides the treasury has just released K50 million and the 38 remaining constituencies will be paid off. There is no segregation in the way this fund is administered," said Kabanshi.
Labels: ALEXANDER CHIKWANDA, PATRICK MATIBINI, STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 89, TAX EVASION
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KCM to retrench 1,529 workers
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Sat 02 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
KONKOLA Copper Mines has announced plans to outplace over 1,500 employees as the mining giant pursues a mechanization programme for all its operations.
At a press briefing in Kitwe yesterday, KCM chief executive officer Kishor Kumar said current productivity at eight tonnes per year per employee compared to global norms of 100 tonnes was unsustainable.
"This is due to the fact that KCM Nchanga operations are still using the costly conventional methods of mining compared to mechanised mining which most of our global peers have adopted. In the continuing restructuring of our operations, KCM is moving towards mechanisation and automation of all its operations to ensure efficiency and higher productivity," Kumar said. "The resultant changes may affect upward of 1,529 members of our staff, through labour outplacement."
Kumar said KCM would follow a well structured process to minimize the impact on the affected employee.
Asked what he meant by following a structured process, Kumar he could not categorically answer.
Asked what he meant by labour outplacement, Kumar explained that it was a restructuring process and that some employees not relevant to the current mining operations would be laid off.
He also said the number would gradually increase after 2017.
Further asked whether government was aware of its plans, Kumar said ZCCM-IH was on the KCM board and were a key stakeholder who were well aware of the process.
"So government is well aware of this operation," he said.
He said government was aware the lifespan of Nchanga is coming to an end in 2016.
Konkola mine in Chililabombwe has 280 million of copper ore to last about 25 to 30 years.
A couple of months ago KCM was forced to shelve plans to retrench about 2000 people owing to low productivity and high operational costs.
Labels: FDI, KCM, MINING, UNEMPLOYMENT
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(NEWZIMBABWE, 'THE SOURCE') Banks lend $4.5bln, most to individuals
01/11/2013 00:00:00
by The Source
THE banking sector has spent $4,5 billion in the economy – about 120 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, most of which has been in the form of loans to companies and individuals, the central bank governor said on Friday.
Addressing members of the house of assembly at a pre-budget seminar in the resort town of Victoria Falls, Gideon Gono said of the $3,7 billion disbursed as loans, $900 million was advanced to individuals.
“For every dollar in the market, 83cents have been given out as loans,” Gono said, adding that it was ‘a disturbing reality’ that the $900 million advanced to individuals was more than the $600 million loans to the agriculture sector.
About $75 million was advanced to the mining sector while less than $50 million was availed to the transport sector.
Gono said the import bill for the nine months to September was $6,6 billion and that Zimbabwe was becoming a retail economy as its manufacturing base continued to decline.
A recent CZI manufacturing survey showed that industrial capacity utilisation dropped to 39.6 percent in June this year from 44.9 percent last year.
“We need to control imports because we are impoverishing our nation. We need laws that support local industries,” Gono said.
Labels: GIDEON GONO, MANUFACTURING, NEOLIBERALISM
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Unite for the common good
By Editor
Sat 02 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THOSE who are ready to join hands can overcome the greatest challenges. For our country, one of the most important things is unity - of our people, our forces and our country.
Without unity, we will have instability. And with instability will come divisions. Our country will be divided into countless parts. And with divisions, our country will not be able to tackle its basic problems.
Therefore, whatever political arrangements we come up with to govern the affairs of our country should promote unity.
It cannot be denied that although multi-party politics appear to the best form of political organisation, if not handled properly can be a source of serious divisions and instability in our country. We will never go back to the one party state, de jure or de facto. This is so because the one party political system has been found wanting. The single party state, except at rare moments in history, is a recipe for tyranny. We have learnt from the Soviet experience and from the African experience that the concept of a one party state is a disaster. And we therefore have to work very hard and entrench the multi-party political culture.
But without the necessary culture of tolerance, consensus and coalition building, we will not get much out of our multi-party politics. Multi-party democracy is not a machine that runs by itself once the proper principles and procedures are inserted. A multi-party society needs the commitment of its citizens who accept the inevitability of conflict as well as the necessity for unity, co-operation and tolerance.
It is important to recognise that some of the many conflicts that tend to divide us on party lines are not between clear-cut "right" and "wrong", but between different perceptions of multi-party political rights and social priorities.
There are no easy solutions or guidelines for addressing these issues. And it is for this reason that the culture of multi-party democracy is so important to develop. Individuals and their political parties must be willing, at a minimum, to tolerate each other's differences, recognising that the other side has valid rights and a legitimate point of view. When there are differences, they should meet in a spirit of compromise and seek a specific solution that builds on the general principle of majority rule and minority rights.
As we have stated before, coalition building is the essence of multi-party democratic action. This is so because it teaches people from different political affiliations to negotiate with others, to compromise and to work within the constitutional system. And by working to establish coalition, politicians from different political parties with differences learn how to argue peaceably, how to pursue their goals in a democratic manner and ultimately how to live and work in a world of political diversity and plurality.
It is equally for these reasons why we have been advocating for "loyal opposition". We know some narrow-minded politicians have denounced our appeal for a "loyal opposition" because in their narrow-mindedness, they see this as a way of trying to bring them under the control of the ruling party.
Anyone committed to the idea of multi-party politics cannot suggest schemes that destroy political diversity and plurality and attempt to create a one party state by the back door. What we are simply advocating is a situation where all our political parties share a common commitment to the basic values of a multi-party political dispensation. Political competitors don't necessarily have to like each other for them to unite in dealing with problems and challenges facing our country, but they must tolerate one another and acknowledge that each has a legitimate and important role to play. Moreover, the ground rules of the society must encourage tolerance and civility in political discourse. And no matter who wins elections, all must agree to co-operate in solving the common problems of our country.
We are not in any way suggesting that for there to be national unity and stability, those in the opposition should be loyal to the specific policies of the party in government. No. We are simply saying that those in the opposition should be loyal to the fundamental legitimacy of the state, and to the multi-party democratic process itself.
We call for unity among our political parties, and especially between the opposition and the ruling party, because multipartism can indeed favour democracy but cannot always guarantee it. Democracy, like any other human institution, is vulnerable and fragile. As Pope John Paul II correctly observed, "authentic democracy is possible only in a state ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person".
Therefore, a real multi-party democracy in this country has to be built on the basis of justice and moral values and has to look to the common good. And this common good is not simply the addition of individual particular interests; "rather, it involves an assessment and integration of those interests on the basis of a balanced hierarchy of values; ultimately it demands a correct understanding of the dignity and rights of the person" (Pope John Paul II, on the Human Person at the Centre of the Society, No.37).
We shouldn't also forget that multi-party democracy is a demanding form of government, and neither leaders nor citizens are naturally prepared for it. A long process of moral and civic education is required in order to understand and to implement a real multi party democracy.
There is no perfect form of human government. Abuses can take place in every system, but the fundamental value of multi-party democracy is to allow the participation of citizens in the government of their country. In this regard, multi-party democracy as a system of government is consonant with human rights and the respect of human dignity and freedom. In fact, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is explicit in affirming the value of political participation: "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of one's own country, directly or through freely chosen representatives." The right to political participation is equally enhanced by the African Charter on Human and People's Rights approved by the member states of the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union, in their meeting of June 1981 in Nairobi.
It is common knowledge that no system is perfect. And this includes our multi-party political system. Any system, no matter how good its principles may be, can be manipulated in order to exploit the very people whose best interests it is meant to serve.
We therefore value our multi-party democratic system in as much as it ensures the participation of our people in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate.
Multi-party democratic participation requires, not only the creation of political parties and structure, but also the reign of multi-party democratic values in the hearts and minds of our politicians, their cadres and followers and indeed in all our people. A proliferation of political parties without the corresponding multi-party political values in the heart and minds of our people are rootless. There is need for a multi-party democratic culture that will help give full meaning to our multi-party political dispensation and ensure our success in fostering the welfare and progress of our country.
For a multi-party political system to function well, there is need for multi-party democratically minded people - a true multi-party democratic spirit.
It is for these reasons that we welcome MMD's attempt to work, in certain areas and on certain things, with the ruling Patriotic Front. Doing so, contrary to the perceptions of politically narrow-minded elements, will not weaken the opposition. It will actually strengthen the opposition and give it the credibility it now lacks. Unity is for the good of the country and the common good and as such, it cannot result in weakening the opposition or the ruling party.
But those in the MMD should not in any way deceive themselves that co-operation or unity with the ruling Patriotic Front will mean a licence to doing wrong things, to corruption. Those who are facing corruption charges or investigation, like Dora Siliya, should not in any way deceive themselves that with co-operation or unity with the Patriotic Front, their corruption prosecutions or investigations will be halted. This is not the unity that the Zambian people expect from all this. That will actually not be unity but impunity. If anything, the new leadership of the MMD should join hands with the Patriotic Front government to investigate and prosecute the corruption of the Rupiah Banda regime and those before it. MMD should not continue to be seen to be a political party that favours corruption and corrupt elements. We know that MMD party president Nevers Mumba is facing legitimate corruption charges in our courts of law. The MMD should not try to misinterpret this as vindictiveness, vengeance or an attempt to crash the opposition. No one should be above the law regardless of the political position they occupy. If Nevers did something wrong, he should be prosecuted. If at the end of the trial he is found to be innocent, he should be acquitted without any hesitation. That's how the rule of law operates.
We hope this is the unity and political co-operation that Dora and her colleagues are talking about and are seeking. Anything else will be a deformation of genuine and legitimate unity and co-operation.
And the MMD's decision to attend independence celebrations is a good thing but it is not a favour to the Patriotic Front and its government. MMD is simply doing what it should be doing; it is simply fulfilling a duty that it should fulfil. Independence Day celebrations do not belong to the ruling party. It belongs to us all. And those in government have a duty to make the atmosphere at these celebrations conducive for all patriots, regardless of their political affiliations, to attend. Independence Day celebrations are not and should never be a ruling party function but a national and state function. And if one looks at things this way, it will not be difficult to realise that the position the MMD has taken on national events is the correct one and that the position of the UPND on this score is a misinformed and ignorant one and seriously lacks patriotism.
It will also be difficult for a political party led by a patriot like Michael Sata to co-operate with a treacherous political party that has no respect for the independence of our country. You cannot claim to love your country without being a patriot. Lack of patriotism leads to a lot of treacherous acts. It is this lack of patriotism that led some elements in MMD and UPND to launch an international campaign calling for sanctions against their own country in defence of Rupiah and his corruption. Unity and co-operation is only possible among political parties that are patriotic, regardless of the differences in their specific policies.
Labels: POLITICS
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Chikwelete sorry
By Roy Habaalu
Sat 02 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
ROBERT Chikwelete has apologised to PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba for his offending conduct towards him.
According to a letter of apology dated October 31, 2013, Chikwelete further apologised to Vice-President Dr Guy Scott for denouncing, insulting and humiliating the duo.
"Re: Apology for offending the party. I refer to the above matter and would like to apologise to you sir, as secretary general of our party, Patriotic Front, for the offending conduct towards the senior leaders of our party especially yourself as the secretary general and the Vice-President of our party Dr Guy Scott and other genuine members of the party who were offended by my conduct, I ask for forgiveness," read Chikwelete's letter in part.
And Kabimba said he had accepted Chikwelete's apology because he was convinced it was in good faith.
He said he had no doubt in his mind that Chikwelete, the suspended PF Chawama constituency chairman, was sorry and that he regretted his actions.
"I told him I had accepted his apology because I myself remember very well Chikwelete's contribution to the party and therefore I thought he could still be useful as a member of the party and that those demonstrations against me would not be the way of him developing his career in the party for the future," Kabimba said.
"I also told him that I did not see how anybody would give him credit as a member of the party for leading those demonstrations by way of addressing his grievances. The meeting was very cordial and I have no doubt in my mind that the man was sorry and contrite and he had regretted his actions."
He said two days before the Lusaka demonstrations, he had phoned Chikwelete to discuss his grievances and those of others.
Kabimba said he sought a meeting with Chikwelete so that he could hear him out, to which he agreed.
"I was therefore surprised and disappointed that instead of coming to see me on the appointed day he (Chikwelete) decided to get involved into those demonstrations," he said.
Kabimba said Chikwelete told him that he was a troubled person and that his conscience was not free because he saw that there was nothing wrong that he had done against him personally or to the party.
He said Chikwelete complained that he had been let down by not being given a job despite promises by President Michael Sata to him personally.
"He went further to say one of the first promises was that he would be sent into the foreign service, when that didn't work out he was promised that he would be appointed district commissioner for Chitambo district. To his disappointment, neither of them materialised. He also claimed that he was disappointed and not happy with the provincial and district committees and he thought that the two committees were being protected by the secretary general and for that reason he decided that him and his colleagues should rise against the secretary general in order to get rid of Lusaka Province and district officials," Kabimba said.
He said Chikwelete told him that senior members of the party were financing the demonstrations and named them.
But when asked to reveal the names, Kabimba said it was not necessary to do so.
"We want to put this behind us and move our party forward," he said.
"...The gist of his apology was that he had recognised that I had worked very well with him as a councillor until he became (Lusaka) mayor. He praised my contribution to the party since I became secretary general so he wanted to make amends so that we continue working together."
Kabimba said the meeting where Chikwelete apologised was sought through his lawyer Robson Malipenga.
He said Malipenga phoned him that Chikwelete wanted to personally apologise over the demonstrations against him which he led in Lusaka.
Kabimba said he was initially reluctant to meet Chikwelete but because the request came from his lawyer and his personal friend, he accepted because he did not want to appear to be harbouring a grudge against Chikwelete.
"I decided I would meet Robert Chikwelete in the presence of Robson Malipenga hence our meeting held on 21st October, 2013. In the meeting there was Robson Malipenga and myself," said Kabimba.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, ROBERT CHIKWELETE, WYNTER KABIMBA
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Zambia, Zim and Malawi oppose stiffer legislation on tobacco
By Gift Chanda
Fri 01 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
SOUTHERN African countries have opposed stiffer tobacco legislation to compel them to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.
Francois van der Merwe, chief executive officer of the Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa (TISA), said the countries, including Zambia, are concerned at the growing trend to introduce cigarette packaging regulations that encroach on existing legal trademarks.
Ukraine and Honduras are reviving a dispute at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) challenging Australian laws that introduced the so-called "plain packaging" requirements regarding the appearance and packaging of tobacco products.
Inclusive of significant trademark restrictions, the legislation requires tobacco products to be sold in standardised, olive-green packs with large graphic health warnings on both sides of the pack.
But van der Merwe said, "Any measure that goes beyond what is necessary to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco by limiting trademarks of legal products, runs the risk of achieving many unintended consequences for years to come".
"Extreme regulations, such as standardised packs, as in Australia will make it difficult to differentiate between tobacco products and will make counterfeiting easier, leading to a further rise in illicit trade," he said.
He explained that illicit trade in tobacco products was already of considerable proportion in the Southern African region, affecting all stakeholders throughout the tobacco value chain.
"Any increase in illicit trade due to extreme regulation which is not based on evidence and science, and on which full consultation has not taken place, will have disastrous negative consequences for countries in the region," said van der Merwe.
"SADC members Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi have registered their concerns around the impact of extreme tobacco packaging legislation, with all three having notified the WTO of their interest in becoming third parties to the Ukraine dispute on tobacco plain packaging. This is on the basis of the
contribution of tobacco to their economies, a point on which they refuse to be mute participants and powerless negotiators in international forums where the outcome impacts their economies."
Plain packaging was introduced in Australia in December last year, and there has been manoeuvres by anti-smoking pressure groups to have African countries introduce the law after the big tobacco companies in Australia lost a lawsuit challenging the regulation.
Tobacco is grown in six out of 15 member states of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), including Zambia, and in all of the five tobacco growing member states, the crop is a key export earner with a significant contribution of between three to 10 per cent to the GDP of those countries.
Labels: TISA, TOBACCO, WTO
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Revocation of SI 89 may delay revenue to treasury - Chikwanda
By Abel Mboozi
Sat 02 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
FINANCE minister Alexander Chikwanda on Thursday told Parliament that the reversed SI89 was issued as a cash flow management measure to avoid a situation where the government will be compelled to resort to short-term borrowing at high cost or curtailing expenditure to institutions due to non-receipt of mineral royalties.
And Chikwanda says the revocation of Statutory Instrument number 89 will not occasion any revenue losses but may only result in further delays of revenue to the treasury.
He explained that the rationale of SI 89 was to ensure that revenues from the mines to the national treasury were not unduly delayed as a result of the stockpiling that was currently going on.
He said according to section 134 of the mines and minerals development Act, mineral loyalty was due when minerals were sold either in raw or processed form.
"Given that mining companies have been producing and stockpiling, the government has not been able to receive revenues as projected to fund its operations," he said.
"The issuance of SI 89 was part of the cash flow management so that government could not be compelled to resort to short term borrowing at high cost or curtailing expenditure to institutions due to non receipt of mineral royalties."
Chikwanda said the delay in receiving mineral royalty on copper ores and concentrates was dependent on the time it would take the mining companies to process and sell copper.
On Wednesday, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini directed Chikwanda to provide an explanation on the SI 89 of 2013 and implications of its re-alignment at the behest of President Michael Sata.
Speaker Matibini gave the directive following a point of order by Mwandi MMD member of parliament Michael Kaingu who asked what the financial implication of the realigned SI was.
Earlier in the week, Chikwanda told the parliamentary committee on estimates that reversal of the SI would cost the country revenue because of inadequate smelting capacity.
On Monday, President Sata cancelled Statutory Instrument Number 89 which Chikwanda signed on October 4.
SI 89 which was to be in force up to September 30, 2014 was to reverse the November 2011 decision of the PF government to impose a 10 per cent export levy on copper concentrates and ores to encourage value addition to copper exports and improve accountability in the vast mining sector.
SI 89 has since been replaced with SI 99 which has reinstated the 10 per cent export duty on copper concentrates and ores which Chikwanda briefly abolished after being lobbied by First Quantum Minerals and Lubambe Copper Mines.
And local government minister Emmerine Kabanshi told Parliament on Thursday that her ministry had received K50 million to pay off constituencies that had not received their Constituency Development Fund.
In her policy debate on the budget, Kabanshi dispelled allegations that the government was segregative in the way it administered CDF.
"MPs that have not received CDF should remain patient, besides the treasury has just released K50 million and the 38 remaining constituencies will be paid off. There is no segregation in the way this fund is administered," said Kabanshi.
Labels: ALEXANDER CHIKWANDA, PATRICK MATIBINI, STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 89, TAX EVASION
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Don't use Sata's call for unity to escape corruption - APNAC
By Tilyenji Mwanza
Sat 02 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata's call for unity should not be used as a window of opportunity to escape corruption charges, says APNAC chairperson Cornelius Mweetwa.
Recently, MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya said the MMD had heeded President Sata's call for unity and wanted to continue to engage the PF on various issues to better the lives of Zambians.
Siliya said the former ruling party could not afford to be irresponsible not to heed President Sata's call for unity.
But Mweetwa, who is also UPND deputy spokesperson, said the call for unity by the president was highly welcome but should not be used as an attempt to get private advantage by people to immunise themselves against corruption charges in court.
"The call for unity should not mean abandoning the corruption charges; corruption charges should not be part and parcel of the unity," Mweetwa said.
"Everybody has the right to accept the call for unity and reconciliation but they should not fraudulently use this as an attempt to gain private advantage or immunising themselves from the corrupt charges they are facing. It is not a window of opportunity for them to escape the wrath of the law," Mweetwa said.
He also said the corruption charge highlighted by PF party secretary general Wynter Kabimba should not be swept under the carpet in the name of unity.
Mweetwa said the call for unity should be extended to all sectors in the country, including proper application of the public order Act and equal opportunity to economic funds such as the disbursement of Constituency Development Funds.
"The call for unity is noted but I am treating it with a caveat. What we expect is proper application of the public order Act as this would bring about good governance. The call should address a long-lasting solution of the Barotseland Agreement and those charged not to be discriminated against," said Mweetwa.
Labels: APNAC, CORNELIUS MWEETWA, CORRUPTION, DORA SILIYA, MICHAEL SATA
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KCM to retrench 1,529 workers
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Sat 02 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
KONKOLA Copper Mines has announced plans to outplace over 1,500 employees as the mining giant pursues a mechanization programme for all its operations.
At a press briefing in Kitwe yesterday, KCM chief executive officer Kishor Kumar said current productivity at eight tonnes per year per employee compared to global norms of 100 tonnes was unsustainable.
"This is due to the fact that KCM Nchanga operations are still using the costly conventional methods of mining compared to mechanised mining which most of our global peers have adopted. In the continuing restructuring of our operations, KCM is moving towards mechanisation and automation of all its operations to ensure efficiency and higher productivity," Kumar said. "The resultant changes may affect upward of 1,529 members of our staff, through labour outplacement."
Kumar said KCM would follow a well structured process to minimize the impact on the affected employee.
Asked what he meant by following a structured process, Kumar he could not categorically answer.
Asked what he meant by labour outplacement, Kumar explained that it was a restructuring process and that some employees not relevant to the current mining operations would be laid off.
He also said the number would gradually increase after 2017.
Further asked whether government was aware of its plans, Kumar said ZCCM-IH was on the KCM board and were a key stakeholder who were well aware of the process.
"So government is well aware of this operation," he said.
He said government was aware the lifespan of Nchanga is coming to an end in 2016.
Konkola mine in Chililabombwe has 280 million of copper ore to last about 25 to 30 years.
A couple of months ago KCM was forced to shelve plans to retrench about 2000 people owing to low productivity and high operational costs.
Labels: FDI, KCM, MINING, UNEMPLOYMENT
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