GBM, leave PF
By Allan Mulenga and Roy Habaalu
Thu 26 Dec. 2013, 12:30 CAT
PF chairperson for labour and social security Davies Mwila has advised Geoffrey Mwamba to leave the party in peace rather than cause confusion. And Robert Chikwelete says Mwamba is indisciplined and has no place in PF.
Commenting on Mwamba's resignation as defence minister after President Michael Sata admonished him following his visit to Paramount Chief Chitimukulu Henry Sosala, whom government has not recognised, Mwila, who a couple of months ago was Mwamba's deputy but resigned, advised him to leave the party if he wished to do so. Mwila, who is also Chipili PF member or parliament, said the party was above individuals like Mwamba.
"When I resigned as defence deputy minister, I resigned quietly. Even up to now, people don't know why I resigned. As I am speaking, I am in good books with the party and the President because I have to give respect to the President. Even if I am aggrieved, I am not happy, I am not supposed to talk ill against the President," he said.
"If he was not happy about what the President said, he should have just resigned and keep quiet because one day, he will come back, unless he is telling us that he is leaving the party. The institution is above individuals. So, the party is above GBM. So, if he thinks that he has money, let him leave."
Mwila said Mwamba needed to show loyalty to President Sata because he was holding a very important position in the government.
"What he said about the President in public, I don't think that the relationship between him and the President will continue; because there is no loyalty to the President and the party," he said.
"He was once Minister of Defence; if he wants to leave, let him leave quietly, but if he starts making those statements, it shows that there is no loyalty. He was holding a very important position in a very important ministry and he is just supposed to show loyalty.
"He is not supposed to go to the press and talk about the differences he had with the President. He can't do that unless he is leaving the party. If he is leaving the party, he can speak the way he spoke because respect must be given to the head of state, who is our party president."
Mwila recalled a time in 2010, when Mwamba resigned as PF chairperson for elections and Kasama member of parliament following differences with his wife.
Mwila also recalled that Mwamba acted with emotions when he was advised against using State security at his official residence.
"...Honourable Request Muntanga, an MP for Kalomo, raised the issue of security in Parliament. He asked a question on which officials in government were supposed to have State security. His honour the Vice-President answered that: 'His Excellency the President and His Honour the Vice-President'. By that time, honourable Mwamba had security at his house, who were the soldiers. The President decided that security be removed at his home," he recounted.
"You will recall that GBM abandoned GRZ vehicle, he stopped using GRZ vehicle. As his deputy, together with Colonel Lungu, the deputy minister in charge of Zambia National Service, who was my witness by that time, we went to his office and told him that, 'This is wrong' he can't abandon GRZ vehicle. It is like he has abandoned the position of minister. After sometime, he went back and started using the GRZ vehicle."
And Chikwelete, a former PF Chawama Constituency chairman, said it was sad that Mwamba, as a senior party official, showed no respect for the appointing authority.
He said it was unacceptable that a Cabinet minister could discredit the President in the manner Mwamba did.
Chikwelete said Mwamba's replacement was an indication that everyone was replaceable in PF.
He said President Michael Sata had shown that no one could hold him to ransom regardless of their contribution to the party or the position they hold.
"That's insubordination. How do you disagree with the President at a press briefing in your village? The President was trying to find out something from him and he goes to embarrass him! He's got no respect for the head of state, the man who built PF and brought us together. It shows that he's a man with no discipline and should not be allowed in the party," Chikwelete said.
Chikwelete said Mwamba was one of those that joined the party with a hidden agenda.
"These are the people with double standards it shows that even the divisions that rocked the party they were the ones behind its good they are beginning to be exposed for sponsoring confusion," Chikwelete said.
"These are the ones that were mentioned to be fuelling violence and today they are falling out of the party. This tells you such elements are not trust-worthy. In this case we need to get rid of him from the party and replace him with those that care for the party," said Chikwelete.
Chikwelete was in the Mwamba camp during the height of calls for PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba to step down. He later owned up and apologised to Kabimba, saying he would no long accept to be used to get at him.
Meanwhile, PF Northern Provincial committee has urged the party's Central Committee to suspend Mwamba from the party for insubordination.
Northern Province acting PF provincial chairperson, Peter Mwansa, wondered how Mwamba would work with the party hierarchy when he had failed to respect President Sata.
Mwansa said the provincial leadership had resolved to petition the party's Central Committee over Mwamba's conduct towards President Sata.
"We doubt the loyalty of Ba Mwamba or GBM as a member of the party. In the first place, he was a member of the party, and member of parliament for Kasama Central, now he has resigned from his ministerial post and that means that his loyalty will not be 100 per cent to the party," he said.
Mwansa said it was prudent that Mwamba leaves the party because he could not be trusted.
"We would want him to leave the party as well because he will not be loyal to the party. We are asking him to resign from the party because his loyalty will no longer be the same when he was serving as the Minister of Defence," said Mwansa.
During his resignation on Monday in Kasama, Mwamba told his supporters at his house that if the PF also wanted him out of the party, he would consult them on the next move.
Labels: CHIEFS, DAVIES MWILA, GBM, PF, ROBERT CHIKWELETE
Read more...
PF labour chair writes Kabimba over KCM
By Henry Sinyangwe in Lusaka and Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Tue 04 June 2013, 14:01 CAT
PATRIOTIC Front chairman for labour and social development Davies Mwila has written to party secretary general Wynter Kabimba to table before the next central committee meeting Konkola Co-pper Mine's intention to prune 2,000 workers.
And a mining company JSI Mining and Contractors says the government will be justified to temporarily take over the operations of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) if the investors decided to leave.
In a letter to Kabimba dated June 3, 2013, Mwila stated that the issue needed attention and action to insulate the party from reprisals and embarrassments.
"Our party manifesto propels creation of pensionable employment with improved social benefits for our people and maintain already existing employment and it should therefore be noted that the current actions exhibited by KCM is a total contradiction of our electoral platform and party manifesto and has a potential of erasing our positive employment gains with the propensity to generate negative scores in terms of our part performance in the sector," Mwila stated.
He stated that a negative employment ratio would be recorded thereby eroding confidence and morale among Zambians.
"The economic benefits being enjoyed by the KCM as opposed to the social and economic benefits to our people … are not commensurate with the latter (KCM), enjoying a huge piece of the cake," Mwila said.
He said the reasons advanced in the memorandum for the impeding and preceding actions did not hold any water.
KCM cited the downward trend in copper prices, increase in petroleum prices, high cost of labour, the gradual increase in the company's electricity bills, policy changes and increase in mineral royalty tax as the reasons for intended job cuts.
And JSI managing director Ronald Manenga said it was sad that some investors in the mining sector were taking the government and Zambian people for granted over the operations of the mines.
He said looking at the reasons cited by KCM, major among them, the fall of copper price at the London Metal Exchange from about US$9,000 per tonne to an average US $ 7,000, Manenga said with the current price of metals at the London Metal Exchange, any meaningful investor would not rush to retrench the workers but would strive to sustain operations.
"We have seen in the past how KCM has blackmailed governments before. In 2009 when KCM decided to deregister most of its local suppliers, they did that with impunity. They decided to deregister companies without any security concerns on the pretext that they wanted to produce on lower costs, they wanted to lower production costs and they brought in issues of outsourcing. People protested but they went ahead but all this thing of outsourcing never worked," Manenga said.
"The deputy minister of Mines Richard Musukwa has been tough on these issues and we expect other senior government officials to do the same to protect people's jobs and the interests of the nation in KCM."
He said it was high time Zambians claimed their stake in the mines by ensuring that people were protected from unfair dismissals because if it was allowed to happen, the local economy would be destroyed and many people on the Copperbelt would be plunged into serious poverty.
In a letter dated May 23, 2013, addressed to the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ), the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) and United Mineworkers Union of Zambia (UMUZ), KCM vice-president human capital David Kaunda stated that the company had been impacted by a number of economic and legacy issues that have made it imperative to review its operations for its continued viability.
But the government through the Ministry of Mines deputy minister Richard Musukwa said the plans to retrench over 2,000 workers at KCM was unacceptable and only meant to embarrass the government and all stakeholders involved.
Musukwa said the move was unsustainable because the reasons that were advanced by the mine management was principally pure arrogance adding that the government would not be blackmailed by mining houses like KCM.
"The workers on the Copperbelt, the miners have sacrificed a lot for a long time and they brought the PF into power. It must be stated very clearly that we will not accept this because KCM has no moral obligation to reduce the workforce," Musukwa said.
Labels: DAVIES MWILA, KCM, PF, WYNTER KABIMBA
Read more...
Mwila gives Mansa hospital ultimatum on sanitation
By Simon Mutuna in Mansa
Wed 19 Oct. 2011, 14:10 CAT
LUAPULA Province minister Davies Mwila has given management at Mansa General Hospital two weeks to improve the sanitary condition in the wards and hospital surroundings. Mwila paid a surprise visit to the hospital at 06:30 hours on Monday to tour the institution.
The minister had to wait for about 40 minutes for the hospital acting executive director Dr Consity Mwale, who is also head of clinical care, to come before he inspected the Out Patient Department (OPD) and some wards.
Mwila inspected the male and female wards and was surprised to see that some patients were sleeping on the floor because of lack of beds.
He found that toilets were dirty and flooded due to leaking pipes, while some cisterns were not functioning.
Hospital administrator Webster Chisaka had difficulties explaining why the wards and toilets were kept in such a bad state.
"The hospital looks very dirty, management has to improve on cleanliness of the hospital," Mwila told Mwale.
And some patients and people who are taking care of their ill relatives complained to Mwila that the diet the patients were receiving was not good.
They also complained about inadequate manpower in the wards.
Labels: DAVIES MWILA, HEALTHCARE, LUAPULA PROVINCE, MANSA DISTRICT
Read more...
COMMENT - K450,000 is $90 per month. Don't let anyone every argue for foreign ownership of the mines because 'they're bringing jobs'. Any government which cannot create jobs that pay more than $90 per month needs to step aside. Resign.
MP accuses national leaders of allowing Chinese’s misdeeds
By Kabanda Chulu in Kitwe
Wed 17 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT
NKANA parliamentarian Davies Mwila says the Chinese investors disregard Zambian labour laws with the blessings of the government. Mwila, the PF chairperson for labour, questioned Southern Province minister Elijah Muchima’s involvement in the negotiations for salary packages for Collum Coal Mine workers.
Last Sunday, Muchima met management at the Chinese-owned Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe and negotiated for salaries and conditions of service. According to the new conditions, the lowest paid miner will receive K450,000 per month.
But Mwila said Muchima’s role amounted to total interference in the bargaining process because only unions and management were allowed to negotiate according to the labour Act.
He said the government, through the labour ministry, could only intervene if a dispute arose.
“The Zambian people have complained about the attitude of Chinese mining investors who have refused to sign recognition agreements with unions such as MUZ and they prefer to negotiate with government officials,” Mwila said. “Anyway, this is why the Chinese are disregarding Zambian laws with impunity since they have blessings from the MMD government hence Muchima going to negotiate on behalf of workers.”
He said Muchima’s involvement in the matter was suspicious.
“The MMD should keep away and leave everything to the unions and if those Chinese are genuine mining investors why can’t government compel them to negotiate with unions? Even at Sino Metals, NFCA, it is the same situation for the workers and for how long will government negotiate, taking over the role of unions?” asked Mwila. “But one thing which is clear is that the Chinese at Collum Coal Mine are dealing direct with the MMD government to pay for their misdeeds alleged shooting at the mines and the MMD will ask for a favour later.”
Labels: CHINESE, CHINESE COLLUM COAL MINE, DAVIES MWILA, LABOUR
Read more...
PF MPs query Rupiah’s ‘achievements’
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Sun 07 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT
NCHANGA Patriotic Front member of parliament Wylbur Simuusa has said the MMD is using cosmetic expressions about President Rupiah Banda’s achievements in his two years in office in order to cheat people.
And Nkana PF member of parliament Mwenya Musenge has said President Banda’s greatest achievement in the two years he has been in office has been the weakening of laws that fight corruption.
In an interview, Simuusa advised President Banda and the MMD to let the ordinary Zambian people, especially those that live in poverty-stricken areas, to judge his performance in the last two years.
Simuusa, who is PF chairman for mines, said heaping praise on President Banda’s works in the last two years he had been in office could be likened to parroting because there were still a lot of challenges which had been created by the MMD government in the mining sector.
“I can summarise as parroting; these guys like parroting. They use too much cosmetic expressions to cheat people about so-and-so achievement. Can he tell us the figures that the country will gain from the variable profit tax he has insisted on since his government had rejected the re-introduction of windfall tax? The only achievement is that he is engrossed into campaigns too much. He’s every day campaigning and if he has achieved so much in stabilising the economy, why is it that it is still a challenge for people to eat?” asked Simuusa.
And Musenge said commissioning another person’s project was no achievement at all.
“Personally, I think that he has achieved so much in trying to create lacunas in our statutes that fight corruption in order to weaken them for his personal gains, and you see you cannot make and blow your own trumpet and judge to be the best. Let other people judge the strength of your trumpet,” Musenge said.
He wondered how the economy could be said to have improved when many families went without adequate meals per day.
Musenge said clean water and access to quality health care was still a challenge to many Zambians especially in the peripheral areas in his constituency.
And Chipili PF member of parliament Davies Mwila said President Banda had achieved a lot in weakening the labour movement in the country.
Mwila, who is PF chairperson for labour, wondered why there should be four unions in the mining sector.
“First and foremost, are the people benefiting from the so-called economic growth, even the so-called bumper-harvest? Why is mealie-meal still very costly? What are the benefits to the workers if a government can allow companies to subcontract in the mines and employ foreigners to render Zambians jobless; do you call such achievements? Has he addressed the issue of the minimum wage? It seems he is comfortable with workers getting K258,000 as a wage so much that he can call it an achievement,” said Mwila.
Labels: ACC, DAVIES MWILA, MWENYA MUSENGE, PF, RUPIAH BANDA, WILBUR SIMUSA
Read more...
Govt to receive US$100 million from EU in budget support - Situmbeko
By Florence Bupe
Fri 23 July 2010, 14:00 CAT
THE Zambian government is this year expected to receive over US $100 million in budget support from the European Union (EU), Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane has disclosed.
Responding to a question from Chipili member of parliament Davies Mwila who wanted to know how much money the Zambian government was expecting from the European Union for poverty reduction programmes this year, Dr Musokotwane said a total of US $104.48 million would be received.
The funding is expected to go toward infrastructure development in the road and health sectors, as well as direct budget support and Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability programme (PEMFA).
“A total of US $45.94 million go toward direct budget support, US $32.3 million is expected to be used in the road sector, US $10 million will be under PEMFA,” Dr Musokotwane said.
“The health sector will receive US $16.1 million while the mining sector will have nil, the programme came to an end last year.”
Dr Musokotwane further disclosed that the country received US $92.47 million and US $124.55 million in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
And in response to Kanchibiya member of parliament Davies Mwango’s question on how much debt Zambia has contracted from China since 2008, finance deputy minister Chileshe Kapwepwe explained that US $76 million was borrowed.
“Government has contracted three loans from China totaling US $76,100,000. Of these loans, two were contracted from the Export Import Bank of China while one amounting to US $18,700,000 was contracted from the government of China,” she said.
Meanwhile, acting health minister Dr Brian Chituwo informed Parliament that an estimated 41,000 HIV related deaths occurred as at the end of 2009 Dr Chituwo said government was instituting measures to ensure that donor funds were utilised for the intended purpose in order to revamp donor confidence in the sector.
“In an effort to curb the wanton misappropriation of donor funds in the ministry (of health), we have formed committees to audit procurements in the ministry. We are also taking action against those who have been found wanting and they are currently in the courts of law,” said Dr Chituwo.
Labels: BRIAN CHITUWO, DAVIES MWILA, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE
Read more...
PF Copperbelt chairman justifies booing of Chiluba
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Tue 08 June 2010, 11:30 CAT
COPPERBELT Province Patriotic Front (PF) acting provincial chairman Davies Mwila has observed that Frederick Chiluba deserves the hostile reception he received in Kitwe on Saturday because he has chosen to engage in partisan politics.
And Mwila said President Rupiah Banda and his government will have to answer charges of abuse of authority of office for allegedly using taxpayers’ money to send Chiluba to campaign for them.
Commenting on the reception given to former president Chiluba in Kitwe’s Wusakile township on Saturday, Mwila said it was good that the people of Kitwe had clearly sent a strong message to Chiluba and President Banda that they were tired of MMD.
Mwila, who is also Chipili PF parliamentarian, described Chiluba’s trip as mere politicking.
He wondered what kind of solutions he would offer to the people now when he was not even Republican president.
Mwila, who noted that Chiluba was the initiator of the same problems he was purporting to solve, wondered how Chiluba could find solutions in that he failed to do so during his 10-year rule.
“He is the one who started the sale of houses more than ten years ago. Right now he Chiluba is not in authority. How can he lie to people that he will solve their problems which he failed to solve when he was president?” Mwila asked.
“It is Rupiah Banda in government and it is up to government to talk to Mukuba Pension Trustees to negotiate on the issue of houses. Moreover, Mukuba Pension is an independent entity and it is this same government, which owes Mukuba Pension K22 billion. If you remember the issue of RAMCOZ, RAMCOZ never used to remit money to Mukuba Pension.”
Mwila said President Banda and his government would definitely answer to abuse of authority charges over the manner they were abusing public resources.
“This system of using government funds is equal to abusing public resources. You can’t allow someone to go round politicking using public resources. Remember, they assembled chiefs in Luapula Province and they have to account for it,” Mwila said.
He advised Chiluba to emulate Dr Kenneth Kaunda by not engaging in partisan politics if he were to retain respect from the public.
Mwila noted that if Chiluba continued engaging in partisan politics, even small boys would be insulting him.
He added that Chiluba should not cry foul if people reacted negatively to his campaigns.
“This time, people know what they are supposed to do and they will never be cheated. Chiluba left those toilets in Wusakile. Those toilets have been there since the 1960s. He was in power for ten years and another ten years has passed since he left office, so what can he do that he did not do when he was in office?” asked Mwila.
During his incognito visit to Kitwe last Saturday, several Wusakile residents raised clenched fists at Chiluba and told him their area was a no-go zone for the MMD.
Chiluba was in town to discuss the issue of reducing prices for those that bought houses from Mukuba Pension Trustees in Mukuba-Natwange township and also to check on the state of communal toilets in Wusakile township.
However, the presence of post journalists at his meeting in Mukuba-Natwange prevented Chiluba from delivering his intended message as he did not want the journalists to allegedly “write what he had not said.”
Labels: CHILUBA, DAVIES MWILA, PF
Read more...
MMD will be embarrassed for involving Chiluba – Mwila
By Kabanda Chulu and Zumani Katasefa in Kitwe
Sat 08 May 2010, 04:20 CAT
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Chipili member of parliament Davies Mwila yesterday said the MMD will be embarrassed for involving Frederick Chiluba in their campaigns since he failed to deliver tangible developmental projects in Luapula Province during his rule.
And MMD Chembe member of parliament Mwansa Mbulakulima has confirmed that politics will be discussed at the developmental meetings but will not be the main subject matter.
Meanwhile, the PF is sending about 200 youths from Lusaka and the Copperbelt to attend the developmental meeting in Mansa.
Commenting on former President Chiluba’s expected launch of President Rupiah Banda’s 2011 election campaigns disguised as developmental meetings in Luapula Province, Mwila said the MMD was scared to approach the people because they have not done anything.
“Even the strategy of using chiefs will not work since people have made up their minds to see change. So involving Chiluba is the worst thing to do because he never brought any tangible structure in the province and people are very annoyed. At least the late Levy Mwanawasa built a bridge across the Luapula River but what has Chiluba done?” asked Mwila.
“However, we are happy that Chiluba is further denting the image of the MMD and the use of chiefs in the campaign activities is a desperate act of a dying horse because PF is getting everything including those seats held by rebel MPs and Ben Mwila’s Nchelenge.”
But Mbulakulima, who is also coordinating the proposed ‘developmental meetings’, said the PF was jittery over a straight-forward issue.
“We are making in-roads in the province. The PF is jittery and I am surprised at the criticism this meeting has attracted. It is a developmental meeting and various meetings are being held across the country and former President Chiluba’s presence will not dent the image of the party because he is still a factor in Zambian politics,” Mbulakulima said. “This meeting should not be politicised.
Of course, politics will be discussed but it will not be the main issue and it is prudent that we meet as MPs, chiefs, former presidents and other stakeholders to discuss development in the province. It is a pity that some people cannot see that this government is carrying out developmental activities in the country.”
Mbulakulima said that PF had realised that MMD was getting stronger in Luapula Province, hence resorting to making unnecessary comments.
“What the PF should know is that whenever government officials meet, politics and development are discussed and now they are jittery because we shall grab even the two seats (Chipili and Mwansabombwe constituencies) they are clinging on to,” said Mbulakulima.
Meanwhile, PF national youth secretary Eric Chanda yesterday said about 200 youths from Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces who hail from Luapula would be sent to attend the developmental meeting.
“I can confirm that we are sending 200 youths from Lusaka and Copperbelt to attend the developmental meeting. This is a very important meeting which our youths should attend and contribute developmental ideas. There are a lot of issues that we need to raise,” Chanda said.
He said it would be wrong for anyone to perceive the PF youths mission to Luapula as political.
“We are not going there to politic. If Dr Chiluba is going there for politics then we’ll also be going there for politics. But our interest is development. We have a lot of youths in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces who hail from that side (Luapula).
Therefore, it is important for them to go and contribute their developmental ideas. Even Chiluba is going there because that is where he comes from,” Chanda said.
He said Luapula Province was lagging behind in development hence the PF youths should attend and contribute positively.
“Roads are in bad state in Luapula Province. There are so many things which need to be done, so it is important that our youths attended,” he said.
Chanda appealed to the police not to provoke the situation because PF youths were not going there for violence.
Chanda also appealed to the people of Luapula Province not to accept corrupt ideas from selfish leaders who want to be in power through dubious means.
He hoped that the developmental meeting would benefit the people of Luapula positively.
Labels: CHILUBA, DAVIES MWILA, LUAPULA PROVINCE, MMD, PF
Read more...
MMD plans to stage-manage defections in Luapula - PF MP
By George Chellah
Wed 10 Feb. 2010, 10:50 CAT
CHIPILI Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Davies Mwila has disclosed that the MMD is planning to stage-manage defections using their own cadres on the pretext that they are from PF in Luapula Province.
And Kennedy Sakeni has said President Rupiah Banda must not go to Luapula Province masquerading as a messiah because his disgraced friend Frederick Chiluba brought a lot of misery on the people. In an interview yesterday, Mwila disclosed that the MMD was planning to stage-manage defections using their own cadres.
“The group which they want to fake as defecting from PF it's that one which left MMD and supported Mr Sunday Maluba as an independent candidate in Mwansabombwe. Of course, this was after Mr Maluba was not adopted as the MMD candidate,” Mwila said.
“Mr Maluba went with this MMD group and these are the ones they want to use as defectors. This group has never been PF, they are all MMD so they will just be cheating themselves. We know that the district administrator's office in Kawambwa is busy organising these fake defections.”
And commenting on President Banda's planned trip to Luapula where he is expected to visit Mansa, Chiengi and Samfya districts, Sakeni, who is former Luapula Province MMD chairman and home affairs deputy minister, said the district commissioners from Kaputa and Chiengi were coordinating to ferry people in readiness for the stage-managed defections.
“Our people in the MMD told us that they had a meeting at which they decided that they will pay about K50,000 to K100,000 per person to those purportedly defecting from PF. They also disclosed that they intend to announce a staggering figure of about 3,000 or so defectors,” he said.
“But the people are saying that we shall eat the money because K50,000 or K100,000 does not come for free. But since President Banda is willing to give that money for free, ‘we shall eat it but our hearts know the truth’.”
Sakeni said the MMD in the province was too desperate.
“As far as we are concerned we are happy that they President Banda and Chiluba have teamed up because it makes them mincemeat for the PF to smoothly sail through,” Sakeni said.
“It makes our job much easier to defeat them both. Let them reflect on what happened in 2008, the man Chiluba camped in Luapula for almost two weeks campaigning for him but what happened? He achieved literally nothing.”
He cautioned President Banda against masquerading as a messiah when he gets to Luapula Province.
“People here are very informed,” he said.
Sakeni said Chiluba must not even attempt to masquerade as a messiah because he was responsible for most problems the province currently faced.
“There is more hunger, more poverty in our midst and the people are not amused. Especially in Kawambwa, Kawambwa Tea Estates workers have almost 30 months unpaid wages. And it's quite unfortunate that the same people who actually sold out these companies - Mununshi Banana Scheme, Mansa Batteries - can come here actually and masquerade as messiahs. When they actually brought a lot of misery on our people,” he said.
He said a few people could be hoodwinked to vote for President Banda but the majority were not even interested.
“They won't be moved by any handouts. We know the target is traditional rulers but the beauty about our traditional leadership here is that whoever goes there they will accept him. I would just ask our traditional rulers that 'please just get the gifts' they give them humbly. In fact, these gifts are due to them,” Sakeni said.
“They should just eat with them but they know what the majority of the people want. Chiluba is no longer a factor I can assure you and definitely if he comes with him President Banda then he is trying to hide behind his friend he is backing. Otherwise, nobody respects him. What I am saying may sound a lie to someone who is far away so I am inviting you to come to Luapula and just conduct a random survey and get ordinary people's views about Chiluba.”
He said President Banda must think twice about Chiluba's support.
“If he has to revive his fortunes the starting point is performance, his government must be seen to perform to the expectations of the people. And at least use credible people in his campaign. It will help him, not people who are disgraced. Chiluba is disgraced and he can't revive Rupiah's political fortunes,” Sakeni said.
“How do you imagine a former president going through what he went through whether the allegations were unfounded or not. But you are aware of the London judgment those are issues that people in villages are able to know that this man is connected to a lot of mischief, which happened during his rule.”
He challenged PF rebel members of parliament to visit their constituencies if they were as popular as they claimed.
“Let them not just make noise in Lusaka. They should come and meet us in the field. We want to meet them in the field. We are here and we know what's happening. People of Luapula are aware of Chiluba's cases and the acquittal so no one can come and cheat them,” Sakeni said.
“Actually, there are problems in the MMD here because those rebels have been promised to contest their seats on an MMD ticket but the local MMD rank and file is resisting because they have their own candidates in mind. Just watch as the drama unfolds. Luapula is sealed for PF.”
And according to a statement issued by State House special assistant for press and public relations, Dickson Jere yesterday President Banda is today scheduled to leave for Luapula and Copperbelt provinces on a four-day working visit.
Jere stated that President Banda was expected to commission some developmental projects.
“The President will travel to Luapula Province on Wednesday where he is expected to commission the refurbished Post Boat in Samfya District, which services Chilubi and other islands on Lake Bangweulu. President Banda will later hold talks with traditional leaders, heads of government departments and some members of parliament. Thereafter, the President will officially open the newly constructed office building of the Auditor General for Luapula Province before leaving for the Copperbelt Province,” stated Jere.
“While on the Copperbelt, President Banda will officially hand over the newly constructed 280 housing units for the Zambia Police Service in Ndola, which were constructed by government to help ease the accommodation shortage for police officers. The President will also attend the installation of the Rt. Rev. Bishop Alick Banda as the new Bishop of Ndola. President Banda has been invited to grace the event by the Roman Catholic Church. President Banda will return to Lusaka immediately after completing his scheduled business.”
Labels: DAVIES MWILA, KENNEDY SAKENI, MMD, PF-UPND, RUPIAH BANDA, SUNDAY MALUBA
Read more...
‘Explain Zamtel sale’
By Times Reporter
SPEAKER of the National Assembly AMUSAA MWANAMWAMBWA has ordered Communication and Transport Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa to update Parliament on the stage at which the privatisation of Zamtel has reached.
Mr Mwanamwambwa said that
it was imperative that members of Parliament had first hand information on the stages at which the privatisation of Zamtel had reached as opposed to getting information from members of the public.
The speaker made the order after Chipili Member of Parliament Davies Mwila (PF) rose on a point of order as to whether it was appropriate for the minister to be quiet particularly when debates on Zamtel were at the peak among members of the public.
Mr Mwila said that as MPs, it was appropriate for them to have first hand information on the privatisation of Zamtel and not to rely on information from members of the public.
“What is important is for the minister to update or appraise the House on what is going on regarding the status and the future of Zamtel. This House needs to be updated and the minister does not require several days. As early as next week let this House have an update,” Mr Mwanamwambwa said.
He also advised members to desist from participating in debates by the public saying their best medium of debates for MPs was in the House.
“I encourage members not to participate in debates because this is the best forum,”Mr Mwanamwambwa said.
And in a ministerial statement on the 13th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) summit and the 15th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held in Sirte, Libya and Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt respectively, Foreign Affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande said that the two were beneficial to the nation.
Vice-President George Kunda represented the Government at the two summits.
He said that the AU summit whose theme was ‘Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security’ emphasised on member states to address the root cause of hunger and accelerate means of reducing poverty among the citizenry.
Member states, Mr Pande said, agreed that the continent should by 2015 improve productivity of agriculture to attain an average annual production growth rate of six per cent with particular attention to small-scale farmers, especially the women.
Mr Pande said that the theme for the NAM summit was ‘International Solidarity for Peace and Development’ as well as the current ‘Global Economic and Financial Crisis.’
He said that leaders discussed a number of issues particularly of maintaining peace among member countries.
Mr Pande said that the leaders also resolved to work together to tackle the numerous challenges that member states were facing.
Labels: AMUSA MWANAMWAMBA, DAVIES MWILA, PRIVATISATION, ZAMTEL
Read more...
COMMENT - Why do even the unions keep asking for jobs to be maintained? Isn't it clear that the dogmatic and ideological decision to privatise the mines has failed, and that this is no way to run an economy? The miners should not be asking for jobs - they should be taking over the mines, and the government must help them doing so. They can get them on so many things - violation of environmental and labour laws, and not last, on tax evasion (look who didn't pay the windfall tax and get them on that). It is a chance for the MMD to show they are not corrupt, and stand with their own citizens. Also, mining is a very inefficient way to create jobs - agriculture can create 10 x more jobs with 1/10th of the investment - which is why money should be poured from mining into agriculture, infrastructure and manufacturing.
Govt has failed to protect jobs for miners – Mukanga
Written by Chibaula Silwamba, Kabanda Chulu and Mutuna Chanda
Friday, May 08, 2009 4:39:50 PM
THE government has failed to protect jobs for the miners despite assurances, Kantanshi member of parliament Yamfwa Mukanga has charged. And Patriotic Front (PF) chairperson for labour Davies Mwila has said there is no justification for Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) to retrench workers when copper prices have started increasing on the international markets.
In an interview on Tuesday, Mukanga, whose constituents in Mufulira town have been hard hit by retrenchments of MCM, said people were desperate because they had no means of survival.
"[Labour minister Austin] Liato had lied that no company had notified the government that it will retrench workers but now people are losing their jobs at Mopani Copper Mines and this has shown that the government doesn't care about these people. People have no jobs while the government is watching from the terraces. That is not good, the government was supposed to get involved to ensure that our people are protected," Mukanga said.
"The President used to assure us. Even the ministers were assuring us but people are still losing jobs. A lot of people have been affected by the lay-offs by Mopani Copper Mines. So many people have lost their jobs at Mopani but the government has kept quiet. Government was supposed to protect them."
Mukanga urged the government to seriously look into the frequent retrenchments of the miners and come up with measures that would mitigate the sufferings of the people in Copperbelt Province.
And commenting on the decision by MCM to retrench 978 miners at both Nkana and Mufulira mines, Mwila said in Lusaka that President Rupiah Banda's government must be blamed for failing to protect its own citizens.
"There is no control from this government and investors are doing things on their own. Just recently, President Banda's ministers assured that there will be no job losses but this is contrary to what they said," Mwila said.
"When copper prices dropped, investors used that as an excuse to lay off workers but there is no justification by Mopani to prune workers since prices on the international market have started rising [US$ 4,600 per tonne] and their production costs are well below what they are selling these commodities."
On Lusaka economist Chibamba Kanyama's suggestion that redundancy packages should be revised to reflect investor challenges, Mwila said Kanyama was part of management and should not be taken seriously.
"Zambia Federation of Employers has been advocating that retrenchment package of two months salary for a year served is too much and Kanyama is also supporting that view, but what is that package when someone has just worked for five years because it comes to between K15 million to K20 million that will also be taken by banks since most loans are salary based," said Mwila.
"There is no need to review the Act on redundancy packages because workers are getting peanuts in fact it must be increased upwards to avoid workers becoming destitute."
United Party for National Development (UPND) national youth chairperson Joe Kalusa said mining investors in the country were playing the drums while the MMD government was just dancing.
Kalusa challenged labour deputy minister Simon Kachimba to disclose the deal he allegedly struck with the mines.
"The retrenchments at Mopani are not genuine since expatriates have not been affected and last week Kachimba said there will be no job losses but since people have been retrenched he should tell us what deal he struck with the mines for him to make that announcement," Kalusa said.
"Copper prices are still high but the MMD government has no control and they are playing double standards, it is like investors are playing drums and this government is just dancing instead of taking charge."
And Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) general secretary Oswell Munyenyembe blamed government for its sluggish approach in dealing with job losses in the mining industry.
Munyenyembe said the problem was with government because it was not eager to meet trade unions in the mining sector over the plight of workers in the industry.
"... We have been pressing to meet them particularly the President [Rupiah Banda] to give them the actual issues on the ground but they have not been forthcoming," Munyenyembe said.
"What is more confusing is that the minister of mines and the minister of labour are saying that they were not informed of the latest job losses at Mopani. Government is confusing its citizens."
He expressed disappointment with Mopani over the retrenchments arguing that the lay offs were not justified at the current copper prices.
"At the current copper prices we don't expect Mopani to be offloading those numbers," said Munyenyembe. "The recession is just an excuse."
National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) president Mundia Sikufele said it was difficult to trust the promises of a stop to job losses in the mining industry.
Sikufele said it was sad that miners were losing jobs.
"Companies and government will say one thing today and what happens after is different," said Sikufele. "I'm hoping that this is the last retrenchment."
National Energy Sector and Allied Workers Union (NESAWU) general secretary Yotam Mtayachalo urged mining companies in agreement with unions and workers to sacrifice certain conditions and benefits as an interim measure to save jobs.
"When times are hard, it pays to make tough and unpopular decisions which will be beneficial in future and this demands unity among the workers and leaders. The auto mobile workers in America have made such bold decisions to protect jobs of their members. It is better to be in employment than get meagre redundancy packages and offloaded in the streets," he stated.
Mtayachalo also called on Mopani to rescind its decision to retrench union branch leaders.
Kankoyo PF member of parliament Percy Chanda suggested that the retrenched miners could engage in small scale copper mining in the slug dumps and sell the products to Mopani.
He urged government to facilitate the practice by engaging Mopani to enable the retrenched miners to continue with their livelihoods.
He said while other retrenched miners in other areas could engage in farming, it was not possible for those who were retrenched in Kankoyo area because the soil was contaminated as a result of the emissions of sulphur dioxide.
On Monday, MCM retrenched at least 978 workers of whom over 500 are from Nkana in Kitwe and over 400 from Mufulira to ensure the survival of the mine.
The sources indicated that the mining firm had also closed some of its departments that included industrial engineering and In Situ at Nkana in Kitwe.
Labels: DAVIES MWILA, JOBLOSSES, JOE KALUSA, MCM, MUNDIA SIFUKELE, NEOLIBERALISM, OSWELL MUNYENYEMBE, YAMFWA MUKANGA, YOTAM MTAYACHALO
Read more...
Take advantage of Labour Day and show displeasure to govt – Mwila
Written by Moses Kuwema and Masuzyo Chakwe
Friday, May 01, 2009 2:48:46 PM
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) chairman for labour Davies Mwila has said this year's Labour Day celebrations will be sad for the workers in country
And the Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has said the current job losses in the country are a national crisis that require government's focused energies and political will to be exercised if the many lives of productive citizens are to be saved.
In his message to mark this year's Labour Day, which falls today, Mwila said the workers should therefore take advantage of the day and show their displeasure to the government.
"My message to the workers is that though this is their day and they cannot boycott it, they should show government their displeasure because they are not happy," Mwila said.
He said many workers had been affected by the job losses in the mines and that the government had failed to address the problem.
"I recall the ministers of mines and labour had indicated to the nation that very few people would be declared redundant but the opposite has happened, more people have lost jobs in the mines. From the time our colleagues have been negotiating for better conditions of service, nothing has come out. Government promised to review the employment Act on minimum wages but up to now there is nothing," Mwila said.
He noted that the minimum wage is the determining factor whenever someone is employed.
"The minimum wage... right now it stands at K268,000. Now you can imagine if a Zambian is employed by a Chinese and they give them the same amount as salary. It becomes difficult to challenge that employer because he will show you the law which says K268,000 is the minimum wage," he said.
Mwila said the government had all the answers to the current problems that workers faced.
And NGOCC executive director Engwase Mwale said this year's commemoration of Labour Day would unfortunately be characterised by sadness in that Zambia had registered unprecedented levels of job losses especially in the mining and manufacturing industries.
Mwale said at the same time, capital flights in a number of investment portfolios had been recorded.
"The lesson we carry and expect government, private sector and other key stakeholders to take on is indeed the urgency with which diversification of our economy must receive," she said.
She said while recognising the challenges that the global economic crisis had posed, the recent national indaba hosted by government, focused on exploring opportunities that the crisis presents.
Mwale said receiving top priority was the need to transform the economy through diversification and serious economic literacy by our leaders.
She said in calling for action, NGOCC reminded the government and other players of some of the practical measures agreed upon at the indaba.
She said NGOCC believed that all these measures, and more, had the potential of easing the burden on the few formally employed citizens [in terms of high personal taxes] and provided opportunities for all other citizens to participate in the economy.
Mwale said creation of employment would also be promoted in many ways only if government prioritised implementation through adequate resource provision.
Mwale urged government leaders to re-focus on enhancing their economic analysis capacities in order to benefit the country.
"Our leaders must seriously invest in human capital development so that equal opportunities for job creation and other wealth creating avenues," said Mwale.
Labels: DAVIES MWILA, LABOUR, NGOCC
Read more...
Stop depending on PAYE as major source of income, Mwila tells govt
Written by Kabanda Chulu and Fridah Zinyama
Sunday, February 08, 2009 8:18:31 PM
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) chairperson for labour Davies Mwila has challenged the government to stop depending on pay as you earn (PAYE) as its major source of income.And Zambia Union of Financial Allied Workers (ZUFIAW) president Cephas Mukuka has urged the government to stop the tendency of “kneeling down” when collecting taxes from the mines at the expense of Zambian workers.
Out of the K15.27 trillion 2009 budget, K11.7 trillion is expected to come from domestic revenue, K2.6 trillion from PAYE, K2.5 trillion from value added tax (VAT), K1.4 trillion from import duties and K1.6 trillion from excise duties, K308 billion from fuel levy while the remaining K2.7 trillion would be financed by cooperating partners under the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA).
But Mwila expressed disappointment at finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane’s decision to marginally increase the exemption threshold from K600,000 to K700,000 while expecting to raise revenue from the suffering workers.
“We are disappointed because we expected a huge exemption threshold that can allow workers to look after their families well but this exemption is not much looking at the current economic situation and how will this government get those enormous taxes when the targeted people are lowly paid?” said Mwila.
“Also, the tax free exemption for terminal benefits is not much and will not help the pensioners and we expected it to be about K50 million and not K25 million.”
And Mukuka said the marginal increase in PAYE exemption threshold would reduce the purchasing power of Zambian workers.
“The tendency to depend on PAYE just because it is not negotiable is not good and why should government kneel down when getting taxes from the mines? Is it because they have to rush to PAYE and other consumer taxes? This dependence will erode the purchasing power of Zambian workers,” Mukuka said.
“We expected the exemption to be below K1.5 million and not K700, 000, especially that only a few people in formal employment will shoulder the burden of paying these taxes.”
He said the government should not just be a spectator in the national economy and entirely depend on workers’ taxes.
“The issue of diversification started with former president [Kenneth] Kaunda but the ones that succeeded him have turned economic diversification a political song by giving away all resources to foreigners,” said Mukuka.
“So instead of being a spectator and entirely depend on workers’ contributions, this government can do better to broaden the tax base by revamping industries such as Mansa Batteries, Luangwa Bicycle plant, Mongu Cashew Nut plant, Livingstone Motor Assembly, among other industries.”
Meanwhile, the Zambia Business Forum (ZBF) has described this year’s budget as pro-private and commended government for coming up with policies that supported the growth of the private industries. ZBF executive director Reginald Mfula said the budget had taken into account the high cost of doing business which had been a major concern for the manufacturing sector.
Mfula however said the budget had failed to clearly outline how the government was going to deal with the high inflation the country was currently experiencing since last year.
“I feel that government has also not addressed the issue of how it is going to deal with domestic debt,” he said.Mfula explained that inflation and domestic debt were cardinal issues that had a bearing on the performance of the economy.
“The budget is also not very clear about what government is going to do about the unstable exchange rate,” said Mfula. “We need a stable local currency for planning purposes.”
Labels: 2009 BUDGET, CEPHAS MUKUKA, DAVIES MWILA, PAYE, PF, WINDFALL TAX, ZUFIAW
Read more...
COMMENT - I guess the foreign mining companies have no lack of 'representation' in parliament.
Prof Lungu welcomes plans to nationalise copper mines
Written by Kabanda Chulu, Fridah Zinyama and Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Friday, January 09, 2009 5:42:58 AM
COPPERBELT University Professor John Lungu yesterday said
the government has a duty to take over copper mines if the private sector has failed to operate effectively.However, former Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) national treasurer Davies Mwila has said the government should find more meaningful ways of revamping the mines than nationalisation as the mining companies were likely to become loss-making entities under state ownership.
Meanwhile, Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) executive member Bob Liebenthal has said nationalising the mines at a time when copper prices are down will not help alleviate the problems the economy is currently experiencing.
Reacting to President Rupiah Banda’s statement that the government was considering nationalising copper mining companies that were experiencing operational difficulties, Prof Lungu said there was need to increase the participation and broaden the shareholding of Zambians in the mining industry.
“Government should not just restrict itself to those companies facing operational difficulties but even those which are performing well because this is the time to increase and broaden the participation of Zambians in the copper mining sector,” Prof Lungu said.
“There is a change in the paradigm of how businesses were operating worldwide and due to many factors which the private sector are involved in that results in some operational difficulties, government has a duty to take over and it is not nationalisation per se but this is a purpose of avoiding job losses and it is cardinal.”
He said Zambia could run its copper mines effectively if only the government could be disciplined and applied corporate governance principles when operating the mines.
“It is true ZCCM Investment Holdings holds some stake but that is just a basket for government, which needs to be opened up for these shares to start trading at the stock exchange, then we can have a say in the mines since the idea is to increase local shareholding,” said Prof Lungu.
“I don’t think we can fail to run the mines since the mines currently are run by Zambians and the capacity is there but what is needed is to be disciplined and to apply corporate governance principles so that the profits are not consumed.”
And Mwila, who is also Patriotic Front (PF) Chipili member of parliament, said the ruling MMD’s policy is that of liberalization of the economy and nationalisation of industries.
“This government has got only a temporal capacity to run the mines while waiting for investors since government does not have the money, for example, if government can take over Luanshya Copper Mines, losses of over US $ 4 million will be recorded every month,” said Mwila.
“Hence I am not in agreement that the mines should be nationalised because this will be like going back to one party governance system and also the MMD will be going back against their policies of liberalisation.”
And Liebenthal said it was understandable that everyone was concerned about the situation on the Copperbelt.
“But the fact is that copper prices have gone down on the international market and this has made it difficult for the mines to operate viably. Operating costs are very high when prices are down and it does not make economic sense to continue running a company without any changes,” he said. “It does not matter who is running a company; it can be a foreign investor or government but when a company is not making profits, some changes will have to be effected.”
Liebenthal said even if a company made use of some of its reserves [of funds] from the time when things were good, this could only be done for a short while and other drastic measures would have to be effected.
“On the other hand, nationalization is not going to do any good and will not change anything,” said Liebenthal.
And KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) has disclosed that it plans to start importing copper concentrate from the Frontier Mine in the DR Congo, which had banned the export of copper ores.
KCM stated in its latest edition of the Konkola News that it was talking to owners of the Frontier Mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, (DRC) and the Chibuluma and Kansanshi Mines in Zambia to procure copper ore to be processed at the newly commissioned 300,000 tonnage capacity, Nchanga copper smelter.
Labels: BOB LIEBENTHAL, DAVIES MWILA, EAZ, JOHN LUNGU, KCM, MUZ, NATIONALISATION, NEOLIBERALISM
Read more...
