'PF determined to end poverty'
By Misheck Wangwe in Chingola
Mon 16 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
CHINGOLA district commissioner George Sichula says the PF government will always support women groups that have initiated progressive ideas of ending poverty in communities.
Speaking on Saturday when he presented cheques amounting to K139,181 to 14 women clubs in Chingola at Nakatindi Primary School, Sichula said the women that had received funding must work hard, graduate and allow their business ventures to grow.
He said it would be improper to continue funding the same groups without growth.
"The money you have received should be a stepping stone to your growth, we are giving you better capital for you to become good business executives to augment and penetrate the market. Women clubs are a very important component of our society and community at large and as such, we must at time recognise their efforts as partners in development. Government, through the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health, has a mandate to alleviate the suffering of the poor and empower the most vulnerable in the communities," Sichula said.
He said the government had come up with deliberate programmes for women at lowest community level aimed at dealing with their plight.
Sichula said of the 165 women clubs in the district, 91 have been funded and 10 received K90,000 worth of cheques last month, an indication that the government was seriously committed to empowering all women clubs in the district.
Labels: GEORGE SICHULA, PF, POVERTY, WOMEN
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KCM should not be treated like a small god - Sichula
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in Chingola
Tue 03 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
CHINGOLA residents should start preparing for reality that one day, they will have to survive without mining, says district commissioner George Sichula.
And Sichula says Konkola Copper Mines should not be treated as a small god and be allowed to arm-twist the government into submitting to its demands and extra incentives.
Sichula said, recent economic resurgence in the former cleanest town in Zambia was due to economic refocusing and diversification from mining as some economic activities sprung up in different parts of the town.
"We have a big and ready market in the Democratic Republic of Congo for maize, crops and all sorts of agriculture products," Sichula said in interview.
"As a district, we are looking at investments in agriculture, fish farming and just other investors who are coming to invest away from mining. And these investments have been increasing since the PF came into power."
Sichula said the recent economic resurgence in Chingola, coupled with increased infrastructure development had seen some natives who abandoned Chingola returning and investing in the town.
"We need to accept that someday in future, copper, being a wasting asset, will finish," he said. "It is not going to be there forever and people must begin to think of something away from mining and diversify into agriculture. There are areas that have no minerals and are doing better than us. We also need Manda Hill and Arcades Shopping Malls and those will begin to employ people and make money. Mining is not everything and we shouldn't treat KCM like a small god in Chingola."
And Sichula said, Vedanta Resources had not shown commitment to running KCM in a manner that adds value to Chingola.
"KCM has not been sincere in the way they conduct their business," he said. "The way they have been planning to lay-off massive numbers of workers without consulting government shows that KCM has an element of pride and they think they are government on their own. But one thing they are forgetting is that issues of jobs are very sensitive and should be handled as such."
Sichula advised KCM to stop offending government.
He was optimistic that the technical committee on mining headed by Tranta Mining chief executive officer, Dr Sixtus Mulenga, would deliver a report that will guide government in dealing with KCM.
"I don't know how they were dealing with the previous government but as for this Patriotic Front, it's the government that can't be compromised and we are not in government to deal in barter system," said Sichula.
"We know with these decisions on jobs, KCM was trying to blackmail government and sit down and negotiate…but they can't blackmail us and we are now just waiting for the report from the technical committee."
Labels: GEORGE SICHULA, KCM
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Chingola DC advises against dependence on mining
By Misheck Wangwe in Chingola
Wed 21 Aug. 2013, 14:00 CAT
CHINGOLA district commissioner George Sichula has implored the business community and residents in the district to work hard and end over-dependence on one economic player, KCM.
Addressing a forum organised by the business community in Chingola yesterday, Sichula said it was worrying that many people were only thinking of working for Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and in times when the mining company performs badly, everybody suffers.
"This over-dependence on KCM for survival is a disease and only we, the people of Chingola, can cure it. I am sure you have heard that President Michael Sata and the PF government reiterate over and over the need for high performance and productivity, a positive work attitude and the need to get rid of laziness if we are to transform this country," Sichula said.
"The cure of this disease is by every one of us personally standing up to the challenge and resolving to be excellent in our individual areas of endeavour, whether we are in formal employment or in entrepreneurship."
Sichula said it was gratifying that Chingola-based businesses had started taking s teps to do their best and excel, even in times when the going gets tough.
He said the businesses that had been established so far were proof enough that it was possible to diversify the Chingola economy and survive even when copper mining industry slumps.
"I call upon more men and women in Chingola to follow in these footsteps of some prominent businessmen. We need people to go into agriculture and manufacturing and take advantage of the already huge market across the border, in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Sichula said.
He said the blame game among many Zambians must be gotten rid of as everybody had been called upon to stand up and come up with viable projects that would trigger national development.
"We complain about the poor performance of nurses, teachers, doctors, revenue officers, and perhaps even whole departments of central or local government. In turn, nurses, teachers, doctors and just public officers in general, also complain about the performance of banks, insurance companies, shops, telephone networks, water utilities. Enough of this complaining and blaming; let's change the work culture and work extra hard in our various fields to develop this country."
Labels: GEORGE SICHULA, MINING, NEOCOLONIALISM
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