(THE MAST ONLINE) We are in a crisis of joblessness
By The Mast
on July 31, 2018
“Unemployment has reached crisis proportions and I can assure you that a revolution is on the horizon,” says Saviour Chishimba. He is right. Last week the Zambia Police Service received 57,601 applications in the recent recruitment exercise for 1,000 constable positions – Lusaka received 10,000 applications, Copperbelt had 9,000, Southern had 6,000, North-Western Province, 5,278, Western Province had 5,113, Muchinga Province had 5,020, Eastern Province had 4,800, Northern Province had 4,605, and Luapula Province had 4,006 while Central Province had 3,779.
“How can a country with stable leadership, with a stable economy as they claim, have more than 50,000 people applying for 1,000 job positions?” asks Chishimba.
One of the primary transmission channels of the economic crisis Zambians are today enduring is through the labour market. Unemployment is increasing sharply, and unemployment lasting much longer. And those workers who are keeping their jobs are taking home smaller and smaller cash, as companies are trying to reduce labour and other costs to survive. Some are increasingly accumulating wage arrears. And youths leaving school, college or university are struggling to secure their first job.
Families are forced to make significant adjustments in expenses. Food expenditures are declining. The necessary medicines can’t be bought. Many families are making extraordinary effort to keep children in school. It’s increasingly becoming very difficult for many parents to pay school fees. Some are forced to change schools for their children because of fees. Many children in the compounds can’t go to school because of fees.
Confronted by an income shock, many families are taking steps to reduce expenditures, but some of those measures – food expenditures, health care utilisation – could have a serious impact on nutrition and health in the long run. But our politicians in government seem to be in denial. And as such no measures are being taken to protect human welfare and long-term human capital.
We are also not seeing any additional measures being undertaken to ensure access to health and education services, especially for the poorest in the population.
Unemployment is rising sharply. More and more men are losing jobs as the male-dominated construction sector is starting to feel the effects of reducing government expenditure on infrastructure projects. Youth unemployment is reaching record highs as first time jobs are increasingly becoming hard to find. Long-term unemployment is also increasing as re-entry into the labour market is becoming exceedingly difficult for those who have lost jobs.
Workers are being forced by job losses to take reduced pay. An increasing number of workers are forced to take less pay in order to stay in employment.
Many companies are struggling to survive and are forced to reduce real wages and are accumulating huge wage arrears.
A major risk is that much of this unemployment is becoming structural in nature as many of the unemployed drift into long-term joblessness or drop out of the labour force. This unwelcome phenomenon may take many years, if at all, to bring joblessness back down. This persistence in unemployment arises because the longterm unemployed become less attractive hires for employers as a result of declining human capital and diminished job-search activity. Moreover, persistently high unemployment brings other major social and economic costs in its wake, from poorer health, lower living standards and less life satisfaction for the unemployed and their families to increased crime and lower growth potential for society.
Politics dictates that the politicians running government must intervene energetically to reduce the suffering of our people.
We believe the nature of employment is fundamentally changing and cannot be reversed. But workers, businesses and the government can prepare for it if they work together.
Labels: JOBS, NEOLIBERALISM, UNEMPLOYMENT
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Joblessness will help MMD bounce back - Simbao
By Henry Sinyangwe
Thu 30 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT
THE MMD will take advantage of the large number of unemployed youths to bounce back to power in 2016, says party national secretary Kapembwa Simbao.
Simbao says the youth are no longer interested in trying new parties, hence their best choice would be to vote back the MMD in the belief that they had learnt a lesson after being voted out of power. The PF was voted into office by majority youths based on a 'more jobs' promise.
Simbao said the PF had failed to create jobs for the youths, whose number was expected to increase by the 2016 general elections.
"There was something like five million youths without jobs in 2011. The PF, even if they claim they have created 300,000 jobs and multiply that by five years, it will only come to 1.5 million, but by then, more youths would have come of age to start employment and if they don't work on this number which could have helped them, they will end up in 2016 with a bigger number of youths wanting to be employment. And so they are going to end up with another unhappy group that will want to see somebody else," he said.
Simbao said there was currently no favourite political party for the majority Zambians.
"Our party can bounce back to power because right now, the way I look at things, there is no favourite, and the PF are going down. It is difficult, of course, because the base of the PF, who are the young people, still have hope that they will see things better than they are now, but it's not true," he said.
Simbao said Zambians would not deem it fit to elect into office another new political party based on the experience they have had with the PF.
"When we come to 2016, they might not see it fit to pick another new party, because of the experience that they have gone through with the PF, so the chances are that they will come to us...and only us can provide them with jobs, and that's where our opportunity lies; that they might not go for another new party," he said.
Simbao said the PF was also facing a perception of corruption, which cost the MMD the 2011 general elections.
"The problem that we have right now is perception that the PF is corrupt, but that is just perception and no one so far has been proven that this guy is corrupt, but the perception is there and a very strong one. And that is what is going to damage the PF. Unless they work around this, they eliminate this perception from the civil service and the general public, it will cost them," said Simbao.
Labels: KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, MMD, UNEMPLOYMENT
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(THE SOUTHAFRICAN SA) ANC promises six million jobs in election manifesto
By The South African.com
on 13 January, 2014 5:13 pm
Opposition parties have expressed doubt that the South African government will be able to fulfil its promises to create six million jobs, fight corruption and improve education, as detailed in the ANC’s election manifesto unveiled by Jacob Zuma on the weekend
President Jacob Zuma said the South African government will expand its public employment programme with an aim of creating six million job opportunities to all South Africans.
Presenting the African National Congress’s January Statement at the Mbombela Stadium, Mpumalanga, on Saturday, Zuma said with youth unemployment reaching alarming levels, the majority of the mooted jobs would be reserved for young people.
The statement was anchored on employment and economic development. The ANC also unveiled its manifesto ahead of this year’s elections.
The statement, which the ruling party presents at the beginning of every year, usually sets the tone for the President’s State of The Nation Address that outlines government’s service delivery progress, and a plan of programmes and priorities of government.
Addressing a packed stadium, Zuma said, “The ANC will expand our already significant public employment programme and we aim to provide six million work opportunities. The majority of these jobs will be reserved for young people. We are also increasing the number of training and skilling opportunities for young people throughout the state-owned enterprises and other government entities. Our infrastructure programme continues to generate massive numbers of sustainable jobs.”
He said the ANC saw the implementation of a national minimum wage as a key intervention of reducing inequalities.
Zuma claimed that employment was now higher than it has ever been and the SA economy had regained the one million jobs lost as a result of the 2008 global economic crisis.
However, DA National Spokesperson Mmusi Maimane disputed this. “The unemployment crisis is the single defining failure of President Zuma’s five years in office. The fact is, since he assumed the Presidency in 2009, more than 1.4 million more people have joined the ranks of the unemployed.”
Agang SA, whose leader Dr Mamphela Ramphele is visiting London next week, said the ANC’s election manifesto was a “predictable laundry list of promises” while it expected South Africans to conveniently forget past failures.
“Can the ruling party be so tone deaf to the disbelief and distrust citizens have towards it that it expects us to believe, without reason, that it will be able to meet these promises any better than it has in the past?” the party said.
Other key announcements that topped the ANC’s agenda for the next five years included:
* Improving education and training by making two years of pre-school education compulsory, eradicating adult illiteracy, bolstering teacher development, opening new universities and expanding the FET sector
* Implementing the National Health Insurance scheme beyond its pilot phase to improve the quality of health care while reducing the cost of medicine and treatment to promote access to the poor
* Providing housing opportunities to qualifying households in rural and urban areas for the next five years and connecting 1.6 million homes to the electricity grid over the next five years
* Clamping down on the current tender system. Zuma said regulations were being finalised that would prohibit public servants from doing business with the state. He said the ANC would institute internal procedures to deal with corruption.
* Zuma said the 1913 Land Act and the resultant dispossessions were directly related to the current problems of poverty, unemployment and inequality. He called on public representatives to finalise the legislation meant to speed up the expropriation of land in the public interest.
Zuma said government had made a lot of progress in the past five years to improve the lives of South Africans.
These included, among others:
* More than R1 trillion has been invested in national infrastructure projects, compared with R451 billion in the previous five years.
* The proportion of adults with access to banking services grew from 60% in 2009 to 75% in 2013.
* Nearly 500 informal settlements have been replaced with quality housing and basic services.
* The matric pass rate increased from 60.6% in 2009 to 78.2% in 2013.
* FET enrolments doubled from 545,566 in 2010 to 657,690 students in 2012.
* Loans and bursaries to poor students grew from 2.3 billion in 2008 to 8 billion in 2013.
* Over seven million learners are in no fee schools, up from five million in 2009.
* Teacher education has expanded-the number of new teacher graduates doubled from 6,000 in 2009 to 13,000 in 2012.
* Through the ‘prevention of mother to child transmission’ programme, the number of babies born HIV positive was reduced by 66% from 24,000 in 2008 to 8,200 in 2011.
* Average life expectancy increased by 4 more years to 60 years in 2012.
Labels: ANC, EMPLOYMENT, JACOB ZUMA, JOBS, UNEMPLOYMENT
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Nkulukusa urgesmjob creation
By Kabanda Chulu
Sat 07 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
ECONOMIC policies being implemented will only be meaningful to people if they impact positively to result in job creation and poverty reduction, says finance permanent secretary Felix Nkulukusa.
Nkulukusa said on Thursday that Zambia was experiencing consistent high levels of economic growth of around six per cent, single digit inflation, stable exchange rate and a favourable external sector performance.
"Something is missing…is it policy or implementation or advice? There is something we need to put in place because poverty levels are still high and income inequality in the country has remained high?" Nkulukusa asked at a national economic development conference in Lusaka. "60 per cent of our people are poor and out of five million people that are supposed to be working, only 800,000 are in formal employment. The rest are in the informal sector where it is costly to formalise their businesses."
He said the government was looking forward to incorporating views from key stakeholders and think-tanks to ensure that economic policies were resulting in job and wealth creation.
"When the wind of change blew across the Western world, there was a correlation between economic growth and poverty reduction, even in Asia it was the same but in Africa we are experiencing positive economic growth but no correlation with job and wealth creation. Should we remain poor or join the bandwagon? There is so much frustration among the people and to address this, we need the involvement of others since government alone can't do it. We need think-tanks to periodically engage us on policy issues that touch on the lives of the people so that government's objective of putting in place policies and programmes that benefit the grassroots are actualized with the input of research institutions whose advice is solidly based on facts."
He emphasized the need to have well defined institutional arrangements for interaction with the think-tanks.
"Let us develop institutional frameworks and capacities for policy dialogue because advice that is delivered through other means other than direct interaction with policy implementing institutions results in misunderstandings and are therefore not a viable alternative for us," said Nkulukusa.
The conference under the theme 'Growth, poverty and inequality: creating opportunities for all' was organised by the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, National Economic Advisory Council and the International Growth Centre.
Labels: FELIX NKULUKUSA, JOBS, UNEMPLOYMENT
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At the mercy of investors
By Editor
Thu 05 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
The growth of the investment in mines instead of bringing more revenue to the government is imposing additional challenges on it. There are many costs the government has to directly incur to enable the mines operate efficiently. For instance, the government has to ensure that there is adequate investment in roads, railways and other communication networks.
Adequate investment also has to be made in meeting the power needs of mining. We are told on high authority that the power that the mines use is subsidised by the rest of us. And we have been doing this for the last two decades.
We are told mineral production has increased over the last two decades. But one factor in our national life remained with us all through the last two decades or so, and is with us still, and that at the bottom of the social scale there is a mass of poverty and misery equal, if not worse, in magnitude to that which obtained two decades ago.
We have been reminded by many experts and institutions that we are not getting much revenue from mining, and efforts should be made to collect more taxes from the mining companies. The World Bank has told us to do that. The International Monetary Fund has advised us to do so. Many mining and economic experts have advised us to find ways of increasing our revenue from the mines. Our very own mining expert, Dr Mathias Mpande, is also today advising us to do the same. But those in government, for reasons best known to themselves, find it extremely difficult and unacceptable to increase revenue collections from mining undertakings. They find it easier to go and borrow money and increase the national debt. This is difficult to understand. This needs to be explained.
We submit that the true test of progress in mining is not measured by the amounts of money transnational mining corporations are investing and the tonnes of minerals they are producing, but the elevation of a people as a whole through increased government revenues from mining.
The Zambian people know to their cost the danger which comes from allowing transnational corporations to make super profits at their own expense. We all know that there is something seriously wrong with the way we are dealing with investors in the mining sector. We seem to be treating them like eggs. We have public officers who speak for the transnational mining corporations and not for the people they are elected or appointed to serve.
Yes, we appreciate the need to attract foreign investment in our mining sector. But it shouldn't be investment for the sake of investment; it should be beneficial investment.
As Dr Mpande has correctly observed, we have countries in this region, the SADC region, that are benefitting from the exploitation of their mineral wealth. And Botswana is a good example of that. Most, if not all, of the mining operations in Botswana are joint ventures between the government of that country and private foreign investors on a fifty-fifty basis. In this way, what the government foregoes in taxation, it receives in dividends. And in this way, it is easier for the government of Botswana to keep mining taxes relatively low because the government is the shareholder and as such, a dividend recipient.
But still taxes are paid. And therefore, the benefits accruing to the people of Botswana from their country's mineral wealth is relatively much higher. In our case, most of the mines are predominantly owned by foreign enterprises. What we lose in taxes, we don't gain it in any other way. The tax we lose here is the tax they end up paying in their home country. After that, we go to those same countries trying to borrow money that could have been ours if we had prudent tax and investment policies.
It's difficult to believe that these policies are designed by our own people against their own country. The current policies are not different from those we had during the colonial era. Probably even the colonial government collected more revenue from mining than we are doing today. Why should this be the case? There are only two possible answers: incompetence or corruption. If it is a question of incompetence, who is incompetent in this whole chain of decision making? Is it the politicians? Is it the technocrats who are advising and assisting them in policy formulation and implementation?
If it is corruption, who is corrupt in this scheme of things? Is it the politician who is receiving kickbacks from mining corporations to come up with fiscal policies that benefit them? Or is it the technocrat who has been corrupted?
Whatever the situation, there are some of our people who are benefitting from this chaos. But the true test of progress in a nation is not the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few people receiving bribes, commissions or kickbacks, but the elevation of a people as a whole.
The Zambian people know to their cost the danger which comes from allowing public officers to grow rich and permitting them to use their influence to silence opposition to their harmful policies and practices, to degrade our national life, and to bring reproach and shame upon our people, in order that a few unscrupulous scoundrels might be able to add to their ill-gotten gains.
Dr Mpande says that countries with good mining policies benefit much from their minerals. This cannot be disputed. We are not benefitting much from our mineral resources because of our poor or bad policies. Again, this cannot be disputed. If it is in dispute, why are we not benefitting much from our mineral resources? Why is everyone telling us to change our policies about collecting more revenue from the mines? Are all these experts and institutions urging us to collect more revenue from the mines wrong? And Dr Mpande correctly concludes:
"That's why almost all the countries that are intelligent, Botswana is basing its taxation on sharing benefits from the mineral resources. If you use that route, then you had better become a partner in the production, cutting, marketing of the diamonds. It is capturing 75 per cent of diamond revenue into Botswana and that revenue is being used for development…"
Truly, we are "purely at the mercy of investors, who are declaring profits they themselves determine". For how long should things continue this way?
Labels: MATHIAS MPANDE, MINING, UNEMPLOYMENT
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500 NFCA miners lose employment
By Misheck Wangwe in Chambishi
Thu 05 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
OVER 500 miners that were constructing NFCA's South East Ore Body in Chambishi have been laid off following the decision by ZEMA to halt the operations.
And the unionised workers yesterday staged a protest in Chambishi demanding that ZEMA rescinds its decision to suspend the construction of the SEOB.
But the Southern Africa Resource Watch says ZEMA must be commended for acting decisively over the SEOB as it was being constructed without considering the interests of the poor community and other stakeholders.
The Zambia Environmental Management Agency ordered the Chinese-owned Nonferrous Cooperation Africa Mining of Chambishi to halt its operations at its South East Ore Body project for failing to comply with the laid down conditions of the investment.
But NFCA chief executive officer Wan Chunlai described ZEMA's decision as shocking and rather draconian.
In an interview yesterday, NFCA corporate affairs manager Nelson Jilowa said the workers had been laid off because ZEMA had suspended the operations at SEOB.
Jilowa said as a law abiding mining company, NFCA management had suspended all operations at the SEOB project and the workers had been sent home.
"As NFCA, we were taking the SEOB project and the employees as one. We cannot make any development without the employees and it's not our intentions to send them home, it is ZEMA's decision. When a decision is made to lift the suspension, the employees will be called and remember, it's not only these 500 miners, there are about 5,000 prospective employees whom we envisage to employ at the completion of this project and they have also been seriously affected," Jilowa said.
He said the laid off miners would be paid their accrued dues.
Jilowa said NFCA had no option but to comply with ZEMA's directives.
"In the absence of the audit report, which to us is the basis of this decision by ZEMA, one would be left with no option but to speculate that it could be the misunderstandings that have been there between us from NFCA and Hybrid Poultry Farm that has contested this project," Jilowa said.
He said the mining company was on the ground and had created a cordial relationship with the municipality, the community in Twashuka and Mukulumpe areas that would be affected by the SEOB project.
"We have put up a package for the affected communities and people are very happy. We updated ZEMA about this," Jilowa said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of NFCA workers from the suspended SEOB protested in Chambishi demanding that ZEMA immediately lifts the suspension because their families would suffer.
The workers that attempted to match to Hybrid Poultry Farm were intercepted by the police and senior officials from the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers.
NUMAW president James Chansa appealed to the workers to be calm as the union would sit with all stakeholders involved to resolve the matter.
The workers later dispersed.
But the Southern Africa Resource Watch campaign officer for Zambia Edward Lange said the suspension of the SEOB projects was long overdue because NFCA was doing it without due regard for the community.
"If you go to the municipality, they don't even have where they are going to take those people. If investors are going to be taking Zambia like an animal farm where they can do anything that they want without observing the laws of the land, then we are not going anywhere. ZEMA must be allowed to execute its mandates diligently and professionally without any interference," said Lange.
NFCA's SEOB project worth US$832 million (about K5 billion) was approved by ZEMA on September 5, 2012.
Labels: JOBS, MINING, NCFA, UNEMPLOYMENT
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Physically challenged bemoan failure to get jobs in Solwezi mines
By Vincent Chilikima in Solwezi
Thu 05 Dec. 2013, 14:01 CAT
PEOPLE living with disabilities in Solwezi have bemoaned the lack of employment opportunities in the mines despite their desire and ability to work.
North Western Province chairperson for Zambia Federation of the Blind Godfrey Makwayanga said the disabled were finding it difficult to be employed in the mines. He appealed to the mines to instead consider employing children of the disabled.
Makwayanga's concerns on the lack of employment were echoed by a sketch performed by the hearing impaired during this year's commemoration of the International Day of the Disabled held on Tuesday at Mitukutuku farm for the disabled in Solwezi district.
The sketch depicted how the hearing impaired were being denied employment in the mines and chain stores regardless of technical qualifications acquired for the jobs and therefore felt stigmatised and discriminated against in society.
However, First Quantum Minerals Kansanshi Mine public relations manager Godfrey Msiska said the employment policy of the mines considered the hazardous environment and high safety standards which required employees to be highly alert and swift in movement.
After handing over ten wheel chairs worth K20,000 at the event, Msiska said Kansanshi Mine's philosophy was to empower people in communities where they operate.
And Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) Provincial coordinator Living Ngandwe appealed to the government and well wishers to revamp the 312 hectares Mitukutuku Farm.
Ngandwe explained that the UNIP government had built structures at the farm for training disabled people in farming and carpentry, adding that many disabled people had realised meaningful livelihoods from the now defunct facility.
Meanwhile, North Western Province permanent secretary Augustine Seyuba said the government was committed to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities.
Officiating at the function on behalf of Seyuba, deputy permanent secretary Alfred Chingi said government had come up with a new disability Act No. 6 of 2012 to ensure that the rights and welfare of people with disabilities were taken care of.
He disclosed that government had increased the grant for ZAPD in the 2014 budget and further removed customs duty on imported equipment and vehicles for the disabled adding.
Seyuba also said the disabled were being given priority attention in accessing farming inputs under government's Food Security Pack programme being implemented by the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health.
Labels: JOBS, UNEMPLOYMENT
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PF has created 350,000 jobs - Sata
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sat 30 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata says more than 350,000 jobs have been created from 2011 to November 2013. He said yesterday that the government would continue exploiting advantages in labour and natural resources, and actively developing labour-intensive industries and enterprises that have huge employment capacity.
"The total number of jobs created from 2011 to November 2013 is 354,508 as follows: tourism and arts 218, 344, service 55, 885, electricity gas and water 28, 618, construction 15, 091, education 10, 099, finance and banking 9, 477, community social and personal 4, 998, health 3, 030, agriculture forestry and fishing, 3, 153, transport and communication 2, 725 and others 3, 088," President Sata said.
President Sata reiterated the government's commitment to maintaining macroeconomic stability and addressing the cost of doing business in order to accelerate overall economic growth of our country.
He said the notable increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows reflects renewed investor confidence in the Zambian economy and stronger investments profitability prospects.
President Sata says FDI is critical to the continued growth of the economy, poverty reduction and employment creation.
"...as of November 2013, investment pledges were valued at over US$5 billion, whilst foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in 2012 grew by 56.2 per cent to US$1.7 billion, from US$1.1 billion recorded in 2011, driven largely by investments in mining, manufacturing, construction and the wholesale and retail trade sectors," President Sata said in a statement issued by his special assistant for press and public relations George Chellah.
"Furthermore, as of November 2013, non-traditional exports (NTEs) were valued at over US$3 billion whilst for the period 2012 NTEs increased to over US$2.8 billion compared to US$1.8 billion in 2011."
Labels: JOBS, MICHAEL SATA, PF, UNEMPLOYMENT
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Scott links violence to lack of jobs
By Abel Mboozi and Roy Habaalu
Tue 12 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
HIGH unemployment levels among frustrated youths is causing them to engage in violent activities, Vice-President Guy Scott has charged. And Lusaka Province PF youth chairman Kennedy Kamba has been appointed Lusaka City Market manager.
Meanwhile, confusion ensued in town yesterday after people purporting to be PF youths attempted to take over the management of Lusaka's Soweto Market. Vice-President Scott has expressed disappointment that at a time when he thought the 'war' in the party had come to an end, similar ugly acts were manifesting.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Scott noted with concern that unemployed lawless youths had continued to cause confusion especially in the central business centre by engaging in violence acts.
He was confident that the police would do a good job to contain the situation which he said should not be entertained at all.
"It is even difficult to know whether these cadres are of known origin. Just today (yesterday) in the central business area, cadres of unknown origin were fighting about who should controls markets," he said.
"Markets yield plenty of money, so cadres of unknown origin are fighting over who is controlling markets. We have got a lot of unemployed lawless youths around who obviously want to take advantage of the situation."
He said the basic charge for buses loading at the Intercity Bus Terminus was K100 and so with dozens of them loading, more millions were being raked in.
"Because of this, a lot of people are interested in that money and these are the things causing confusion. We don't even know whether these are party cadres or not," VIce-President Scott said.
On last Thursday's violence in the PF which left one cadre dead, Vice-President Dr Scott said it was difficult to deduce what was really happening.
"It is confusing because we are not even very sure whether its our cadres at forefront of this violence or not. I hope it's clearing itself in the system but it's taking long than we thought," Vice-President Scott said.
And according to a letter of offer of employment, Kamba takes up the job under housing and social services department of Lusaka City Council.
"I am pleased to inform you that you have been offered temporary employment in the housing and social services department under City Market as manager for three (3) months subject to renewal until the City Market Management Board is constituted," read the letter from LCC acting town clerk Moses Mwelwa.
Among its conditions, the letter stated that Kamba's employment could be terminated by either party by giving a day's notice without any reason whatsoever.
He has been asked to report to the acting director of housing and social services for assignment of duties.
And Kamba said he will use the position to speak for the marginalised and improve sanitation.
He said most traders at the market were subjected to harsh conditions and sometimes made to pay levies that were not accounted for.
"Those (marketeers) are the ones that voted for the PF. They are the people that spent long hours waiting to cast their votes for President Michael Sata and I will do anything possible to protect their interest.
I will ensure they are proud and free for voting for this government. We want to bring order and sanity in all markets and trading places. We will work together to strengthen both the market and the party and this time around, no one will use marketeers to promote their selfish interest. This is the beginning of a new era, the era of peace, unity and orderliness," he said .
Kamba said accountability would be top on his agenda.
He takes over from Horace Longwe.
Longwe had imposed himself as Lusaka Province chairman purporting to have been appointed by President Sata.
He was part of the PF faction that championed demonstrations demanding the removal of Wynter Kabimba as PF secretary general.
And around 09:00 hours yesterday, some youths assembled near the new bus stop between old Soweto and City Market.
The youths attempted to remove the appointed authorities in charge of routing local buses.
But prompt action by riot police prevented the confrontation, leaving some traders too scared to conduct their business as they vacated the premises.
Police were deployed in key locations around town, causing panic among vendors and traders who scampered to safety on suspicion of ensuing riots and looting.
One of the officials at City Market, who sought anonymity, said the 'unruly' cadres were eager to take over operations of the bus stations in order to raise money for their violent demonstration agendas.
"Those boys in charge at Soweto (market) are from our structures… from the wards but these hooligans wanted to remove them so that they can use the station to fundraise and continue with their demonstration against some party officials," said the source.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, UNEMPLOYMENT
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'He who betrays the poor betrays Christ'
By Editor
Sun 10 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
MOSES Sakala of the Sakala Brothers says there is no better cause than to stand up for the poor and the vulnerable in society. We agree. Christ's entire doctrine was devoted to the humble, the poor; his doctrine was devoted to fighting against abuse, injustice and the degradation of human beings.
This makes us recall Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro's 1971 talk with Catholics in Chile, his 1977 meeting with ministers in Jamaica, and that phrase of his in the first few years of the revolution: "He who betrays the poor betrays Christ."
Truly, this is so because it is your fellow man, and especially one who lacks life and needs justice, in whom God wishes to be served and loved. They are the ones with whom Jesus identified. This is the best way to follow Jesus, especially in Zambia's present situation.
In advice to a king, we are told in Proverbs 31:8-9: "Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy."
In Sirach 18:25-27, we are reminded: "When you have all you want, think what it is like to be hungry, what it is to be poor. Things can change in a single day; the Lord can act very quickly."
The poor are in a weak position and they need someone to speak up for them and to protect their interests. And speaking up for the poor and defending their interests is not a riskless undertaking. As Bishop Dennis de Jong once observed, "The prophets stood on the side of God and the side of the poor and got themselves in trouble and imprisoned.
Jeremiah was thrown into a well, exiled and so forth. Sometimes some of our people say, 'you shouldn't be speaking out like that, you will get into trouble'. I think it is true that we have forgotten the principles of fairness and justice as well as love of our neighbour and our duty to protect the poor. We should appreciate that most countries start off with a great deal of hope.
But suddenly, we forget God somewhere along the line. We forget the poor. The decisions we make, the policies we put in place affect the poor and we should be mindful of that. The poor are never really consulted or helped to analyse the problems they face.
We, together with the government and other agencies, should be helping them to find solutions" (Bantu Magazine, March 2000, Edition No.3). Only thus can we avoid the myth of a formal democracy which hides a situation of injustice.
COMMENT - By the way, 'Bantu Magazine' is part of the corporate funded anti-ZANU-PF NGO WOZA (Women of Zimbabwe Arise). They give their address as Johannesburg, South Africa. - MrK
Actually, if beyond juridical laws, a more profound sense of respect and service of one another is lacking, and even of an equality before the law, it could serve as an alibi for flagrant discrimination, for constant exploitation, for effective deceit.
There is no political participation without economic participation. The poor cannot be said to be participating in our democratic processes while they remain poor.
The poor in the gospel do not constitute a "class" per se, but a quality of availability, who usually co-exist in a situation of economic crisis.
And it would be dangerous to minimise the elements of real poverty by "making spiritual" what in the scripture appears as a virtue, because it belongs to the poor. The poor are also the oppressed, the humble, the enslaved, and for the most part, it's the rich, the powerful and the violent ones who are to be blamed for causing this evil.
When Jesus says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit," by poverty he means an attitude of total orientation to God. And absence of property is really included, because material possessions enslave persons and take their liberties away from the true meaning that they should give to their life. The true support, the true security, the treasure that counts is the Lord. It is the same idea in Sophonias: "But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord."
In St James' epistle, there are similar vibrations. One finds constant preaching of the prophet favouring the poor. The poor deserve respect. They must be sought out in contrast to the rich. We must look at them with acceptance, because: "did not God choose those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith? Are not the rich exploiting you? They are the ones who haul you into the courts…" (James 2:6).
From the eschatological perspective, with the sort of eschatology that has already began, then we are already in the "last days". St James points out: "Now, then, you rich persons, cry and yell for the affliction that will be coming upon you. Your riches are rotten and your garments have become moth-eaten… Behold, the wages that you have not paid to the peasants who reaped your fields cry out as a protest; the shouts of the field workers have reached the ears of the Lord." In this last expression, there is a clear reference to Exodus 22:22.
In Christ's preaching, preaching against the rich who he calls "unfortunate," we find a relationship to the theme of idolatry that existed in the old covenant. Riches are a form of idolatry: the idolatrous person is the one who assigns an absolute value to something that did not have value before. The unique absolute is God. Wealth is a form of idolised cult. From another viewpoint, it is an institution, a lack of availability. Its chains are heavy. An alienated person is also alienating.
Poverty is a liberator. Human agility permits a response. It gives the poor an approach to God and to others. The beatitude of poverty in St Matthew's gospel and his clear reference to the poverty of the spirit is something quite demanding. Obviously he wanted to emphasise - not to forget or relegate to a secondary level - the fact that it was not enough to be really poor because of lack of possessions but to stress that one should consent to this lack of possessions up to a certain point. Here this is not the case of differentiating - as we do it in modern times - poverty as an evangelic command and destitution.
Christians in their special vocation can sometimes play the role of the destitute as a protest against misery in a perspective of authentic awareness.
All this should be very deeply understood in all its meanings. And as Bishop Charles Kasonde of the Catholic Diocese of Solwezi says, "responding positively to empowering the poor and defenceless is a special calling". We should always be mindful of how our decisions and actions affect the poor; "he who betrays the poor betrays Christ".
Labels: MOSES SAKALA, PAUL MUSUSU, UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUTHS
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Too many unemployed youths a danger - Mususu
By Henry Sinyangwe
Sun 10 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
BISHOP Paul Mususu says it is dangerous to have too many unemployed and vulnerable people in society. The former Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director said people who were vulnerable were being used by selfish individuals such as politicians to fight their battles.
Recently, Moses Sakala of music duo Sakala Brothers said there was no better cause than to stand for the poor and vulnerable in society. This was during a fundraising dinner organised by the Solwezi Catholic Diocese where Bishop Charles Kasonde also said responding positively to empowering the poor and defenceless was a special calling.
Commenting on the matter, Bishop Mususu said the duty of every leader was to protect the interests of their followers by standing up for the poor and vulnerable in society.
He said there was need to ensure an equal share of the natural resources in the country.
"Whether a church or political leader, a leader is there to protect the interest of his followers which is supreme," Bishop Mususu said.
And Bishop Mususu said the fighting among Patriotic Front cadres was as a result of high unemployment levels.
"Youths have no jobs which leaves them open for manipulation. There is need to empower people so that they spend time on progressive things, rather than butchering themselves like what happened on Thursday," said Bishop Mususu. "The sponsors should come out clean on this because those youths cannot organise all those machetes going to a presidential function."
Labels: PAUL MUSUSU, UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUTHS
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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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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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Mchombo calls for sustainable job creation
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Mon 28 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
ANGLICAN Diocese of Eastern Zambia Bishop William Mchombo has challenged technocrats to come up with a working formula that will lead to sustainable job creation, and not cosmetic ones, by supporting local small-scale entrepreneurs.
Commenting on the high unemployment levels in the country, especially on the part of the youth, Bishop Mchombo said the government alone could not provide employment to everyone.
He said youth unemployment had remained a huge challenge to the nation.
"Government alone cannot provide employment to everyone but it can provide a conducive atmosphere for small-scale businesses to flourish with the provision of right incentives like easy access to a revolving fund with low interest rates and less red tape. We see a good number of our youths with different skills wanting to contribute to the economic development of this nation but they lack capital and space to start their own businesses which are commensurate with their skills," he said.
Bishop Mchombo said if the government could provide marketeers with shelters for conducive trading, it should also consider putting up workshops for various artisans engaged, for example, in metal fabrication, manufacturing, motor mechanics and carpentry.
He also said there should be no favouritism when employing people.
"Giving preferential treatment or favouritism to people from one's own region despite their lack of the requisite qualifications for a particular assignment or job goes against the spirit of impartiality and the promotion of meritorious appointments. It brings up despondency and can undermine the peace of the country," Bishop Mchombo said.
He said corruption was a menace to the economic development of the country.
"This should be nipped in the bud whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head. Those in public offices should provide the necessary leadership in this crusade," said Bishop Mchombo.
Labels: UNEMPLOYMENT, WILLIAM MCHOMBO
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'In every challenge, there is an opportunity'
By Editor
Tue 22 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
There are few misfortunes in this world that cannot be turned into a personal triumph if one has the iron will and the necessary skill.
And Edith Nawakwi is right when she says to our young people without jobs that "the key is for every challenge, there is an opportunity. If the council is not collecting garbage, that is your opportunity… that opportunity is your source of income because you are unemployed" and that no matter how menial or dirty one's work is, it is significant as long as it benefits the people's health and sanitary environment.
Unemployment is the scourge of our country. It deprives our people of their God-given right to work. It undermines their human dignity. It is a terrible frustration and humiliation for a parent to be unable, due to unemployment, to provide for the family. It is equally demoralising for young people to find there is no work waiting for them when they leave school.
Good leaders must be interested in the welfare of those in distress. We expect them to feel the distress of many who have a problem about the cost of goods, education, medicine, with the tragedy of unemployment, of youth and so many other important concerns where we are all involved, and all must help the government. All these are difficult problems for any government to face. But to solve them, we need hardworking and public-spirited political and civic leaders like the way Edith is doing; we need people of courage who will defend the truth and demand justice for the poor, for the ordinary.
Most people rely on work in order to earn a living. It may be formal employment, earning a wage in exchange for labour, or it may be through some form of self-employment such as the garbage collection scheme Edith and her comrades are working on. Either way, there are very few people who do not have to work for a living.
One of the main tasks of an economy, therefore, is to ensure that there are enough jobs, or opportunities to work, to meet our people's need to earn a living. Where there is high unemployment, we have an indication of an unjust economy.
One of the main reasons for our high rates of poverty is the failure of the economy to provide sufficient jobs. While it is true that no economy is able to assure sustainable full employment, joblessness in Zambia is not just a matter of a small percentage; it is an extremely serious problem.
In order to derive benefit from an economy, people must be able to participate in it; and for most people, the primary means of economic participation is through work. Indeed, throughout human history, it has been a basic norm that all are expected to work, and thereby to contribute to the economy. Those who refuse to do so, for no good reason, have generally been excluded from the benefits of the economy.
However, if society expects all its members to work and to contribute, then it should make it possible for them to do so. In this regard, a profound responsibility rests on both the political authorities and those who hold powerful positions in the economy. Everything possible needs to be done to maximise job opportunities. And where the choice is between greater profits and greater employment the latter must be chosen.
Clearly, as things stand in our country today, this is a matter of the greatest urgency. The level of unemployment is too high. And as long as this remains the case, there can be no hope of achieving a secure and prosperous future for our people. In some parts of the country, unemployment is so high that the few who work have to support not only their own dependants but another worker and his dependants as well.
Thus, unemployment affects not only those without jobs, but also those who have work. In consequence, the poverty and the gap between the rich and the poor can only be exacerbated. Furthermore, such a high scale of unemployment acts as a huge drain on the state's resources, further reducing its ability to provide much-needed social services.
And the harm caused by unemployment is by no means limited to material matters; there is also an enormous social cost. While simplistic deductions must be avoided, there can be no doubt that a connection exists between high rates of unemployment and the distressing high incidence of crime, family breakdown, domestic violence, hooliganism and even political violence, and drug and alcohol abuse which beset our society. Many of these social problems in turn impact negatively on the economy, resulting in a vicious circle which will only be broken by the provision of jobs.
We are aware of, and do commend, our government's efforts over the last two years to deal with the tragic effects of unemployment. But we feel that much more needs to be said and to be done if we are to effectively meet the massive problems of human suffering in Zambia today.
And no one should be silent in the face of this suffering of our people. The word of God challenges us: "If you refuse to hear the cry of the poor, your own cry for help will not be heard" (Proverbs 21:13).
We therefore call upon all people of goodwill to emulate what Edith is doing and to try and deal more forthright with this increasing suffering in our midst. We all know of our people's suffering.
And as to our young people without jobs, they should not be ashamed to take up any job that is available. If it is garbage collection, let them take it up if that's the only job available to them. If it's cleaning toilets, this job has to be taken up by someone because it is a job that needs to be done.
It is important to realise that the value of any human work does not depend on the kind of work done; it is based on the fact that the one who does it is a person. There we have an ethical criterion whose implications cannot be overlooked.
Thus, every person has a right to work, and this right must be recognised in a practical way by an effective commitment to resolving the tragic problem of unemployment. The fact that unemployment keeps a large sector of our population, and notably the young, in a situation of marginalisation, is intolerable. For this reason, the creation of jobs is a primary social task facing individuals and private enterprises, as well as the state. As a general rule, in this as in other matters, the state has a subsidiary function; but often it can be called upon to intervene directly.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUTHS
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KCM jobs secure
By Staff Reporters
Thu 06 June 2013, 14:00 CAT
Konkola Copper Mines has behaved the way a responsible investor should behave, says labour minister Fackson Shamenda. Konkola Copper Mines has with immediate effect halted plans to lay off 2,000 permanent workers.
Last month, KCM wrote to the mineworkers unions and the government over its intentions to reduce 2,000 permanent jobs across its operation citing a number of challenges prominent among them the downward trend of copper prices at the London Metal Exchange (LME), the increase in petroleum products, electricity tariffs, high cost of labour, the impact on operations arising from statutory instruments numbers 32, 33 and 78 and the increase in mineral royalty tax to six per cent.
The labour reduction plans by KCM were however widely condemned by a cross section of society and the government that challenged the company to handover its mines to the state if it had failed to run them.
In a statement yesterday, KCM public relations manager Joy Sata said the redundancy programme originally proposed by the company had been put off.
"KCM wishes to notify all stakeholders that it has been engaged in very progressive discussions with the government and the unions on the current challenges facing the company. As a result of the steps that are being jointly taken to address these challenges, significant progress has been made in identifying measures that will mitigate the company's financial and business challenges. KCM therefore wishes to advise that the redundancy programme originally proposed by the company has been put-off. The company, unions and government are engaging to find a lasting solution," Sata stated.
She said KCM was confident that during these discussions, the parties would reach a win-win solution.
Sata further commended the government and the unions for their positive contributions to the process.
Commenting on the development, Shamenda said he had a fruitful meeting with KCM management during which he, together with mines minister Yamfwa Mukanga, agreed that the mining company would not retrench any miners.
Shamenda said the government representatives advised KCM to look at other avenues other than retrenchments.
"We convinced them that that is not a right thing to do. I wish to pay tribute to KCM for listening and wish to hail them for being a responsible investor. I wish other managers in other foreign companies operating in Zambia could behave the same way," said Shamenda.
Mine deputy minister Richard Musukwa commended the company for listening to government and stakeholders over the issue.
"I want to applaud and thank KCM for taking such a bold decision in national interest and that they ought to ensure that operations are sustained. We have worked with KCM, I was an employee of KCM and we know that company and that's why we rejected and we strongly stood against its intentions to retrench 2,000 employees because we never believed that the company could abandon our people like that. I sincerely thank them for rescinding the decision," Musukwa said.
He said the general workforce at KCM must support the company by ensuring that it works hard to boost production and reduce the cost of operations.
Musukwa said employees at the mining giant must be motivated and must avoid pilferage of any form to ensure that the company and the jobs were saved.
He said the government remained open and committed to ensuring that the company survives.
Dr Kalombo Mwansa, former mines minister in the Levy Mwanawasa government, commended KCM, the unions and the government on the route taken.
"This is an excellent development and it shows the power of dialogue," Dr Mwansa said in an interview. "Dialogue is the way to solve problems. From what has happened, we can learn lessons that the power of dialogue is indispensable in solving any problem that should confront humanity in any form."
MMD president Nevers Mumba said urged government not to wait for a crisis when dealing with investors.
He said the government should always employ dialogue and enact favaurable policies that would also benefit investors.
"The issues at KCM worried us very much, but we pleaded with them to find other options to keep the jobs that were at stake. We are happy that the government has resolved this issue and have avoided unnecessary job losses," said Mumba.
Labels: JOBS, KCM, MICHAEL SATA, UNEMPLOYMENT
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Govt rejects KCM's plan to sack 2,000 workers
By Misheck Wangwe and Darius Kapembwa in Kitwe
Sat 25 May 2013, 14:01 CAT
KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) plans to lay off 2,000 permanent employees across all its operations.
But mines deputy minister Richard Musukwa says the government has rejected KCM's plans and has further challenged the company to surrender the mine to the state if they have failed to run it.
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 for human capital David Kaunda stated that the company had been impacted by a number of economic and legacy issues that had made it imperative to review its operations for its continued viability.
"The challenges the company faces include; the downward trend of the price of copper at the London Metal Exchange from highs of US$9,000 per tonne to an average of US$7,000 with general market focus expectations being subdued prices for the foreseeable future," he stated.
Kaunda stated that the over 200 per cent increase in petroleum products in the last eight years, propelled with a sharp rise in the cost of tyres, chemicals and explosives was another factor.
Kaunda stated that the other challenge was the high cost of labour that had increased by over 220 per cent in the last eight years.
"The gradual increase in the company's electricity bill which had increased by over 60 per cent of total production cost since 2008, the impact on operations arising from the implementation of statutory instruments numbers 32, 33 and 78 and the charges implemented under the national budget as regards capital allowances and increase in mineral royalty tax by six percent is another challenge," he stated.
Kaunda stated that these issues had not only placed serious challenges on the company's cash flow, but had resulted in "a very unsustainable cost of production".
Kaunda stated that the high cost of production had placed KCM in the 98th percentile of the global cost curve index for mining companies.
"In this regard KCM regrets to advise that the board and management has decided to reduce 2,000 permanent jobs across its operations, in a bid to streamline and sustain operations. These job cuts will take effect from the date of this notice as provided under the laws of the country," the letter read in part.
Kaunda further stated that KCM appreciated the government's intention to ensure a wider spectrum of society benefit from the national treasury, but that the above measures needed to be undertaken for continued sustainability of the company.
And in a statement issued by its public relations manager Joy Sata, KCM regretted its decision to cut jobs, saying the current copper prices on the world market has been steadily declining - by 22 per cent in the last year - and macro-economic trends suggest it would remain depressed.
"KCM has invested very huge sums - now over 14.3 billion rebased Zambian Kwacha (US$2.7 billion) in seven years in a process to make the company's mines, smelter, processing plants and refinery among the most effective in the world. However, with the depression in the copper price, KCM needs to make business changes to remain economically viable. Regrettably, this means reducing staff numbers as many of the upgrade and expansion projects come to an end," Sata stated. "We do have other upgrade projects and expansions planned for the coming years, and expect to create jobs for those opportunities at the appropriate time."
She stated that KCM would make every effort "to assist redundant staff find new jobs, both on an individually and on a collective basis to increase economic opportunities in the Copperbelt region and around our facilities".
"The scale and nature of these efforts will vary according to the nature of individual circumstances and the opportunities available," stated Sata. "The management of KCM sincerely regret this action but considers it necessary. The company recognises its role in helping to create and sustain Zambian jobs, to train youths, workers and professionals for the jobs of tomorrow, and to foster the development of service industries and manufacturing across the country. However, the company has to be economically viable to do this. Revenue from KCM is an important contributor to the Zambian treasury and we need to create a situation where that revenue can be protected."
But at a press briefing in Kitwe yesterday, Musukwa said KCM's plans were extremely unacceptable and only meant to embarrass the PF government.
"Government has rejected the labour reduction by KCM which they are proposing to implement. This is unsustainable because the reasons being advanced are principally pure arrogance and we will 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. I want to state clearly that we will not accept and KCM has no moral obligation to reduce the workforce," he said.
Musukwa said the government had been closely monitoring KCM's maneuvers and in the last few months, a huge number of workers had lost employment at the company through outsourced operations.
"We have seen that KCM is now trying to test the ability of the PF government. We will defend the workers, we will defend the workforce because they put in this government to ensure that their interests are protected," he said.
Musukwa said going forward, the government would engage KCM as the reasons they had stated, prominent among them copper prices and production costs, electricity and petroleum and the statutory instruments the government signed, were unjustified.
"When the copper prices are at its best, these mining companies, KCM in particular don't say anything in terms of remunerating our people and when it suits them they want to sing another song. This, my government will not allow," said Musukwa.
Labels: KCM, UNEMPLOYMENT
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Needs of the youths
Fri 18 Jan. 2013, 13:40 CAT
Geoffrey Mwamba, the Minister of Defence, says that any country that does not attend to the needs of the youths is on a self-destruction path. We agree. A nation, a country, a society which values its future affords the highest priority to the needs of its youths. Truly, the future of the country depends on how well it addresses the plight of its youths.
Our young people, our youths are our most important natural resource, and we must prepare them for the future. And this realisation should stimulate us in working for the future of our young people. And with this in mind, we call on everyone to keep on working and struggling with enthusiasm, strength, firmness and unwavering confidence in the future. And the basic clay of our work should be the youth. We should place our hope in them and prepare them to take the banner from our hands.
Good leaders must be interested in the welfare of the youth. We expect them to feel the distress of our young people who are bearing the tragedy of high unemployment.
But dealing with problems and challenges facing the youth is not an easy thing. This is so because these young people carry on their shoulders many problems and challenges; they carry on their heads and backs the challenges and problems of the whole nation - the nation of the past, the present and the future. We need leaders of courage who will defend the truth and demand justice for our young people.
But the importance of our youths, of our young people is something that is being sloganeered about in our politics everyday. "The youths are the greatest resource of our country!" How often we hear that statement! And how true is it for our homeland! Our young people are indeed our greatest resource, our richest treasure, our best hope for the future. Yet today in Zambia, we hear of the frightening abuses of that resource, of its deterioration, exploitation. We sadly note that this resource is being abused amidst great suffering, a suffering which by and large seems to go unnoticed by those in our politics and is often inadequately responded to by government programmes.
We are therefore delighted whenever we hear of any government programme being initiated, being commissioned that is aimed at the youth. However, we always feel that much more needs to be said and to be done if we are to meet effectively the massive problems and challenges of our young people.
It is demoralising for our young people to find there is no work waiting for them when they leave school, college or university.
Most of the problems and challenges our youths are facing arise from the failure of the economy to provide sufficient jobs. While it is true that no economy is able to provide all the young people with jobs, joblessness among the youths in Zambia is not just a matter of a small number; it is an extremely serious problem.
In order to derive benefit from our economy, our young people must be able to participate in it; and for most of them, the primary means of economic participation is work. If we expect our young people to contribute to national development, we have to create opportunities for them to work. If we expect our young people to work and contribute to national development, then we must make it possible for them to do so.
In this regard, a profound responsibility rests on both the political authorities and those who hold powerful positions in the economy. Everything possible must be done to maximise job opportunities for our young people. And where the choice is between greater profits and greater employment for our young people, the latter must be chosen. This is a matter of the greatest urgency.
As long as these high unemployment levels among our young people remain the case, there can be no hope of achieving secure and prosperous future for our young people and indeed our country as a whole.
And as defence minister Mwamba has correctly observed, there is an enormous social cost to high youth unemployment. The harm caused by high youth unemployment is by no means limited to material matters.
While simplistic deductions must be avoided, there can be no doubt that a connection exists between high rates of unemployment among the youths and the distressing high incidences of crime, gangsterism, drug and alcohol abuse. Many of these social problems in turn impact negatively on the economy, resulting in a vicious circle which will only be broken by the provision of jobs to the great majority of our young people.
This country is theirs and ours, but in the last analysis, it is theirs, it belongs to the young people, the youths. Young people, full of vigour and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun at six or seven in the morning. Our hope is placed in them. The world belongs to them. Zambia's future belongs to them. Zambia must care for her youths and show concern for the growth of the younger generation. Therefore, full attention must be paid both to their work and study and to their recreation, sport and rest.
The success of all that we are doing, of our political work, of all our government programmes must be measured by how much they address the problems and challenges of our young people, of our youths. The hopeless and desperate young people we meet everyday are a testimony to an unfinished job. There can be no keener revelation of our progress, of our soul than the way in which we address the problems and challenges being faced by our young people. The true character of a society is revealed by how it treats its young people. But as Dr Kenneth Kaunda once observed, our young people also have a responsibility to bear:
"The future of this country lies entirely in your hands, and we can provide you with opportunities, as indeed we are fast doing, but in the end it is your own effort that must count in making you a successful citizen or resident. In the end, it is your own willingness to contribute to the good of Zambia that matters. Hold these opportunities with both hands, and if I may borrow from the Scout movement, grow up always prepared to serve your country under any difficulties and at all times. Will you?"
Labels: ANDREW NTWENE, GBM, UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUTHS
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Let young people play a role in development - Mwewa
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 18 Jan. 2013, 13:40 CAT
YOUNG African Leaders Initiative president Andrew Ntewewe says Zambia will only stand on the path of economic development by letting young people play an effective role in national development.
Commenting on defence minister Geoffrey Mwamba's statement that any country that does not attend to the needs of the youths is on a self-destruction path, Ntewewe said it was true that a nation that does not consider its young people does not look at its own future.
"It will be on a self destruction path because the young people as we know them, have a lot of energy, skills and these young people are the ones that are supposed to be the backbone for national development.
They are supposed to play a key role in all areas of human endeavor. In particular in terms of economic development, they are supposed to use their energy for purposes of developing our industry and tapping
our resources so that Zambia can truly become politically and economically independent," he said.
Ntewewe said young people are the ones who could define the destiny and future of the country.
He said the number of youths was constantly on the increase and there was need for them to be engaged in national development of the country.
"If we do not look at these young people and ensure that they can effectively participate in our democratic system of government in ensuring that there is economic development and they play that role
then we are failing our own country because we are missing out on this great potential and skill that young people have," he said.
Ntewewe said the government has the responsibility of looking at the potential of the young people and harness it for the future of the country.
During the official opening of the intake 04/2012 of the youth training programme at Chiwoko ZNS camp on Friday last week, Mwamba said the government understood that matters of youths were crucial to
any nation.
He said the future of the country depends on how well it addresses the plight of the youths.
"Government is concerned that most of the youths in Zambia lack financial support to help them pursue further education for the betterment of their lives. This has been further compounded by the limited formal employment opportunities that are available in the country," he said.
Mwamba said it was equally of concern to see youths being exploited in a number of ways just for them to sustain bare existence.
Labels: ANDREW NTWENE, GBM, UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUTHS
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PF urges patience over job promise
By Gift Chanda in Kafue
Sun 30 Sep. 2012, 10:00 CAT
THE PF in Kafue district has urged youths countrywide to excise patience over promised jobs.
In an interview yesterday, Kafue PF district chairperson Peter Banda said the party was alive to its campaign promises especially on creating jobs for the youth and was working to towards that.
"We promised jobs and we will fulfil. Youths just need to excise some patience," Banda said.
"A baby cannot just be born and start walking right there and then; it has to crawl first before it can start walking."
The PF was elevated to power from the opposition benches in last year's polls on the wave of promises to create jobs.
However, there has been a growing expectation especially among youths on the delivery of those jobs the party, which clocked one year in office recently, promised.
"If youths wait patiently, they will soon start seeing the jobs coming through," urged Banda. "For instance, the recapitalisation of Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) is already symbolic of the PF's commitment to its campaign promises. A number of youths will be employed at that plant and that is what we promised in our campaigns."
Banda noted that there had been a lot of scepticism over the PF's stance on NCZ in the district following a number of "unfruitful promises" by the MMD regime that never saw the plant seriously revived.
"People thought the plant would just completely go under but we have proved in a small way that we are a working government by mere injection of some capital to revamp operations at the plant."
He said the recapitalisation of the plant was expected to breathe fresh air into the district which was almost dying.
And Banda said the PF had grown from "strength to strength" in the district during its one year in power.
"People here have come to trust in the PF government. We have seen a number of defections from other parties to the PF and this is mainly because of the things; sound policies and rule of the party under President Michael Sata."
Labels: PF, UNEMPLOYMENT
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