DO OUR PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO RUN THE MINES, TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE ECONOMY
…cause it appears our role is to work for bamwisa, asks Mr Antonio Mwanza
Lusaka, Thursday, December 7, 2023 (Smart Eagles)
Socialist Party (SP) Deputy General Secretary Antonio Mourinho Mwanza has wondered if Zambians can be entrusted with the responsibility of taking charge of the country.
Mr Mwanza wondered if the job of the indigenous Zambians is to work for foreigners.
He said this earlier today when he featured on Joy FM.
“Do our people have the rights to own the assets, to run their mines? To run the affairs of the country and to be in charge of the economy? Or our role is simply to work for bamwisa? Our role is simple to go and die at Black mountain, picking up the remains of our own mineral resources,” he said.
“If you look at Senseli Mines, it is an abandoned mine that was run by KCM. It is a site that has been abandoned. And our people are going there and dying there because they don’t have what to do. There are no jobs on the Copperbelt.”
Mr Mwanza bemoaned the lack of economic activities on the Copperbelt Province.
“There is no economic activity going on on the Copperbelt. The Copperbelt is dead economically, completely dead economically. Abantu besu balechula. That is how they are risking their lives to find themselves in such very dangerous places without any equipment, without any protection,” he said.
Mr Mwanza reminded Zambians about the glorious promises that President Hakainde Hichilema made to small scale miners on the Copperbelt prior to 2021 elections.
During the period in question, the now Head of State promised to give all Jerabos mining licenses.
He promised to give them equipment as well as capital.
The President also promised to ensure that the environment in which the miners will operate in is conducive.
And Mr Mwanza observed that two years down the line, the President has not implemented any of the things he promised to the people on the Copperbelt.
“Pano pene tikamba, this government has not given our own people… the youths on the Copperbelt, ma jerabo, baja bosauka bamene bafela muma mine, they have not been given the licenses. Ma youths bamene bavutika bafela muma mine, sibaba pasa equipment,” he said.
“Ma youths yamene yavutika yafela muma mine sibabapasa funding. Ma youths bamene bafela muma mine sibabapasa equipment to even ascertain where they are going.”