EFF Condemns IHR’s K600 salary Offer to Suffering MOPANI Miners- Kasonde Mwenda C -EFF President
22nd April, 2024
As the Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF, we stand in staunch condemnation of the insulting and demeaning K600 offer presented by IHR, the Dubai-based investor, to the suffering miners of MOPANI Copper Mines. This offer, representing a mere 10% salary increment, is a slap in the face of hardworking Zambian miners who have endured deplorable working conditions for far too long.
We demand that the UPND government under President Hakainde Hichilema immediately intervenes and compels IHR to honor the promised 25% salary increment, as well as to address the abhorrent working conditions at MOPANI Copper Mines. The promise of improved conditions and fair compensation was the beacon of hope for these miners, yet it has been callously disregarded by IHR.
It is unacceptable that Zambian miners are now among the lowest-paid in the region, with counterparts in the D.R. Congo and South Africa earning more than double their wages. The cost of living in Zambia has soared, yet the wages of these hardworking individuals remain stagnant and insufficient to support themselves and their families.
Therefore, we issue the following demands:
1. IHR must immediately honor the promised K2,500 salary increment and abandon the insulting offer of a mere K600 increase.
2. The UPND government must reject any offer by IHR to acquire 50% shares in Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), as consolidating our major mines under one foreign investor poses significant risks to our national sovereignty and economic stability.
3. We call upon the Hakainde Hichilema administration to subject the sale of MOPANI Copper Mines to IHR to parliamentary approval, as it currently stands as an illegal transaction in violation of the Zambian Constitution.
The exploitation of Zambian miners by foreign investors cannot be tolerated any longer. The Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF will continue to advocate for the rights and dignity of our workers, and we expect nothing less than immediate action from the government to rectify this injustice.
Wherever we want to go our feet will take us there.
Kasonde Mwenda C
Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF President.