FAILURE TO MANAGE THE MINING SECTOR WILL COST UPND IN 2026 – COPPERBELT SP
By Fox Reporter
SOCIALIST Party (SP) Copperbelt spokesperson Reagan Kashinga has warned that failure to manage the mining sector properly on the Copperbelt Province cost the UPND votes in 2026.
Reflecting on the year 2023, Kashinga charged that the UPND was playing mind games with the people of the Copperbelt by delaying to revive Mopani and Konkola Copper Mines.
He said Government pronouncements that it found investors for Mopani and KCM were vague because nothing has changed about the two sleeping mining giants.
Kashinga said that the UPND Government has proved to be full of empty words without action as it has failed to lower the cost of living and to strengthen the kwacha.
“Fellow Zambians as we begin the New Year 2024, allow me to look back at the ended year 2023. I am very sure that all well meaning Zambians will agree with me that 2023 was a difficult year. Many suffering Zambians struggled to access basic needs such as food, shelter and water. In 2023, we witnessed the skyrocketing of prices for essential commodities such as mealie meal, fuel and electricity thereby pushing the cost of living to unprecedented high levels. This is a year we want to quickly forget because it pushed many Zambians into misery. We saw little efforts from the Government regarding policy change to lower the cost of living. The cost of fertilizer remained high with a 50 KG bag fetching nearly K1, 000,” Kashinga said.
He predicted that 2024 will be another hard year for Zambians if the Government does not implement policies that favour ordinary citizens.
“It is in 2023, when we witnessed the violent removal of our people, the vendors from streets without regard for human dignity. In case the UPND government is not aware, the removal of vendors worsened unemployment levels and sent many families into suffering. Government policies must be seen benefiting citizens and not just friends of the Government, especially foreigners.”
Kashinga continued:”In the mining sector, we saw declined Copper production coupled with delay to revive Mopani Copper Mines and Konkola Copper Mines. As usual on this matter, the UPND Government has proved to be full of empty words without action. The pronouncements that the state has found investors for Mopani and KCM are vague because nothing has changed about the two sleeping mining giants. In 2024, the people of Zambia want action not fake promises associated with the New Dawn Government.”
He stressed that Zambians do not belong to the UPND and its friends, especially foreigners.
“We are warning the UPND that failure to revive the mining sector on the Copperbelt will cost them votes in 2026. No Government survives once it starts playing mind games with ba Kopala. 2024 looks bleak because of the poor manner in which the UPND is governing our beloved country. Zambia is for all of us,” said Kashinga.