FOREIGNERS MASQUERADING AS INVESTORS SQUEEZING OUT ZAMBIANS, WARNS NJOBVU.

“FOREIGNERS MASQUERADING AS INVESTORS SQUEEZING OUT ZAMBIANS, WARNS NJOBVU.

Democratic Union (DU) President Ackim Antony Njobvu  has raised alarm over what he describes as a worrying trend of foreigners, masquerading as investors, engaging in small-scale businesses that should rightfully be reserved for Zambians.

Speaking on Millennium TV on Monday night, Njobvu criticized the New Dawn government’s appetite for foreign direct investment (FDI), arguing that the policy risks suffocating local enterprise.

“Whilst foreign investment is needed, the focus should be on local investment by Zambians themselves. We cannot continue to depend on outsiders when Zambia has enough resources to stand on its own,” Njobvu charged.

The opposition leader said the unchecked influx of foreign nationals in retail trade, block making, poultry rearing, and other low-level business ventures was a betrayal of citizens who have the capacity to operate such enterprises. He stressed that genuine foreign investment must target industrialization, manufacturing, and value addition that create jobs and long-term benefits for locals.

“Real investment should have a measurable impact on Zambians. It should not be about foreigners opening tuck shops and poultry runs. That is killing local entrepreneurship,” Njobvu said.

He further urged the government to use the upcoming national budget to prioritize local investment, warning that without deliberate policies to protect small businesses, Zambia risks perpetuating economic dependency.

Njobvu also took aim at the free education policy, citing the recently released school results as evidence of a compromised quality of learning. “Free education is a good policy, but if the outcomes are poor, then the entire system is failing the children,” he said.

©️ KUMWESU | September 22, 2025