STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
31st March, 2024
LUSAKA-Fred M’membe, the opposition Socialist Party leader, shall die of envy and bitterness if he doesn’t deal with the two vices immediately.
Fred M’membe should read and understand if all he needs is to read and understand what has happened to Mopani Copper Mine.
But we know Fred that he is deliberately attributing his sentiments to unverifiable media stories questioning the historic sale of 51 per cent shares and handover of Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) to International Resources Holdings (IRH) of Abu Dabhi, United Arab Emirates.
He knows very well that his rantings are baseless, other than trying to discredit the transaction at any cost.
M’membe can’t accept, because of envy, the fact that under President Hakainde Hichilema, the Mopani deal has been sealed and that more than 2000 people shall directly be employed while those who had lost their jobs shall be reinstated.
This development is hurting Fred M’membe and his colleagues in the opposition.
They were hoping the Mopani mine would remain none operational for their own political expediency on the Copperbelt.
They were hoping to build a very strong support base from the suffering miners on the Copperbelt accessioned by the reckless policies of the previous regime.
It’s very cruel for M’membe and any other political players anywhere in the world to wish the people they aspire to lead more suffering. They were hoping there would be anger and discontent on the Copperbelt before the next elections in 2026.
Fred and his friends in United Kwacha Alliance don’t care much about the miners and their families who have been suffering since the mine ceased full operations almost five years ago.
These are shameless people prepared to go on the mountain top to discredit President Hichilema and his government so that they are held in bad light by the citizens.
It is also a known fact that IRC, which has acquired a 51% stake in Mopani mine has operations in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
A company with such a credible track record in mineral exploration and mining should not be ridiculed by individuals who don’t have any alternative ideas to that of the current government.
The people of Copperbelt should now know and understand their true leaders – the leaders who mean well for the province and the country.
It’s wasting time to respond to the so called stories where M’membe is also trying to implicate a foreign government, without any meaningful evidence.
Just a reminder, IRC is owned by International Holdings Company in Abu Dhabi, with the market capitalizations for US$240 billion.
It should sink in the heads of the doomsayers that President Hichilema and his government are in a hurry to put this country on the right trajectory for development.
As we speak, the people of Kitwe and beyond are happy about the Mopani Copper Mine deal.
Issued by: Batuke Imenda
UPND Secretary General