PRESS STATEMENT
Zawapa – Zambia wake-up Party
For Immediate Release
Ndola, Zambia – 18th February 2025
HON. HOWARD, ZAWAPA PRESIDENT, CONDEMNS UPND GOVERNMENT’S RECKLESS BAN ON EXPORT DUTIES FOR PRECIOUS MINERALS: “A BETRAYAL OF ZAMBIA’S FUTURE”
Fellow Zambians,
Today, I stand before you with a heavy heart and a resolute spirit to condemn the UPND government’s disastrous decision to ban export duties on precious mineral stones. This move is not just economically reckless—it is an act of national betrayal that sacrifices Zambia’s wealth and future on the altar of foreign corporate greed.
The UPND has chosen to prioritize the profits of multinational mining giants over the well-being of ordinary Zambians. By removing export duties on our precious gems and minerals—resources that belong to every citizen—they have opened the floodgates for the plunder of our national heritage. Let me be clear: this policy is economic suicide, and ZAWAPA will not stand idly by as our nation is robbed.
THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THIS POLICY ARE A NATIONAL DISGRACE
1. STOLEN REVENUE, STOLEN FUTURE
Export duties are a lifeline for funding hospitals, schools, and roads. By abolishing them, the UPND is stripping billions of Kwacha from the national treasury. How will they pay our teachers? How will they support our farmers? This decision is a direct attack on Zambia’s development.
2. PERPETUATING COLONIAL EXPLOITATION
Instead of incentivizing local processing and job creation, the UPND is condemning Zambia to remain a “dig-and-ship” economy. Foreign companies will continue extracting our raw emeralds, amethysts, and gold, while Zambians are left with crumbs. Where are the factories? Where are the jobs for our youth?
3. ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE
With no export duties to regulate mining, illegal operations and environmental destruction will skyrocket. Rivers will be poisoned, lands stripped bare, and communities displaced—all so foreign shareholders can line their pockets. The UPND is trading Zambia’s natural beauty for corporate profits.
4. FOREIGN FIRMS WIN, ZAMBIANS LOSE
This policy is a gift to foreign mining cartels. They will repatriate profits overseas, leaving Zambia poorer. Meanwhile, our people will suffer from lost revenue, unemployment, and a stagnant economy. Who does the UPND truly serve?
5. A RACE TO THE BOTTOM
By scrapping duties, the UPND is setting a dangerous precedent. Neighboring nations will follow suit, triggering a toxic competition where Zambia’s resources are sold cheaply. Our minerals are not a fire sale—they are the birthright of future generations!
A CALL TO ACTION
ZAWAPA demands the immediate reversal of this anti-Zambian policy. We urge all patriots—miners, traders, civil society, and citizens—to join us in resisting this daylight robbery. The UPND must explain:
Why are they surrendering Zambia’s wealth to foreign interests?
Where is the transparency in mining contracts?
Where is the commitment to VALUE ADDITION and INDUSTRIALIZATION?
To the UPND: Your short-sightedness will not go unchallenged. ZAWAPA will mobilize every legal and democratic means to hold you accountable. Zambia’s minerals must benefit Zambians first.
Hon. Howard
President, Zambia Wake-Up Party (ZAWAPA)
“A Zambia for Zambians—No Retreat, No Surrender!”
Contact:
+260969771794 | zambiawakeupparty@gmail.com