IT IS SHAMEFUL TO CELEBRATE THE SALE OF MOPANI TO FOREIGNERS
….Zambia can only benefit fully from the mines through ownership says HOWARD KUNDA
Ndola.. Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Zambia Wake-Up Party (ZAWAPA) President Howard Kunda says it is shameful for some Zambians to celebrate the sale of Mopani Copper Mines to a foreign investor.
President Hakainde Hichilema is on Thursday scheduled to hand over Mopani to International Holdings Resources (IHR), a firm from the Middle East.
Mr. Kunda, the former Muchinga Member of Parliament said Zambia will only benefit fully from the mines through ownership.
“We have seen that His Excellency the President is happy and is inviting people to see that they are handing over Mopani Mines to the foreign investors. I think that we should be ashamed of ourselves that 60 year down the line we should be handing over our wealth to people who are coming to take that wealth. Surely, we can’t think of ourselves and the future generation? We need to change this Government,” Mr. Kunda said.
The Government through ZCCM IH has remained with a 49 percent stake in Mopani from the 90 percent it held since 2021 as new investor International Holdings Resources (IHR) takes over the mining firm
“That Mopani was supposed to be for the Zambians and to showcase how the Zambians would be able to run their own mines so that the wealth can be retained in this country. That is the only way we are going to develop our country. Without us getting involved in owning these mines 100 percent then we might as well just sell this country, just like we are doing, we are just selling this country. 2026 the Zambia people should wake up from this slumber so that we can use our heads,” he continued.
Mr. Kunda noted that Zambians are ripe to manage the mining sector.
“Now it is time to own the wealth, to own and control the economy. The economy is doing badly because we have no control of this economy ourselves. We don’t want our own people to be wealthy. All we are hearing is about getting money from whoever has. Surely, in this country why can’t we have our own millionaires or own billionaires? What is wrong with us Zambians? Let us wake up, just like our party is called Zambia Wake-Up Party. We need to stand up and be counted. This is our nation and there is no one who is coming to develop it. The foreigners will only take wealth to their countries. What is wrong with us?” he said.
The former Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee Chairperson warned President Hichilema to be wary of some decisions his Government was making.
“I want to remind President Hakainde Hichilema to be mindful of the decisions he is making for this country because we are looking at the fact that we are being sold. This country’s wealth is being sold as we can see through the mining sector which is supposed to be our cash cow. Money from the mines is supposed to be invested in agriculture, tourism, health and education sectors. We have seen that the interest of this Government is to sell this country to outsiders,” Mr. Kunda concluded.