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.
I sometimes fail to understand the reasoning of some these leaders and I only have a few questions to ask these people.
They lament that selling Mopani and KCM to foreign investors is giving away of our mineral wealth, are these two mines the only y only assets that have the wealth? What has stopped Zambians from exploiting these mineral resources and opening mines? What has the country benefitted from these two mines during the time government owned and run them? Are these people happy with these assets remaining unproductive just for sake of pride that we own them even if our people continue to suffer because of lack of employment? May be they should say this to the unemployed people that they prefer our people remain unemployed as long as the mine belong to the government and see the response they will get. These people are saying all these things because their stomachs are full and don’t feel the pain of being unemployed.
When an idiot speaks, they may appear to be wise in their tiny empty skulls. Give the idiot waffling here free land, with mining rights, help the idiot to survey the minerals under ground and let the idiot start developing the mine. Bushe temafi fye yakalanunka pa mine? STUPID IDIOTS.
Howard, The Mopani management and the government were looking for money for more than 2 years to sustain operations at Mopani. You should have offered to pump in money or find Zambians to do so. Why did you not? Fool?
Mr Howard, you kept these mines unproductive and sent Milingo Lungu to rape KCM when you were in PF. What hell are you telling us? What benefits did you get by taking over KCM and Mopani. Your own PF cadres were supplying ” umwela” and brought all operations to halt. The celebrations here is about jobs creation and money on the Copperbelt economy. Please be educated that 49% of something is better than 100% of nothing! I didn’t know that you are such a dull person!
The buying of Mopani or any mine in Zambia is open to anyone, who stopped you from buying it? If you had bought it, the handing over of the mine tomorrow could have been to you. It’s better to keep quiet than exhibiting your foolishness all the time.
Howard Kunda, you lack morality and shame.You were in PF when your ECL regime killed KCM and Mopani throwing thousands of employees onto the streets of Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kitwe and Mufulira. Regarding KCM, as someone has already stated, you sent a fellow crook Milingo Lungu to loot assets which you all shared. Did that benefit the Zambians you claim to be speaking for? As for Mopani, your regime grabbed the mine but lamentably failed to run it. Why didn’t your regime find the Zambians to buy it, as you are yapping? Or why didn’t you actually come forward to buy it? You got kicked out of power by those very Copperbelt people whose lives you made miserable. Now they are celebrating because Copperbelt is coming back to life, thanks to President Hakainde Hichilema and his New Dawn government. Now contractors and suppliers are getting paid their money and will get back into business. Now those thousands of employees you threw into the streets and are still living will get their jobs. Now various businesses that had closed or relocated will be back into business. Now the women selling in the markets will have customers buying their merchandise. Shame on you Howard Kunda. Your late father was a wise man who must be turning in his grave that he left a little jerk like you.
There’s another Copper deposit between the Frontier Mine and Ndola City. If you have the money, or if you can mobilize and source around $100 million, you can first determine the % and quantity of copper in the deposit, after which you can design and operationalize a new mine.
Zambians with financial capacity are being encouraged to invest in mining, and this is a good opportunity for you to come forward. In two to five years time, we could be celebrating the opening of your new mine.
You are an absolute danderhead that does not have the slightest idea of Zambia,s economy,Zambia owns 49% of the mines ,the investor owns 51% and paying all unpaid contractors , bringing in mining machinery and expertise etc and you call that out? If you have nothing to say just shut up….
Thought this was sold on open market. Where were you? Just want to be heard really…. Besides Zanaco this is the best we have come to privatisation of our national assets.