PF READY TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO KCM, MOPANI – KANG’OMBE
…as he detests reports of Vedanta selling shares to its subsidiary
Lusaka…. Friday, November 4, 2022 (Smart Eagles)
Revelations that Vedanta wants to sale the shares it has in KCM to its subsidiary have worried Kamfinsa Member of Parliament Christopher Kang’ombe.
Hon Kang’ombe said issues surrounding KCM and Mopani have to be handled with transparency.
The lawmaker said during a briefing today that government officials have repeatedly said they would resolve the issues at mines.
He said if government is failing to handle the problems at the mining giant they should take the matter to Parliament.
“So today when we read that Vedanta wants to sell its shares to their subsidiary, meaning they are selling the shares to themselves….And in the process they have given conditions to government to say we are ready to do abcd provided we do not pay the obligations that we are supposed to pay,” he said.
“We are concerned as Patriotic Front because every time we ask in Parliament ‘what is the solution to the problems at KCM? What is the solution to the problems at Mopani? What we are told is that we are going to unlock this resource. We are going to resolve the problems that were left.”
Hon Kang’ombe said he thought the interests of the Zambians were going to be prioritized when government said it was going to resolve the problems at the mining firm.
“Our understanding was that the interest of the Zambians was going to be put first, jobs will be secured, and we will see new activities in the mining sector. But from the revelations today, that we have the motive by the existing shareholder to sale shares to themselves and give conditions which are not favorable….,” he said.
“I think we are concerned that if this is what government is saying to be a solution, then it is alarming because we thought that a solution would be around how do we prevent a problem that Vedanta created. I thought that making progress would be securing jobs for our people, paying of contractors that have provided services, getting a new life into the mine without the conversation of Vedanta.”
Meanwhile, Hon Kang’ombe said PF is ready to provide solutions.
“If government has no solution to KCM, they should bring the matter to Parliament and say here is a ministerial statement, we have failed to sort out this problem, we want a Parliamentary Committee whether it’s on mining or Parastatals Committee, whatever entity to quickly look at this issue and then come up with recommendations,” he said.
“I think the Patriotic Front which has 58 members of parliament is ready to provide a solution. The solution in this case is to ensure that if we are going to renegotiate the stake of KCM with our colleagues I think the conversation should be public. We want a transparent way of dealing with KCM. And the same applies to Mopani.”
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