OPENING REMARKS MADE BY THE PATRIOTIC VICE PRESIDENT AT THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON SUNDAY 22ND OCTOBER 2024
THE NATIONAL CHAIRPERSON, HON. DAVIES CHAMA
THE SECRETARY GENERAL, HON. RAPHAEL NAKACINDA
MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA PRESENT AND TO OUR DEAR AUDIENCE WATCHING US ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE HAVE LEARNT WITH DEEP SADNESS, THE PASSING ON OF A GALLANT PUBLIC OFFICER, HON, AMUSA MWANAMWAMBWA.
AFTER SERVING THIS COUNTRY DILIGENTLY AS A DIPLOMAT, JOURNALIST, LAW MAKER, CABINET MINISTER AND SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, HE HAS PASSED ON AFTER BATTLING WITH CANCER AND HAS NOW GONE TO BE WITH THE LORD.
MAY WE STAND AND OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN HONOUR OF HON. AMUSA
MWANAMWAMBA.
THANK YOU.
WE ARE HOLDING THIS SPECIAL CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING TO ATTEND TO VARIOUS ISSUES DESIGNED TO STRENTHEN OUR PARTY AND TO HELP BUILD UNITY ACROSS THE STRUCTURES OF THE PARTY.
WE HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN AT THE UGLY DEVELOPMENT OF INDISCIPLINE IN THE PARTY. IN MANY INSTANCES, THE INDISCIPLINE HAS BEEN PERPETRATED BY SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE PARTY.
BE ASSURED THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL BE ARRESTED AND PERSONS PROMOTING DIVISIONS, INDISCIPLINE AND ACTIVTIES MEANT TO UNDERMINE THE PARTY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
ZAMBIANS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OPPOSITION AND TO THE PATRIOTIC FRONT IN PARTICULAR, TO SAVE THEM FROM THIS RUTHLESS, OPPRESSIVE AND DIRECTIONLESS GOVERNMENT.
IT IS THEREFORE INCUMBENT UPON US TO BUILD AN ALTERNATIVE PARTY THAT ZAMBIANS CAN LOOK UP TO WITH HOPE
AND ENTHUSIASM THAT THERE IS A PARTY THAT CAN RESCUE THEM FROM THE SHACKLES OF IMPERIALISM, POVERTY, DISEASES, UNEMPLOYMENT AND HIGH COST OF LIVING.
KCM/VEDANTA DEAL
THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN PARLIAMENT BY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT, HON. PAUL KABUSWE THAT GOVERNMENT MADE A VERBAL AGREEMENT, A GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT TO FACILITATE THE RETURN OF VEDANTA TO KCM IS A DEEP SCANDAL.
FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT,
MR. ANIL AGARWAL OWNER OF VEDANTA RESOURCES ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD MAKE AVAILABLE THE RECLAIMED 79.4% SHAREHOLDING IN KCM TO SHORE UP THE BOOKS OF VEDANTA RESOURCES THAT IS LADDEN WITH A DEBT OF OVER US$6-US$9BILLION.
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT A FORENSIC AUDIT WAS DONE THAT EXPOSED THAT VEDANTA WERE CHEATING ON TAXES, WERE ENGAGED IN MINING METHODS THAT DEGRADED THE ASSETS OF THE MINE, HAD FAILED TO DEVELOP KONKOLA DEEP MINING AS AGREED AT INVESTMENT STAGE, OWED
ZAMBIA REVENUE AUTHORITY, ZESCO LTD, CEC, NAPSA AND CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS. THE TOTAL DEBT WAS OVER US$1.5BILLION.
THIS WAS THE BACKGROUND THAT IN 2018, NECCESSITATED THE DECISIONS OF GOVERNMENT ON KCM.
SO, WHAT HON. KABUSWE IS DOING IS A CRIME AND MUST BE TREATED AS SUCH.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT VEDANTA RESOURCES HAS DEMANDED THAT GOVERNMENT TAKES UP THIS LIABILITY OR CAUSES THE WRITE-OFF OF THIS US$1.5BILLION TO THE BENEFIT OF VEDANTA.
HOWEVER,DESPITE THE ZEAL BY HON.KABUSWE TO CAUSE THIS HUGE LOSS TO THE COUNTRY. WE UNDERSTAND
ALSO THAT THERE ARE PATRIOTIC ZAMBIANS IN GOVERNMENT THAT HAVE REFUSED TO BE PART OF THIS
HIGH-LEVEL CRIME.
ZNS MEALIE MEAL
WE HAVE NOTED THAT FOOD RESERVE AGENCY HAS ONLY PURCHASED 345,000 METRIC TONNES OF MAIZE AS AT 26TH SEPTEMBER 2023. IN THE PRECEDING YEARS, BY SEPTEMBER THE AGENCY WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ALMOST ONE MILLION METRIC TONNES EVEN IF WE ONLY BUDGETED FOR 500,000 METRIC TONNES.
DESPITE THE HIGH PRICE OFFERS AND CASH INCENTIVES ON THE SPOT, FRA HAS ONLY BOUGHT 345,000 METRIC TONNES,
OUR FOOD SECURITY IS THREATENED AS NEW HARVEST IS ONLY EXPECTED NEXT YEAR.
WE KNOW THEREFORE THAT THERE IS NO ENOUGH MAIZE IN THE COUNTRY INCLUDING NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY, ZAMBIA CONSUMES ABOUT 200,000 METRIC TONNES PER MONTH FOR BOTH HUMAN
AND ANIMAL CONSUMPTION.
QUESTIONS HAVE RISEN OVER THE ZNS MEALIE-MEAL;
- UNTIL RECENTLY ZNS HAS BEEN SELLING MEALIE-MEAL AT K150. WE HAVE NOTED THAT THE DEAL WITH SHOPRITE RETAIL CHAIN SELLS MEALIE-MEAL AT K230! WE MUST EMPHASISE THAT EVEN K230 THE PRICE IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
- IN MAY 2023, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE SHORTAGE OF MEALIE-MEAL, GOVERNMENT FINALLY HALTED BOTH MAIZE AND MEALIE-MEAL EXPORTS AFTER MONTHS OF RELENTLESS EXPORTS.
THESE EXPORTS HAVE DEPLETED OUR NATIONAL MAIZE GRAIN RESERVES. HOWEVER, GOVERNMENT GAVE AUTHORITY TO BUSINESSPERONS TO IMPORT DUTY FREE MEALIE-MEAL FROM SOUTH AFRICA.
DESPITE PROTESTATIONS FROM STAKEHOLDERS ESPECIALLY THAT THE
ZAMBIA BIO-SAFETY ACT OF 2007 BANS THE IMPORTATION OF GMO AND GMO PRODUCTS,ESPECIALLY THOSE CONNECTED TO NATIONAL CROPS OF INTERESTS LIKE MAIZE. GOVERNMENT CLAIMED THAT THIS IMPORT WAS IN YTRANSIT AND DESTINED TO THE DRC. OF COURSE, IT DIDN’T MAKE SENSE.
GOVERNMENTWHERE IS THIS MEALIE-MEAL? THERE ARE STRONG
ALLEGATIONS THAT THESE IMPORTS ARE BEING RTEBAGGED. IF THIS IS TRUE, THIS WILL BE CRIMINAL AND WOULD AMOUNT TO FEEDING THE COUNTRY ON GMO PRODUCTS AGAINST THE LAW AND AGAINST THEIR CONSENT. WE DEMAND TRANSPARENCY.
SALE OF ASSETS BY NAPSA
WE HAVE NOTED THAT NAPSA HAS PUT UP PRIME BUILDINGS AND PRIME PLOTS FOR SALE. THESE INCLUDE YORK FARM BEING SOLD AT K466M ($23MILLION), UNDEVELOPED LAND IN NYUMBAYANGA
HOUSING COMPLEX, PRIME PROPERTIES IN LUSAKA CBD AND OTHERS.
WE ALSO NOTED THAT AFRICA LIFE FINANCIAL SERVICES, A COMPANY LONG ASSOCIATED WITH PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA WAS GIVEN THE US$40MILLION ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FUND
UNDER THE MINISTRY OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT.
PRESIDENT HICHILEMA IS BACK TO FINISH WHAT HE DIDN’T DO IN THE 1990S WHEN HE PARTICPATED IN THE PRIVATISATION PROGRAMME OF STATE ASSETS.
WE SHOULD RECOGNISE THAT THIS PROGRAMME RUN BY THE IMF DE-INDUSTRIALISED OUR COUNTRY, OUR MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL BASE WAS DECIMATED AND THE HIGH RATE OF
UNEMPLOYMENT WAS SPAWNED FROM THIS PRGRAMME, ZAMBIANS BE AWARE.
IN THE PAST, PRESIDENT HICHILEMA WAS PERIPHERAL TO GOVERNMENT, BUT
NOW HE IS PRESIDENT.
CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING
WE URGE YOU TO DELIBERATE ON BOTH INTERNAL AND NATIONAL MATTERS.
KINDLY REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE DECLARED 28TH OCTOBER, 2023 AS GREEN DAY TO COMMEMORATE PRESIDENT MICHAEL CHILUFYA SATA.