THE PF AGREES WITH MILES SAMPA DEFER WITH MINISTERS BANDA AND NONDE.
PRESS STATEMENT FROM PATRIOTIC FRONT SECRETARY GENERAL DAVIES MWILA
👉*It is unacceptable that investors should travel hundreds and thousands of miles within and across continents to come and compete with Zambians in cutting hair and selling chickens and airtime at the market? This must never be the case as it is detrimental to the growth of local businesses.
LUSAKA. Friday, May 29th, 2020.
INVESTORS MUST RESPECT LOCAL LABOUR LAWS AND OUR PEOPLE MUST REFRAIN FROM TAKING THE LAW INTO THEIR OWN HANDS
1. PATRIOTIC FRONT IS A PRO-POOR PARTY AND WE ARE FRIENDS OF THE WORKING CLASS
*The Patriotic Front is by design, by objective and by practice a Pro-poor party. We are friends of the working class.
*Therefore, when our people are laid siege in very trying environments by their foreign employers and their contact with the outside world restricted for weeks on end without even having an opportunity to see their families…our hearts feel their pain.
*When Foreign Investors reportedly begin to engage in racial discriminatory practices that remind us of what our forefathers went through during the colonial period, our pain turns into a passionate defense of our proud African identity.
*However, our passion should not turn murderous. For in defending the pride of our Africaness, we lose our basic human identity when we take the life of another human being- no matter the race.
2. WE CALL FOR ZAMBIAN WORKERS NOT TO TAKE THE LAW IN THEIR OWN HANDS
3. WE CALL FOR INVESTORS TO RESPECT THE COUNTRY’S LABOUR LAWS AND THE TRADITIONAL VALUES THEY HAVE FOUND IN OUR COUNTRY
*When in Zambia, the Zambian way overrides the foreign way. That is the bedrock of our co-existence as
* “Ichalo bantu.” The Zambian nation is its people. Any racial abuse of any Zambian by any foreigner on Zambian soil is an affront on our entire nationhood. It is inexcusable anywhere in the world.
*While we strongly call on our people not to be violent against any foreign investors, we are equally calling upon all foreigner nationals to treat our citizens with dignity while striving to co-exist in unity. Our co-existence must never be characterised by derogatory and racial double standards on either sides.
4. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE TRADE AND INDUSTRY MUST COME OUT CLEAR ON BUSINESSES RESERVED FOR ZAMBIANS
*Patriotic Front wants businesses for Zambians clearly stated in subsidiary legislation and this is a clarion call we are making to the economic cluster and Ministry of Commerce in particular.
5. THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR MUST ALSO BE SEEN AND PROVED TO BE ACTION ORIENTED IN ENFORCING COMPLIANCE AND GENERALLY SERVING INTERESTS OF ZAMBIANS. THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR MUST BE PROACTIVE NOT REACTIVE IN ENFORCING LABOUR LAWS AND PROTECTING ZAMBIAN WORKERS AGAINST EXPLOITATION FROM FOREIGN INVESTORS.