WE ARE CONCERNED OVER GOVERNMENT’S FAILURE TO GIVE A WAY FOWARD OVER KCM DURING THE FIRST QUARTER
Press statement for immediate release.
Chililabombwe Vedanta Must Return Community Campaign Movement.
05.04.2023.
As a community in Chililabombwe, we are deeply saddened by government’s failure to give their stance on KCM especially in the first quarter of 2023 as Promised.
We were all very expectant on the promise given by the mines minister himself who also happens to be our area MP.
Chililabombwe and Chingola has MPs coming from the ruling party and they are all Ministers, yet they do not seem to priotise the plight of the Community, especially the high unemployment levels among us the youths.
We would like to urge the new dawn government to honor their commitments because failure to do so might result in loss of their credibility and eventual loss of confidence by the people.
Vedanta resources is already available, willing and capable of taking up KCM. They have promised an investment of over $1 billion Doll ars, increasing workers salaries, paying off suppliers in excess of $220 million.
Since the alternative is more suffering for the local people, why can’t government just bring Vedanta back with necessary conditionallities since its been almost a year when the supposed discussions started outside of Court?
We therefore appeal to our President, His Excellence Mr. Hakainde Hichilema to intervene in this matter.
We want to remain hopeful that perhaps this new quarter shall not end a way forward would have been given, otherwise KCM host communities stand to suffer even more.
Chishala Mwamba
Movement Coordinator