President Levy Mwanawasa has advised opposition political parties not to join people who were criticising Chinese investment in Zambia
without merit.
ZANIS reports that President Mwanawasa said this today at Ndola International
Airport when he addressed heads of Government departments and party leaders before
going to Chambishi by road.
The President said he was reading a report which stated that some people in
Chambishi were planning to stage a demonstration to stop Chinese investors from
using a piece of land for a smelter plant.
President Mwanawasa said the people concerned should remember that the Chinese
people had options to go to any other country and invest there because they did
not owe Zambians anything.
He commended the Chinese investment in the country and said the investment was
creating jobs for the locals and should be appreciated.
The President also advised those who wanted to preserve the piece of land where
China wanted to put up a smelter to go to the village where there was plenty of
land for growing maize and groundnuts.
He said Government will not allow people to frustrate its efforts when investors
were ready to create jobs for the locals.
Hold On Mr.President!Zambia does not owe the chinese anything.You talk like they love us so much and are moving aroung with dollar cheques to give to whoever wants money.The Chinese are here because there alot of natural resourses they want from Zambia.Full stop.
One day the people of Zambia will know how much the Chinese gave you and members of your government to exploit are wealth.Its only you who sees what great things the Chinese have done for you.
#1 no fair I think we need to keep an open mind to this issue China has one of the fastest growning economies in the world and almost every western company has invested huge amounts of money into to China to get a piece of the cake. The other vthing is you realy do not see anyother countries lining up to invest into Zambia. Tell who you would suggest as the best invesyors then tell if you can manage to get them to come and invest in Zambia. You Chinese industry is hungry and we can feed that hunger. When you look up how much foreign invesment flows from other countries to China, China is doing more than anyother country. However we as Zambians need to ensure that as a nation we benefit greatly from the interaction and not loose out but other than that we are a mature people who I believe we need to cease this oppotunity and make the most of it. I also think we need to let our leaders know that we are behind them and provide good advice for them to take up.
I think the president should call a podium and discuss this issue with Zambians so that we can advÃce this should be covered on both radio and TV. Today Internet Radio can be recieved worldwide.This will give a chance of all those in diaspora to particiate. In economics to satify a domestic market is a prime thing for a business. If Im a farmer it will be wrong to produce to sale but first for my own consume the surplus I sell. I dont know any zambian who wouldnt want to have a fridge in his house, power, radio use electricity instead of batteries, all those households which can make life easy. Making life easy is improving the condition of living of people mwabantu.
It is not surprising that the president sides with the Chinese investors – it has seems to be the african pysche to put the interests of the foreigner first before that of the indigenous – after all they have got money and we local people do not. One should examine how the chinese investors are carrying out mining operations in the country; creation of low paying jobs is not what this country needs.. we have alot of experienced, educated people with no jobs and the president is telling us that the best we can expect from these investors are low-paying jobs if any at all. It is a disgrace that the govt does not have a long term plan on how to encourage investment to foster development of the country. This govt is always trying to silence any voices of concern and dissent on issues of investors. This is supposed to be a democratically elected govt which does not want to listen its people.. whose interests are you protecting? your people or money changers? Evidence shows the later.
Mad Scientist #4 what do you expect if you always begging? Me I always tell the western that do feed you who is depending who on who. I standing, all I need from the is the technology and Medicine because that what God gave them. Us we are rich in raw materials starting our monkeys which make their Zoos flourish with customers, our tree for toilet tissues and Timber industry, our minerals, the land we grow cotton and food. If I stop supplying them with these commodities West has winter they die of the cold. Let alone they develop atomic bomb on Africa. We are calling for fair trade nothing else. Put these authorities in the hands of people then you will see change.
#1s comments are clearly lonely in an isolated world.