Major mining companies on the Copperbelt have shunned this year’s on-going Zambia International Trade Fair in Ndola.
A check by ZANIS at the trade fair grounds confirmed the mining companies’ absence at the fair and their stand at which they collectively exhibit under the umbrella of the Zambia Chamber of Mines has since been taken by the Communications Authority of Zambia.
And Zambia International Traded Fair General Manager, Johnson Mwenya, also confirmed the absence of the mining sector, the country’s economic backbone.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Ndola today, Mr Mwenya said the mining companies are not exhibiting at this year’s trade fair because their council had only approved their participation at the Kitwe Agricultural and mining show where they participated.
Mr Mwenya, however, said the mining companies have not indicated whether they have permanently withdrawn their participation at the ZITF or they will participate in the future coming fairs.
He, however, said that even if they had not participated, they have given the ZITF support which shows that they still appreciate the trade fair.
He hoped that the mining sector would participate in the future trade fairs.
This is the first time the major mining companies have shunned the trade fair and some members of the public talked to by ZANIS attributed the mining companies’ absence at the trade fair to the global economic crunch that had badly hit their sector.
This year’s international trade fair begun yesterday and will run until Tuesday next week under the theme ‘Investing in Infrastructure for Competitiveness’.
ZANIS
VIVA long weekend. Twabunwa….
yaba…no monies pa zed.
This is what you get for selling companies
Johnston Mwenya, dont take this casually. Make an effort to find out the real reason for their absence. These companies dont belong to CMZ, they are just members as individual companies.
cant blame the mineS…..GLOBAL
This is what you get when you sell the mines to Indians and Chinese. You’re paying for it
The good news however is about the other newly initiated trade fair in Choma.. Bravo Mungala and your team!!!!!!!!!!
See story below:
The first ever trade fair and festival has opened in Choma.
The event which has been organised by an NGO has attracted several local and international exhibitors.
The three day event, has attracted exhibitors from Argentina, China, Britain, United States of America, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and other neighbouring countries.
The fair, which is being held under the auspices of a Choma based non governmental organisation known as My Home Town, is being held at Rosewood grounds.
My Home Town Managing Director, Sailas Mungala, says the trade exhibition will enable Zambia and Choma in particular to showcase investment opportunities in the area.
If you understand the purpose of the trade fair and the business the mining companies are engaged in, you will wonder why they have been exhibiting at the fair in the first place!!
Let us not use the word credit crunch as an excuse for everything. Their none participation has nothing to do with that. There gata be other reasons such as the none approval by the council as stated by Mr.Mwenya. Otherwise Bravo, Viva to Choma and Mr.Mungala for organising the first ever trade fair in ma home town.