Miles Sampa abandons imported tea, describes Kawambwa Tea as the epitome of privatization gone wrong.
Commerce Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Miles Sampa has revealed that he will not consume any imported tea until Kawamba Tea Company is brought back to life.
In his Facebook posting, Mr Sampa disclosed that he will not drink any foreign tea until Kawamba Tea Company is resuscitated.
“Today I visited Kawambwa Tea factory in Kawambwa where workers have not been paid for 3 years by the owner of the plant. As if that is not enough, he (a foreign national) has abandoned the plant and all his expatriates vanished months back,” Mr Sampa said.
He said the workers have refused to give up and continued to take care of machinery and over 400,000 tea plants (trees) that are about 40 years old but able and viable to produce tea leaves for the next 60 years.
Mr Kabwe described Kawambwa Tea as the epitome of privatization gone wrong.
He said the Kawambwa has been used and abused by different shareholders and now abandoned.
“In the meantime over 400 workers remain stranded. Free market economy or Liberalization at its worst. Capitalism vs Socialism: which is better? I would say somewhere in between the two ideologies as some industries will need Government intervention at some point for more reasons than one.”
“Why should we drink imported Roibos or Five Roses tea when Kawambwa tea has adequate capacity to satisfy teapots in all districts? I will play my part to ensure this tea plant is revamped in one way or another. In the meantime and in solidarity, I will keep off imported tea and only enjoy Kawambwa tea until the plant is resuscitated.”
Who his he cheating here?
What are saying iwe kalubale?
Good call miles, good call!!!
Miles you dont sound clever to me, ask your labour Minister to visit the owners or the Trade union to get involved, abstaining from drinking it is childish, and wrong. Really you are a mere statistic for Kawamba Tea and they would careless. DO I make myself clear?
Thanks
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I SURPORT YOU SAMPA……
Useless Deputy Minister No. 1. Always talking but without substance.
Sell me it to me for £1 and I can make it profitable within 2 years, create employment for the locals and support local contractors and also make KT the number one exporter of niche tea.
The cheque is here waiting!!
Kawambwa tea should fill up shelves in local shops and government should ban imported tea to protect our own industry. SA showed us the example by banning Zambian grapes. There should also be an NGO to encourage Zambians to use Zambian products as long as they are up to standard.
Spartan, its Zambians themselves who kill home bread industry. They are obsessed with imported stuff they don’t mind the condition of that imported stuff as long as the label is “IMPORTED”. Just recently, Dr Guy Scott was served with imported coffee at a certain meeting. He refused and told them that he drinks Zambia’s grown coffee and they knew. He did not know why they served him with ricoffy (spelling?) coffee when all along they knew the coffee he drinks. So he refused to drink it but instead lectured them about being proud of ourselves and not being or feeling inferior to foreigners or foreign stuff. And truly why should someone prefer something over processed to a natural thing? This is typical inferiority complex amongst Zambians- especially black Zambians.
HOWEVER, hats off to those Zambian employees who have vowed to maintain ‘their’ property. Because this is a Zambian property. They simply deserve rewarding and paying them a three year accumulated salary is just in order and hats off to the paymaster, (the government), too.
To all Zambians: Please, let’s start buying Zambian products to promote and develop our country. Surely, why should I buy imported tea when we grow it under very natural conditions, hence the best. If you don’t buy your own products those companies will close and where are your children going to be employed? And producers please observe attractive international standards.
Who produced Tanganda tea in days of old?
Tanganda was from Zimbabwe
Better late than never; its not only Kawambwa tea. For a country to develop, you need deliberate policies that supports local production to underpin local consumption. Each and everyone of us should have a policy to buy that which is locally produced, processed or made. Look at the way stone breakers in Lusaka are able to support their families. No production translates into a weaker currency, weaker economy and a flight of jobs away from Zambia. Sad it has taken 25 years for some of you to realise this.
Zambians never cease to surprise me. Just yesterday they were against the newly introduced IDC- Industrial Development Corporation. Today they are saying, “For a country to develop, you need deliberate policies that supports local production to underpin local consumption” Anyway, maybe they did not know what it meant. Because, the whole paper LT was full of negative sentiments against the introduction of IDC.
Sampa like GBM is a typical PF cadre seeking cheap publicity. Has he also stopped driving posh imported cars until Livingstone Motor Assembly resumes production?
Instead of talking why not just take practical steps as minister of commerce to re-launch the tea company?
Spot on…..these useless empty tins do not even know what there roles as ministers or MPs entails, he has the power vested in him to lobby the cabinet to push for policies that encourage retailers to buy local products and promote innovative techniques and packaging in this sector BUT instead resorts to utterly cheap no brain stances. Who the hell cares what a dull cadre like Sampa with a 2 week Harvard University leadership certificate partakes in the morning.
Spot on…..these useless empty tins do not even know what there roles as ministers or MPs entails, he has the power vested in him to lobby the cabinet to push for policies that encourage retailers to buy local products and promote innovative techniques and packaging in this sector BUT instead resorts to utterly cheap no brain stances. Who the hell cares what a dull cadre like Sampa with a 2 week Harvard University leadership certificate partakes in the morning.
Just because its Kawambwa and not Katimamulilo tea.
Who is he fooling? Let him take his *****ic lies to PF what tea his drinks can never be our issue. His A***
Let these empty tins continue ruling via facebook…they will get a shock one day and everyone will boo them at public events the way one President Zuma is booed by his one people.
Miles, what tangible evidence can you give us 30 days down the line that you have not taken imported tea? I wish you had said you would not get your salary until Kawambwa Tea employees and retirees are paid their dues. You would have earned your respect from me. Are you aware by the way that the list of unpaid retirees/employees is getting longer by the day? UNZA is close to National Assembly, just walk there and find it. The number of unpaid retirees is shocking.
Spot on!!
Who produces Mbambande tea?
It seems Miles did not take time to have a brief from his and other relevant ministry before going to Kawamba Tea. Why will investors, one after the other leave the Tea Estate? Did he list down the challenges being faced by the company? Did he discuss and agree solutions with technocrats at his and other ministries?
Getting per diem and enjoying a trip, issuing meaningless statements, creating hopes, resorting to Appeasement rhetoric than finding solutions, creating capacities and clearing bottlenecks, changing law, if need be, Go prepared and sit down with workers, local community and find solutions based on facts. I stop drinking imported tea, I stop eating meat, I stop flying, I stop using cars, I stop sleeping, I stop walking…Nonsense.
Kilometer I just love the way you have rolled ou your analytical questions. Right on he was supposed to find out why so many investers have fled the company, sit with the workers and find out what problems the company faces. Instead he makes an unquantifiable and unverifiable promise. Dullo Dullo Dullo Dullo……….
Issuing statements on Socialism vs Capitalism without knowing how much damage one or the other does (and have done in Zambia, Russia, Venezuela, China, USA, UK, France) to social fabric, how nations were built and what role state has to create jobs, sustainable development, entrepreneurship and work culture, attitude and compliance. Our political leaders have miserably failed to change from ‘dependency syndrome’ culture from President to messenger. For everything from funeral to weddings we go out with a begging bowl, expect others to contribute, employers to pay for everything, seeking donations instead of having Pride and living within means. Miles, ministers and MPs shall forego their salaries and benefits till unemployment level is below, say 8%.
After all Sampa takes Coffee.
The workers have done well to continue running the company despite the owner running away. Others would have plundered the company.They should go a step further. Instead of asking government to intervene, they should put all their resources (owed salaries and benefits both retirement and future retirement benefits) together as shares in the company and run it themselves. Then they can appoint a management board from among themselves to see to the day to day administration of the company. From there will be able to chart their own lives and no need for goverment intervention.
One thing you missed- they should also ask government to implement a policy of no more imported tea in Zambia to fully support and reward these honest, hardworking and trustworthy people of Kawambwa.
Is this when Sampa is finding out about the reality of a such once booming Zambian company? All this time he has been an MP, he knew too little or nothing? This is being brainless. By the way, Sampa will do well to stay away from many other things. He should stop wearing his underwears until Mulungushi textiles is fixed, stop driving his Pajero until Zambia Railways is fixed, stop shopping at shoprite and spar until ZCBC is brought back. Who is he trying to fool? While taking the more expensive Arabian Coffee.
The fact is that the PF has seen Luapula as an easy prey ground for votes. After messing up Northern and Muchinga provinces, they are desperate for Luapula. So far, that is all they’ve got! And they will fool the luapula people to their toes! watch hw they re flocking the…
I tried this tea some time back and it was pathetic compared to its counterparts Tanganda (from Zimbabawe) and African Pride (from Tanzania). We should stop being emotional and be realistic instead of shouting blind patrotism. If the tea was upto scratch and consistant in its quality only then can it have its place.
Look at our coffee it is now even being served in Star Bucks Coffee shops in US of America
Always support you Miles , you are a Man. Some vuvuzelas are opening they mouths without the stance. Open your eyes iwe, you villager. PHD (pull him down), always negativity is your language, its high time we changed our attitude on certain things. Not just to make Mountains out of Hills.
Privatisation in Zambia was done in a very crude and selfish manner. All people wanted was to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor Zambians. Look at a once vibrant Mornach in Kitwe, they sold it to a Zimbabwean crook who removed all the machinery and shipped it to Zimbabwe. The chap borrowed money from Zambian Banks for that matter. I wonder if the chaps behind the privatization were not in collusion with these infestors.
Ask HH that question. He knows what they did to companies- ‘sell them for nothing so that the price also more than suits your loose change from mealie meal shopping and buy them yourself before bothers do’.