Friday, March 29, 2024

Brazilian company plans to set up military gear plant in Zambia

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Discussions are underway between the Zambian government and Shacman, a renowned Brazilian firm to set up a military equipment assembling plant in the country.

Deputy Minister of Defence Christopher Mulenga disclosed that the Brazilian firm has requested to come to Zambia in June this year to further explore possibilities of putting up a plant.

Mr. Mulenga said this after a meeting with Shacman Chief Executive Officer Reinaldo Reis Vieira and his delegation in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil yesterday.

The meeting was facilitated by Zambia’s Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil, Cynthia Jangulo.

Mr. Mulenga is in Brazil where he is attending the tenth Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation (LAAD) exhibition on defence and security.

This is according to a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian Embassy in Brazil, Patson Chilemba.

He explained that the plant will be assembling the troop carrier and other vehicles related to transportation in the defence and security wings.

Mr. Mulenga said the development has come at the right time when Zambia is facing a challenge of troop carrier vehicles.

And Mr. Mulenga said Shacman considered it appropriate to invest in Zambia because of her political stability and security.

He said Zambia will also act as a supplier of the military equipment to the rest of the region.

He said the company was quite advanced as it supplied most of its goods to several countries across the globe, including the United States of America (USA), Britain, Saudi Arabia, with African interests in Ghana, Namibia and many other countries.

Mr. Mulenga also held various bilateral meetings with other companies that expressed hope to invest in Zambia, including Embraer, which manufactures commercial, military and cargo planes.

20 COMMENTS

    • Shacman is a CHINESE truck manufacturer with an assembly line in Brazil through a JV called Metro-Shacman.
      Food for thought;
      1. The Brazilians will not establish a full assembly line in Zambia for the trucks.
      2. Initially they will negotiate for a market concession by being contracted to supply trucks to the defence and security wings as the first phase to them establishing an “imaginary” assembly line.
      3. Their marketing strategy after arm-twisting ministry of defence to be single-sourced for truck supply, will only lead them to establish a technical support centre (workshop) with spares back-up like they have done in Mozambique and Angola.
      ALL THIS IS A RECIPE FOR CORRUPTION & EMBEZZLEMENT! No meaningful investment!

    • Very very bad idea. The unemployment rate for college and non college graduate in Brazil is worse than that of Zed. So can’t they set that Plant in their own Country to help the citizens of Brazil than setting up problems in Zambia. It’s just going to be a scam.

  1. Military equippment for one of the most peaceful nations in Africa? (And happily so). Not much sense in setting up a plant, all that is needed for the Z forces is to upgrade the equipment.

    In terms of supplying the rest of the region…you better hope your equipment is cheaper than the stuff produced by your friends the Chinese, if you want some of the market.

  2. We do NOT need this kind of industry. It will make our country unstable in the long run. Brazil is merely a front, the company is essentially American.

    CIA will be running Zambia if you allow this company.

    • Bululu, theses guys only assemble CHINESE LORRIES! So this should show you the calibre of ministers we have in Zambia. Shamelessly canvassing to cut deals with middlemen to the Chinese.
      What we need is these crackheads to engage seasoned agro-mechanization and finance companies to establish themselves in Zambia and provide support to our peasants as outgrowers. Build process industries and hit the vast markets like DR Congo, Malawi, Angola and also exploit AGOA etc. This are the meaningful jobs that can be created for ordinary Zambians.

  3. Indeed its a bad idea considering, they could perhaps switch to assembling Agricultural machinery including Ploughs, Jiggers, harvesters etc. Remember Zambia could become the food basket of the entire continent; that’s if it its done and planned properly…

  4. Why not bring in industries that will help mankind, ie Metal fabrication, Computers, Car/ Bus manufacture e.t.c??
    Making Zambia a Proxy Nation for the manufacture of instruments that perpetuate, Death, Misery, & Suffering, mostly of innocent people is NOT the way forward. It may bring jobs, but poor nations will be the ones who will be affected, when the Rich declare illegal wars on them for their wealth/ resources.
    Has anyone noticed these War Machines- equipment, are rarely used against populations of Rich Nations.
    Please think twice, before becoming willing accomplices in War, Genocide, & Misery of innocent lives!!

  5. Phew! Thank God! I misread the headline for a second there as ‘Brazilian company to set up hair plant in Zambia’! Now that would have been total chaos for Zambian blokes!

    • They will surely come with it. It will be cheaper because the Brazillian ladies will just have to shave (harvest) and sell. grow some more, harvest and sell.

    • @Dontcare. Just as long as they bring the ones that are usually on display during their carnivals. If you know what I mean?!

  6. Government should negotiate with the Brazilian company to build vehicles for the local market as well as for export. The local market cannot provide a volume scale required to sustain employment over the long term. When copper is exported nothing more is earned over the initial gain. When a vehicle is exported we get additional profit from exporting parts for maintaining the product over its lifetime, which may be up to 10 to 15 years.
    Zambia needs to be smart when they negotiate investor contracts. Consult those who have hands on experience in the industry. I hope our ministers apply deep research and homework in advance of these negotiations.

  7. The bait is too tempting to evade. Soon, they will demand a millitary base among many more. Enter the deal with caution. The ball is in your court.

  8. These discussions seem to be at such an early stage that I don’t think it warranted to be brought to the public. The Minister should have waited at-least until the guys from Brazil make their visit to Zambia as that would have shown some seriousness beyond just words. Sounds to me like the Minister is looking to justify his trip to Brazil by having something to show for it. The reason he provides that this is good timing because Zambia is lacking in troop carriers as justification for setting up shop in Zambia is laughable. Just how many troop carriers does he imagine Zambia will buy from the company?

  9. Thank you Esta phiri and Hajanza for flushing out the real owners behind Shacman company. Does our minister know? I doubt it. He has not done any research or homework like I had recommended in my first comment. But it looks like Deputy Minister of Defence Christopher Mulenga has already been dribbled by Shacman and he does not even know. If you think education is expensive imagine how expensive Minister Mulenga’s ignorance will be.

  10. Very very bad idea. The unemployment rate for college and non college graduate in Brazil is worse than that of Zed. So can’t they set that Plant in their own Country to help the citizens of Brazil than setting up problems in Zambia. It’s just going to be a scam.

  11. “…Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation (LAAD) exhibition on defence and security…”.

    Confusing! Shouldn’t an Agribusiness Development company be concerning itself with supporting, well, agribusiness? You know things like production, processing, packaging of ingombe, imbushi, inkoko, ifinanashi, mango, amagwava, cibwabwa, imbalala ne fishimu!

    Exhibition on ‘defence and security’?

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