FDD Nkana constituency aspiring candidate Ernest Mulebi says the people of Copperbelt will punish President Edgar Lungu and his PF Government for what he termed betrayal of the people in the mining province for condemning over 4,000 miners to the streets.
Mr. Mulebi said the FDD stands ready to work with the former miners in trying to find a remedy to their predicament and ease their pain in the wake of job loses.
In a statement, Mr. Mulebi said the former miners will speak the loudest in next year’s general elections for being betrayed by President Lungu and PF government who paid lip service to their cries to save their jobs.
” These families that President Lungu has abandoned and sent on the streets will speak the loudest next year. This government of Mr Lungu has betrayed the miners who voted massively for PF in 2011 and again supported him in January. This is total betrayal by a government and a President who said that the jobs of the miners were safe. These families that have been sent on the streets will punish the PF and Mr Lungu the same way he has betrayed them,” Mulebi said.
He said that what was more frustrating is the fact that President Lungu came on the Copperbelt three weeks ago only to come and insult and intimidate the people who put in office.
“He was here doing what? Instead of sitting down with relevant stakeholders when he came here on the Copperbelt to secure people’s jobs President Lungu was busy holding political rallies, campaigning for himself. He came here to play and waste tax payers money and intimidate innocent people using insulting language which does not even befit his status as a Republican President. It is very unfortunate that things can happen like this when a sitting President was even here! Ba Lungu and PF are not serious with governance! They don’t understand what governance is. For example when KCM wanted to retrench workers, quick action was taken by Mr. Michael Sata to avert that. But today a President comes, claiming that he is on the copperbelt to save jobs, wastes tax payers money, days later thousands are sent on the streets.”
As FDD we are very concerned about the plight of the affected miners. Our president Edith Nawakwi came here to listen to the concerns of miners, but in their usual cowardly way they sent the police after her and had her arrested for no apparent reason! What kind of government is this surely?,” he wondered.
Mr. Mulebi said the FDD is ready to sit down with the former miners and chart the way forward.
“We would like to encourage the miners who have lost their jobs and assure them that not all is lost. As FDD we are ready to sit with you and chart the way forward because what you are going through will not only affect you as individuals but the communities you come from and the nation as a whole.”
Mr. Mulebi also said that the FDD is the only formidable party that will address the chaos that the PF has caused in the country.
He said Zambia needs an economic manager with a proven track record and that FDD President Edith Nawakwi was the only person with such a pedigree.
” The FDD stands ready to work and change the lives of the people of Zambia. Enough is enough of this mediocre leadership of PF. If we had proper leadership this country could have not collapsed. What is unfortunate is that President Lungu and the PF have no idea of how this country should be governed.”
The FDD Nkana constituency aspiring parliamentary candidate further said he was ready to transform the constituency once elected as MP and that the constituency had remained behind economically because of poor representation.
” What I and the FDD want to bring to Nkana is transformation of the constituency. People here lack effective representation and that is why they are still suffering. Look at the poor drainage system! Nkana constituency has nothing to show for,” he said.
Mr. Mulebi was commenting on the recent job loses in the Copperbelt were over 4000 miners have lost their jobs at Mponi mines in Kitwe and Mufulira this week.
Imwe mulelyafye ulupiya lwa ma donors. But shut up.
“…4000 miners have lost their jobs at Mponi mines in Kitwe and Mufulira this week…”
Wow – this must be the newest mine in Kitwe, Zambia. LT must sack this airhead masquerading as a journalist who writes what he can’t even read.
Now coming to the article, yes PF must go in 2016 or earlier, if possible. The wind of change is getting stronger. VIVA UPND, VIVA HH.
Zambians yapping yapping too much, the mines are not in the hands of the government but investor, Remember Chiluba and hh sold the mines to foreign investors cheaply therefore if the owners of the mine want to lay off some works, nothing that the government can do. What we need to do as Zambians is to invest in the minning sector it is very possible for Zambians to run a mine….A good example of a successful company managed by Zambians is Copper belt energy board. If there was a talking world cup Zambia can be winning all the time.We have a crisis in the country what is the solution and how do we resolve the challenges, Remember what Anglo America did to our government! Let’s put our heads together and see the way to go about the problems we are facing.
It now a well known issue that globally the price of most metals is very low. This ECL’s problem. It is actually a global crisis.
FDD is a nonentity party led by a nonentity loudmouth.
If Lungu was deceived he should deal with the mining houses.
What would the loud mouths have done with the low copper prices and load shedding? All I hear is noise from the wrong end!
Thinking miners are dull is backward. Miners are enlightened and they know that their retrenchments have nothing to do with PF but the poor copper prices on the global market.
This problem is not confined to Zambia alone, but all countries that depend on copper. Besides the mines retrenching people are privately owned.
It’s already split milk ba Mulebi. remember late Dennis liwewe encountered this problem that time the mines were under Zccm.He said that when one is retrenched he should not bury his head in the sand but rise up to the challenge .Like in the football match players dont give up, e.g if your team is two goals down before the end of the match, fight back and score more goals before the final whistle.Now is time to move on and face the challenge we are already in the rainy season why not engage in agriculture,fish farming,poultry or livestock note that there is money in all these ventures.
…ba Tips…
…I’m sure you are writing your comment from an air conditioned office or somewhere in a comfort zone…the reality is far fetched….what you are reading about(job losses) is not a fiction or some tale of some kind…its real….the question is, how did we find ourselves in this situation…to know the answer or solution you first have to know or identify the problem……is it bcoz of copper prices or power outage or the depreciating Kwacha or is it human greed, incompetency coupled with lack of foresight…?? the latter may be the key problem…
@Tips, it’s worse now for these miners now THAN then. Some of these are walking away with nothing. They borrowed money and all these amounts are being deducted so no money to buy land or agricultural inputs.
I really feel for them. I’ve spoken to people in Mufulira, it’s a sad story for those with loans.
…cont’d…
…for you to sit in front of that PC and do what u you do…it probably took you 3 to 5yrs of training…and u want your friend who for the past 15…20yrs he has been operating injombolo – jackhammer.. breaking rocks all his working life to suddenly switch to poultry, farming, fishing..etc and hope to succeed and move on..??…easier said than done my friend…however, i’m not disputing your word of encouragement…..but you put it as if its as easy as ABCD or 1234…prior to disbanding ZCCM….Denis Liwewe and group where contracted to give pep talks to would be affected(retrenched) miners…somehow to prepare them psychologically and give them the much needed tips…was it the case this time..??..nep
But the copperbelt put PF in power. Why complain? as Guy scott would say “walila mvula walila matope”
@peter njobvu, they had no idea what they were doing SO lets FORGIVE THEM. Hope they have learnt their lessons. Some don’t even have money to start farming as agricultural inputs are expensive and their monies are servicing loans.
Dear miners, you are in our thoughts and prayers. Wish I cud help somehow.
viva upnd…
Fi UPND muli ndoshi bakoswe mwba ukununka citindi
What has UPND done? This is an FDD article.
God forgive and heal you from your hatred.
Nawakwi Mwilabepa Abantu Please. Question Why Are U Not Married? How Many Childre Do Ve & If Yes From How Many Men? The Fact Known Is U Are A Prostute Who Is Looking For A Man,YO BEHAVER A MAN CANT STAND. MULEBAMWENA APATALI BAMAYO ABO UMUYIMA UBI.
Ba opposition, whoever you are, listen to this loud and clear. The mine owners have openly and transparently made it VERY CLEAR THAT IN THE CURRENT CHALLENGING TIMES OF LOW COPPER PRICES, NO ONE EITHER FROM GOVERNMENT OR THE OPPOSITION COULD SAVE THE MINERS JOBS. IF THE GLOBAL OUTLOOK FOR THE COMMODITY (COPPER) PRICES CONTINUE TO DROP, NO POLITICIAN SHOULD LIE TO THE MINERS THAT THEY CAN PERFORM MIRACLES TO SAVE THE JOBS.
SO IT IS VERY UNTRUE THAT PRESIDENT LUNGU AND THE PF HAVE NEGLECTED THE MINERS, THATS JUST CHEAP POLITICKING. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT WHEN THINGS IMPROVE, GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED WITH THE MINE OWNERS ON WHO BEST THE JOBS OF THE MINERS WILL BE SAFE GUARDED SHOULD THE CURRENT SITUATION REPEAT ITSELF.
PRESIDENT LUNGU HAS A HEART AND COMPASSION FOR THESE MEN AND…
CONTD
PRESIDENT LUNGU HAS A HEART AND COMPASSION FOR THESE MEN AND WOMEN AND NO ONE SHOULD LIE TO THEM. JUST YESTERDAY, CHILE, THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF COPPER, LAID OFF 5,000 WORKERS, IS IT PRESIDENT LUNGU IN CHARGE OF CHILE?
How can HH and UPND and FDD be celebrating the job losses of the miners which is not the making of the PF Government?
If HH, Nawakwi and whosoever have solutions for the miners currently, let them go and tell the mine owners to apply the solution that will bring the price of copper instantly, otherwise they should be stoned if they try f00l the miners just to get some votes. This is a global issue, job loses are everywhere were the metal prices have plummented!
Ba UFO, tekanyeni. Why stressing yourself? These are global issues and I can assure you no one is celebrating. Who celebrates when their neighbour goes hungry?
You’re taking these issues personally. By the way, the article is about FDD.
Iam a geologist who has lost a job but I understand y…! Its not Lungu to blame but the low copper prices coupled with power shortage…! Cheap politics will not win our hearts for any opposition parties…! I will still vote for pf…!
ppnd (provincal party for national dreamers) can continue to live in fantasy island.