PRESIDENT Lungu yesterday announced a robust three-year recovery programme for Copperbelt aimed at mitigating the loss of employment by over 3,000 miners and creating over 10,000 new jobs.
And the President has directed the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to work with other government organs to quickly clear land where retrenched miners who want to engage in agriculture will be resettled.
The Copperbelt development projects will cost a total of US$1.3 billion (K16 billion).
President Lungu said the government will soon implement the three multi-million dollar capital projects in the roads, aviation and water and sanitation sectors.
He was speaking at State House in Lusaka during his maiden press conference attended by local and foreign journalists and members of the diplomatic corps.
The three projects are the US$397 million Ndola International Airport, C-400 Copperbelt Township Roads which will cost US$492 million and the US$400 million Kafubu Water Reticulation System.
“The three projects have a total value of US$1.3 billion or K16 billion over a period of three years [2016-2018],” President Lungu said.
He directed Ministry of Works and Supply permanent secretary Eddie Chomba to ensure that the construction of the Ndola International Airport and the works on the 400 kilometres of township roads in the province begin in the first quarter of 2016 without fail.
President Lungu also directed the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to ensure the Kafubu Water Project begins within the same period without fail.
“I further direct the respective implementing agencies to ensure that 20 percent of the above works worth US$260 million [K3.2 billion] are given to local contractors and suppliers based on the Copperbelt in order to mitigate the impact of the recent job losses in the mines…,” he said.
The President said the job losses have been caused by the reduced mine activity as a result of the fall in global copper price.
“The implementation of these measures will create around 10,000 jobs from these three major contracts for a period of three years. During this period there will be skills transfer and capacity building in infrastructure construction projects other than those related to mining,” he said.
“I am directing that priority in the recruitment of workers is given to the Copperbelt-based residents.”
And the President has directed the ZNS to work with other government organs to quickly clear land where retrenched miners who want to engage in agriculture will be resettled.
He said former miners who are interested in pursuing agriculture as a source of livelihood will be given land to be identified by the government, which will be cleared by ZNS.
Hilarious how this man thinks he can create 10,000 jobs when he has failed to save 6,800. Are the miners that stupid to believe this crap!
ON LOSS OF JOBS IN THE MINES
ECL wants to compensate retrenched miners by giving them plots or is it farm plot resettlement schemes?.
Has this not been tried before by KK & it failed – Kambilombilo & Kanakantapa resettlement schemes plus the not much successful National Service that had camps in all districts/Provinces but now remain in only selected districts?
“Agony is boasting of being white collar jobbers only to be resettled in Kambilombilo to start farming & also most likely become pastoral farmers (Kachemaling) – the very practice you have derided others (Tongas) for so long yet even economies of Texas-USA (Cowboys), Botswana, South Africa, Kenya(Masai) & Nigeria (Fulanis) are Kachema(beef) dependent.
By the way how are the original Kachemas fairing with this ‘global…
@Suntwe wa Suntwe
ON LOSS OF JOBS IN THE MINES
ECL wants to compensate retrenched miners by giving them plots or is it farm plot resettlement schemes?.
Has this not been tried before by KK & it failed – Kambilombilo & Kanakantapa resettlement schemes plus the not much successful National Service that had camps in all districts/Provinces but now remain in only selected districts?
“Agony is boasting of being white collar jobbers only to be resettled in Kambilombilo to start farming & also most likely become pastoral farmers (Kachemaling) – the very practice you have derided others (Tongas) for so long yet even economies of Texas-USA (Cowboys), Botswana, South Africa, Kenya(Masai) & Nigeria (Fulanis) are Kachema(beef) dependent.
By the way how are the original Kachemas fairing with…
By the way how are the original Kachemas fairing with this ‘global economic downturn’ on CB? They must be hard hit considering their CB market has dwindled due to job losses. But I believe even if they can’t sell their beef to miners at least they can consume their milk & beef & use their manure & leather etc unlike CB miners once out of employment it may signal doom.
However, when you venture into Kachemaling pliz consult the experts they harbor no hatred after all you were just used by politicians for your votes. Mining is not a traditional way of life by any Zambian tribe – never be cheated. The fact that you may have migrated to Lambaland & outnumbered other ethnic groups does not mean mining is your preserve else you should have known what to do. Mining was brought to us by Whites…
Mining was brought to us by Whites not you. Migrating to lambaland in greater numbers means also that your ancestral areas are less economically productive. Get a life, where to next after CB, is it Solwezi, then Kabompo & finally Zambezi? God has never been wrong to allow some to be Kachemas & others to be miners. With or without mining jobs you’ll still need Kachemas for their beef cos you’ll still need to feel your tummies.
Learn to live in harmony with each other like it used be under KK.
Seal your careless mouths!
Suntwe wa Suntwe,
NOW I CAN CLEARLY SEE WHY YOU WERE NAMED SUNTWE (HYAENA).
On one hand,he says,no new projects,to sustain the fiscal deficit & that the treasury has no money to continue these ambitious projects, while on the other hand he says there will be new capital projects which will employ 10,000 people at huge amounts.What is this really?he is busy contradicting himself.This is not the first time he is promising jobs,but the opposite happens,instead of reducing the labour market,even the ones already in employment lose their jobs.The promises he makes,if not fullfilled, will anger the people in the the copperbelt the more.He should remember that the last time he spent a week there,he promised them that no one will lose their jobs in the mines, but they still lost them anyway.
This is specific to CB, ubukopo!!!!
@Mapatizya, Last I checked, CB was part of Zambia.
Did we not hear that 500,000 jobs will be created by 2016 from the Vice President?
This government is a complete joke, the clearly have no clue of anything
Mr President, I think you needed a sound sleep before day dreaming like this in front of world cameras. At times it’s better to keep your mouth shut.
Way to Go ECL
@Sam. Tell JECL that we are still waiting for the 500, 000 jobs. When do we start applying.
This President has really lost his marbles. 10 000 new jobs on the copperbelt when the province is heavily dependent on the mines which are hemorrhaging jobs. What happened to 500 000 jobs he promised a while ago?
Even if those jobs were created, they seem more like jobs for casual workers, they are short term jobs. After all, the contracts will be given to the chinese. Seems more like chinese jobs than Zambian jobs.
That money is better invested in ZESCO. Besides, its the same heavy borrowing that has got us in this economic crisis.
Even if those jobs were created, they seem more like jobs for casual workers for the Zambians. After all the contracts will be given to the Chinese, seems more like Chinese jobs.
Its the same heavy borrowing that got us in this economic crisis. That money is better invested in ZESCO.
THE PRESIDENT WAS DAYDREAMING. THE PROJECTS HE ANNOUNCED ARE OF NO ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCE AND DO NOT MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE. THE ROAD PROGRAMME FOR THE URBAN AREAS ON THE COPPERBELT IS THE SAME PROGRMMME IN LUSAKA THAT HAS BROUGHT NO RELIEF TO THE ECONOMY BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO ECONOMIC VALUE ALTHOUGH TO THE EYE THEY APPEAR TO BE GOOD. IN MY VIEW PRIORITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE ROAD FROM CHINGOLA TO SOLWEZI AND MWINILUNGA. THE ROAD IS OF GREAT ECONOMIC VALUE AND IMPORTANCE. THE ULTRA MODERN AIRPORT IN NDOLA IS OF NO ECONOMIC VALUE NOW. HOW MANY INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS DO WE DAILY RECEIVE INTO ZAMBIA? OUR AIRPORTS IN LUSAKA AND LIVINGSTONES ARE WHITE ELEPHANTS AND YOU WANT TO ADD ANOTHER ONE BEFORE YOU HAVE EVEN COMPLETED THE EXPANSION OF THE LUSAKA AIRPORT PROJECT!
ON RESETTLING OF RETRENCHED MINERS ON FARMS, THIS IS A JOKE. OUR RURAL PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSISTENCE FARMING BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED TO UPLIFT THEM, SUDDENLY THE GOVERNMENT HAS THE CAPACITY TO TRANSFORM THE RETRENCHED MINERS INTO SUCCESSFUL FARMERS. THEY JUST WANT TO DUMP THEM IN THE BUSH WHERE THERE WILL BE NO SCHOOLS FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND HEALTH FACILITIES, LET ALONE OTHER SOCIAL FACILITIES TO WHICH THEY HAVE ACCUSTOMED ALL THEIR LIFE.
Agreed @ Mano Mambulwa especially on the new Ndola Airport. In one breath we are told we cannot have a new national airline because of fiscal constraints but in the next sentence we hear that we shall have a brand new airport for Ndola !! KKIA and Livingstone airports are hardly busy, where will the traffic come from for Ndola Aiport?
I THOUGHT HE WILL TALK ABOUT JOB SECURITY BUT TO MY SUPPRICE HE IS TALKING ABOUT PEACE OF WORKS. BWANA TALK OF SOMETHING WHICH WILL MAKE THAT MINER WHOSE JOB IS NO MORE AND THAT TEACHER IS NOT YET EMPLOYED. AND THAT IS WHY YOU WILL LOOSE IN 20
I am just wondering why the new airport is being referred to as Ndola International Airport when, according to President Lungu himself, it will be surrounded by four towns, namely, Kitwe, Luanshya, Mufulira, and Ndola.
Zambian presidents should stop directing ….We should have competent systems in place so that the lives of Zambians are not left at the whims of one man.He should not decide how money is spent.There should be institutions representing the interests of Zambians that should have a major say.Now this day dreaming of 10 000 jobs…why 10 000 and not 30 000 or why not 7000. Create manufacturing industries,encourage ebtrepreneurs…then thses jobs will automatically be created.People are tired of hearing what you will do.DO IT FIRST THEN SHOW US.
These are jokes and politiking at highest level. ECL should be talking about how he can reduce poverty especially in rural areas other than appeasing CB population. This man is not a leader but an impositor as seen during Sata’s funeral where he mourned the most in seeking sympathy.
Lungu chipuba full stop1
Most of needs some exposure , you come to Heathrow airport than you will knew the maiming of unairport , this what is called turerisim , all disfcation