People in Lufwanyama should be able to directly benefit from the emerald wealth in the same way that the people in Mansa should directly benefit from the very valuable Manganese being mined there.
The Movement for Economic Emancipation (MEE) makes no apology of the fact that it is now about time Zambians were really empowered to take a real stake in the economy of the country.
First President Kenneth Kaunda and the United National Independence Party (UNIP) had good intentions with their Mulungushi Reforms of 1968 but the execution of those policies left much to be desired.
MEE will pursue Mulungushi Reforms Phase II (MRII) with the aim to ensure Zambians acquire stake in businesses across the country with priority given to local people!
Early this month, a 5,655-carat emerald crystal was unearthed at the world’s largest producer of green stones at its Gemfields Mines in Lufwanyama and the locals may not even be aware of this development.
THANK YOU
Issued by MEE Information and Media Department
MEE – BRIEF INTRODUCTION
THE MOVEMENT FOR ECONOMIC EMANCIPATION was born out of THE 3RD WAVE MOVEMENT which was formed by a group of ordinary Zambian citizens coming from a broad spectrum of professional and business life who had decided that we had had enough and were sick, tired and fed up with seeing our nation being driven under the malaise of mediocrity, low expectations and break down in the rule of law.
We had had enough of the colonial and oppressive politics of division, enough of wanton corruption and abuse of state institutions.
Together we came to the conclusion that it does not matter what we do in our individual professional or business endeavours – if we do nothing about politics, we will be stuck in the cycle of mediocrity, low expectations, break down in the rule of law, colonial and oppressive politics of division, wanton corruption and abuse of state institutions till Kingdom come.
We have therefore decided to get involved with this citizen – led political movement to ensure we fix our politics in the most wholesome and fundamental way that is humanly possible to do and create a country that works for everyone in which how far you go in life is limited only by your personal drive, ambition and God’s providence and a country in which God is the REAL master of the people while those who serve in public office are but servants of the PEOPLE.
Please visit THE 3RD WAVE movement website for more information.Click here
Unfortunately with this current lot in power, it will NEVER happen.
Rather than have it’s citizens interests at heart, they will be given money for campaigns & Zambians in Lufwanyama, mostly who vote P.F anyway will continue to wallow in abject poverty.
THAT UNFORTUNATELY IS THE TASTE OF FLAWED POLITICS OF POVERTY!
The Chinese should also benefit not the Zambians in the diaspora because of their negative representation of Zambia outside. Ele!
I’m liking this group. Where are they based? They seem to know quite a lot about governance. Why don’t they get into politics so we can have more sensible leaders. NGO activism is not working in Zambia. Come out in the ring and take these cadres out of power.
Mwana Chinondo – Why should every group that makes sensible contributions enter politics…you mean everyone has to a Politician to make a contribution in Zambia!!
MEE MEE MEE like sheep!
Put write your names there so Lumwana can sue too. You need to have balls like Mwenya Musenge.
Don’t hide in green pastures crying MEE MEE MEE,
Cowards!!
On a more serious note. Zambian situation and that of other African countries needs to be arrested somehow to save it’s people. Any such initiatives might be useful to keep the revolutionary spirit aflame. Amos Chanda, presidential press aide, having recorded saying things are not well in Zambia was a very big punch below the belt for the Zambian populace. One doesn’t know how this will end. Good luck MEE, you imagination is shared by many.
“When HH becomes president, there will be no hunger in Zambia and if he held the position of Coach of the Zambia Nation Team simultaneously, we could win at least 10 FIFA World Cups,” Tribal INCOMPOS UPND.
Sorry, ‘to save its people’.
On a serious note, “It has been trying hard to save its tribal people but it has not succeeded.”
@Sharon I am sitting here and dreaming about my motherland, Zambia. I do shade tears all the time about the deplorable situation the country is in. The country could have been better and led better. HH might not even be the solution. The solution might even have been all of us including you and I. We might have been the ones that let our country down. We should have sacrificed for the better of future generations. Instead we opted to go to America maybe UK leaving problems in Zambia to be solved by those we left behind. We chose to easy road. MEE is a challenge to all. Zambia still has a lot of life in it. Zambia is not just about politics @Means Chinondo. Zambia is about its beautiful people and what the beautiful people can do for their country.
Most of the emerald mines in Lufwanyama were owned by Zambians but the Zambians didn’t have the capacity to run the mines due to lack of funds. Unfortunately, loans from our Zambian banks have astronomical interest rates and most local miner owners end up selling the mines just like what happened to Kalumbila mine. Secondly, none of the so-called Zambian richest businessmen has ventured into mining opting to be in building malls and trading. So, as long as Zambians don’t have capital to run the mines, the locals will never benefit from the mineral resources.
That’s Zambia for you ever sleeping …when minerals are gone that’s when they will go to Botswana to copy their successful policies where locals are trained up into Diamond cutters, management scholarships are offered, apprenticeships etc.
In Zambia we have short sighted leaders who only think have a casual job is a plus …this is why even the share hold in Kagem mines is laughable…just go and admire this stone and enjoy the crumbs dug out in your own backyard. One thing about Old man Sata at least he insisted on auctions being held in Zambia instead of India or Europe…whatever happened there?
UPND – Bitter hearts, Evil hearts, Tribal hearts.
Lessons from Zimbabwe;
When diamonds were discovered in the Marange area of Manicaland, the community there thought that they had finally reached their Canaan but alas.
Since the first diamond stones were officially discovered in 2008 life for the community in Marange turned to hell on earth.
At the time the rich stones were discovered, government moved in and condoned off the diamond fields. Villagers were forced out of their land in the most brutal manner, worse than what the colonialists would even have done.
In the two weeks of removing the villagers from the diamond fields under a brutal “operation hakudzokwe” the state using the army killed over 400 people who were resisting the forced evictions or would be found sneaking back into the fields to pick up the alluvial diamond…
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Fast forward to today, ten years on. The Marange community is living far from being independent people. The brutality and killings on the people have continued though government has deliberately tried to block off information on the life of the people of Marange.
When the villagers were forced off the fields, the government declared much of the area a “no go area” where soldiers, police and some guards have been deployed under an order to shoot to kill anyone found to be illegally within the no go area.
The difficult part for the Marange community is that some of the villages were rounded up inside the protected area zone automatically turning them into captivity.
Villagers who are living within the protected area are now forced to have monthly renewable permits that allow…
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… them to be found within the area but never to be found anywhere near the diamond fields where government and its Chinese partners are mining.
The permits are not locally available but have to be sourced from police in Mutare some 125 kilometres away at a transport cost of up to $20.
Any other person wishing to visit their relative in Marange and Chiyadzwa areas must also first go to Mutare and apply for a short term permit to visit the area.
Villagers in the area who spoke to ZimEye.com told scary tales of mass brutality in the hands of hundreds of soldiers and police deployed to man the area.
According to the villagers life in the area is extremely unbearable which has seen some people voluntarily opt to quit their father land and go and start a new life elsewhere away…
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… from the eyes of the police and the army.
“Life in Marange is extremely unbearable,” said one villager. “We lived better under smith regime than under our own black government that has turned us into hopeless ants that they can easily crush with their feet without any fuss,” he said.
Early this year, the villagers were thoroughly beaten and some were arrested when they decided to demonstrate against the permits and the presence of the army and police in their district.
Break News – thanks for sharing!!
@Jay Jay thanks!
What has become of Zimbabwe could easily reach us, why because we are passive lot. The few of us who can see beyond our boarders and interact with a diverse global community, learn a lot everyday. Be it productivit, continuous improvement and realise that we are a much blessed nation than most countries that are rated better than us.
I have allows wondered what the role of school mines at UNZA play’s in shaping the future of mining in terms of policy and innovation even developing entrepreneurs in the sector. Not just being supplier of pperational parts. If you as an “ordinary person” can appreciate what Botswana has come up with in terms of diamond cutting, management scholarships, apprenticeships etc. What is stopping govt from seeking inspiration. Don’t tell me…
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Don’t tell me “kalilo” and the dominance of rogue investors.
I hope the late Sata’s insistence on auctions to be held in Zambia has materialised.
“Lufwanyama District with headquarters at Lufwanyama is a large rural undeveloped district in the west of Copperbelt Province. On a number of maps it is mixed up with Mpongwe District and Masaiti District.” – Wikipedia
“Namwala is a large undeveloped rural area where the cows roam freely and where INCOMPOS TRIBAL LEADER HAKAINDE owns 1,000 hectares of land from shoddy deals with tribal chiefs” – Galu Watchers in Zambia.
I like the “MEE, MEE, MEE” thing! At last there is self-awareness.
There’s so much negativity about ourselves. Why not put this negative energy into something positive such as designing a first ever Zambian made car by the Zambians for the Zambians. MEE is positive arising from the negative political situation back home. If they are political or not I think they represent what Zambia needs. Sell introspection for all Zambian people
Unfortunately, there will always be the negative comments whenever a positive thing comes up. I have now learnt that positive people ought to ignore those that are negative and seperate themselves from them in order to pursue their goal. Most negative comments come from people who fear to fail and therefore expect everyone else to feel the same about themselves. Failure, however, is not a setback but only an opportunity for a comeback.
The aim and objectives of this group are good. We need more of these initiatives of citizens that gang up with strong movements to change the status quo. Just like the labour unionists were underrated and intimidated in their beginnings but kept on speaking for the people until they finally became a force to reckon with, such groups equally have the potential to become significant one day.
As a country, I’m afraid we already find ourselves stuck in the cycle of mediocrity, low expectations, breakdown in the rule of law, neo-colonial/oppressive politics and corruption but all that should not deter us from mobilising ourselves and putting up resistance. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. There is hope for a better day Zambia.
I give you a thumbs up on this. I also believe we can break the bondage ourselves, if we believe. The innovative above could be a good start.
What would be a good debate is whether we all have or have not let our country down.
If we feel we have then we do something about it but if we feel that we haven’t the we continue to do what we are doing then just continue to criticize those that are there to do what they can to the best of their ability.
Some of us are trying but the loops and hoops you have to go through are tiring. I have been home trying to set up something but the barriers are immense, if I was Chinese it would be easier. There is suffering for many people in Zambia and yes we could make a difference but the powers that be dont like those they can’t control. We have to keep trying.
The government is not entirely to blame. People entrusted with the responsibility of executing policies are the biggest culprits for our current situation. Even office orderlies want a bribe to allow you access to any office. So a chinaman with plenty of money and ready bribe has greater advantage over a Zambian. Even these guys talking could have received a bribe at some time. There’s a chap who is always on Radio Icengelo who’s always attacking government but we know that his contracting company gives bribes to buyers and end users. In short we just wolves baying at the moon.
Get ride of the pricks, why waste time entertaining them. The problem is the recruitment process which favors lazy corrupt cadres who can not be disciplined eg ZESCO.
MEE should be happy that the jerabos are benefiting from the black mountain.
MEE MEE MEE