Wednesday, November 6, 2024

It is a pure insult to claim that Zambians cannot run mines-President Lungu

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President Edgar Lungu says it is a pure insult to claim that Zambians cannot run mines as they managed mines before privatization.

“Let me emphasize that we won’t allow those claiming that they will sell back the mines which we have bought off from investors,” he said.

President Lungu said the PF Government had worked hard in many spheres thereby encouraging Zambians that they did not need to change a winning team.

“Investors wanted to put mines on care and maintenance which would have affected many workers and we’re proud of our record as PF in terms of development and protecting the interests of workers,” he said.

In a special interview with veteran broadcasters Simon Mwila and Francis Ndovi on Delight Radio in Chinsali District today, the Head of State said the PF Government had strengthened the winning formula while amending ideas that did not work.

“Government has in the last few years tremendously improved distribution of farming inputs,” he said.

The Head of State also said a lot of the underprivileged people were making a living out of the Social Cash Transfer adding that Government would ensure that more people benefit.

“The PF Government embarked on Link Zambia 8000 which is transforming lives and more time is needed to mobilize resources to complete all projects,” he said.

President Lungu urged traditional and church leaders to remain neutral as they are parents to all regardless of tribe or political affiliation.

“When my time comes to leave in 2026 the PF will lookout for another person but let me warn that no one will be allowed to cause violence in Zambia regardless of political affiliation,” he said.

President Lungu urged aspiring candidates for Parliamentary elections to avoid character assassination of incumbent Members of Parliament but market themselves well.

80 COMMENTS

    • If we did run the mines before as zccm then we have enough experience to undertake this task and improve for the best as zambians .People who usually disturb these operations are those selfish individuals (suckers) who want to run these mines for personal gain leaving the majority zambians suffering therefore this step taken by the current govt is a positive step towards maximisation of profits.

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    • Who said we cant? Its Lungu himself when he decided to give the communication contract to a London based firm. If Zambians cant handle government communication the message is that the mines must also be handed to a European firm

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    • Apologies I had read the article heading swiftly that neurons in my brain had processed it as “RUIN” and not “RUN!” However it is nothing new that Zambian politicians speak as to the occasion and it is always for pecuniary advantage! We all know it is election year let’s all be alert to the change in language tone and politicians playing on our minds for this is the only time every voting citizen is recognized as the employer all round! @ Nyimbili Sullen, very right that Zambians have capability to run economic and industrial infrastructure when politicians stay away from meddling with that which is meant for technical experts!

  1. When we have not invested in R & D.Dont just say that but understand the capability of running such an investment.For example, do you have really human resource and machinery? The time you people given opportunities to lead stop politicking will be the time human development and let alone economic development will thrive.A mine isn’t a bank or a transportation company.If a simple Zampost and even Zambia railways is insolvent and requires capitalisation what more of a complex venture like a mine? If just assembling cars or bicycles fails what more of a mine?if simple state farms are failing then what more of a mine? When you employ cadres everywhere you think firms can thrive sustainably?

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  2. This fool is deluded to say PF has transformed lives of Zambians.

    Let’s look at unemployment rate. How many jobs have this corrupt government created. Let’s look at the health care, what improvements have they made.

    Running mines is not like having a stall at a market. Elections are round the corner to appease voters this is what they will preach the locals about job safety, mines run by Zambians.

    The ***** should tell Zambians how this debt will be paid off. All of a sudden PF has the money to throw about. This chakolwa has been hopping around provinces campaigning. I wonder when will Zambians wake up and realise the similarities if another Zimbabwe.

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  3. All state enterprises r run by zambians n not is operating at a profit. Political cadres r running these as opposed to professionals hence our fears. Zccm was run by zambians n the writing is on the wall on how certain decisions were made

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  4. The issue is not with the citizens(Zambians) but the administration in power can not be trusted. As a result the doubt of running the mines comes in..

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  5. The funds contracted through debt was supposed to be used in good faith. Spending on urgent needs that would benefit the mass public especially health sector education sector.

    We have ministers who are inept of running a ministry. They don’t have the credentials nor the expertise. They don’t have basic university degree. We have cadres running the ministries. Let’s not forget how many of these ministers have become millionaires through plunder and corruption.

    When a thief is out in charge of running a country what more do you expect

    Majority of the population are classified under poverty. It’s a shame but these people will not come out of poverty

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  6. I WISH WE COULD HAVE FREE AND FARE ELECTIONS EVERY YEAR, WHERE HAVE BEEN ALL ALONG? LUNGU IS NOW TALK ABOUT ZAMBIAN’S RUNNING MINES, WHAT OF CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, MALLS, HOSPITALS …

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  7. Remember we are zambian before being a member of any political party. We should all support one another as zambian. We should have confidence in our abilities. I for one know that in all political parties including upnd, we have very capable minds. Let us work together my brothers

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    • @Kaizar welcome back, you disappeared briefly, you Ok mate ? Zambians have been running corporate organisation, both public and private for many year. There two challenges we have in Zambia 1. political interference where party cadres want to be appointed even when they do not have skill and competence to run an organisation, 2. funding, borrowing in Zambia is not easy, the interest rates are so high and that makes it difficult to access funding. the western world government cut corporation tax which is an incentive to investment. Zambia heavily depend on business for tax collection without that Zambia can barely survive.
      If Government borrowed money from the Chinese like they and put together a team of highly skilled and experienced Zambians to run the mining with political…

    • Lisa Liywali yes because that business will make money and pay taxes. If only we stump out corruption the taxes will be significant. If we give you a Zambian company to run you will employ all your relatives go on holiday to Dubai and find the business is bankrupt. Who has lost then is it not the Zambian People?

    • Carmen Deedee Kalumba Hachandi if that the mentality you have of going on holidays when you have serious work to do ..it’s not everyone. There are more Zambians committed to doing their very best if given an opportunity… Foreigners have been abusing workers and paying them peanuts

  8. If it were any other administration running things maybe not these sebana wekute party.
    You are an embarrassment.
    Will see how things will turn out?
    Why did they sell the mines in the first place????? That’s a 48 million dollar question?

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  9. Yes we are capable, the way we run Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail & NCZ with workers going for months on end without salaries…..

  10. Lungu himself hasn’t run a healthy economy .Where’s all these economic indicators -inflation ,Kwacha value,depleted reserves,debt defaults ?

  11. They didn’t hear us well. We didn’t say Zambians, we said the crooked PF government can not run the mines and it will not. The equity partner that they pretend to seek but have already sought will run the whole show. If this is an insult then they’ve just insulted themselves. By the way Mopani hasn’t been bought back until maybe, and just maybe after 17 years. Our delele will finish by our prefered tasters for we continue in our foolishness.

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  12. kabwe residents are still waiting for mulungushi textiles to be operational after been promised manna and milk during the 2016 election year, ba kopala naimwe 2021 ati milk and manna will be bountiful? ba kopala ask ba kabwe pali mulungushi textiles.

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  13. Does the president understand the implications of his words he is continuously uttering wherever he go. It’s wrong for a democratically elected leader to be saying “we won’t allow the”. It’s the people of zambia who hires and fires and it’s only the majority Zambians with the right to say those words.

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    • But he told you that he was not competent or have a vision for the country, so don’t be surprised if he makes rush decisions to earn some Copperbelt votes! Clearly he is not visualizing beyond 2021!!

  14. @Nyimbili Suleiman, in case you live in the Bushlooking after animals, and rely on lies here are facts.
    Zamtel has won best Telecoms company in Zambia two years in a row.
    Zesco can only avail power from Kariba dam if there is enough water apportioned by Zambezi River authority. Zesco has developed the Kafue Gorge lower and in the process of embarking on the Batoka gorge soon.

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  15. ECL is not being honest. Twenty years ago under the Chiluba Govt the Mines were privatized after Zambains failed to run them. Zambia Airways was liquidated after Corrupt Zambians bankrupted it. Most Parastatals were privatized after Zambians mismanaged them. This is the truth which ECL wishes to ignore. The truth will free ECL and PF.

  16. There are potential real options in private placement of those shares as the copper price rises into the planning future but in a lower gearn 2021 rising the highest since 2012 and 2013 copper prices There is improvement in Chinas consumption of the read metal during that forecast planing period There is potential for profit taking by speculators like ZCCMIH who have taken a long position on the mine except for management concerns but Zambians have the potential the ability to act stimulate and perform the miniing sector for the benefit of the economy If well run and those financial restructuring in aquisitions are realised in those terms over the 2021-2023 period ZCCMIH and…

  17. ZAMBIANS CAN run mines, they are doing well everywhere else in the world. Ask yourselves, why they failed in ZCCM? The answer? The P.I.G. If you keep milking a cow without feeding it, it will die.

  18. Zambians successfully ran the Mines under ZCCM with few degree holders. What more now? Our people were employed in thousands and our Mining Towns used to look clean and beautiful because the profits were used locally. But like one person has already commented above the current Government cannot be trusted

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  19. This is inexcusable wilful ignorance from someone who is supposed to know better. Anyway, look at the shape of his mouth and teeth inside there, he looks like a Nilotica Crocodilus, you have to be a full to believe anything that comes out of that rotten mouth.

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  20. I bought a bathing towel made in Botswana
    A desert country yet they produce ama towels
    Jambia produces cotton yet cannot use to produce such
    Now someone is again going around pre erection promising what he promised in his 2 campaigns ati mulungushi textile
    And now he is capable of running mines si manyanzi

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  21. The reason why we cannot develop is because some Zambians still think that the head of state must run the mines and other development ventures all by himelf. He is encouraging those that are close to running the mines to prove themselves otherwise the Hungry conman in privatisation is waiting to sell some more at a profit for himself and a loss to the Zambian people. So himself and his disciples are all out to discredit any encouragement of the citizens to take charge. Those disgrantled disciples do not want to work but keep on blaming the debt. Untill we change our mindsets and stop the old fashioned politics of blaming someone else except yourself we will remain a third world for ever. But fortunately we are begin to raise more and more people that can distinguish between conmen and…

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  22. Always missing the point due to eating or personal gain motive!! Even in personal business there is no way someone will sale you a Brocken down bus and tell you to take all your cashing to them regardless of how much you make!! Where would you find the money to pay the driver, fuel and bribe RATSA and PF cadres manning the station?? Let’s think before we make decisions!!!

  23. HH was wrong for insulting Zambians. Never trust business men crooks. He is part of the reason Zambia is were it is now. Smart people know that he and his MMD friends auctioned Zambia to Europeans and the boers. Wake up Zambians even UPND cultist members. Just like delusional PF cadres you too are the problem.

  24. What insult is ECL talking about? In the past Zambians have fail to run the Mines and many Parastatals. This a fact and that is Govt Assets including the Mines were privatized in the past. Zambia Airways was liquidated when it became an unprofitable business run by the Zambian Govt and Zambian personnel. The truth will free ECL.

  25. I think there is nothing sinester about zambians running the mines because ZCCM had done it before and miners were enjoying but look what are the positive results of the so called privatization.Well done for the blight move by the government of the day.

  26. Zambians can run the mines, but political interference will kill the mines. In the end, it would be better in the hands of private investors rather than GRZ.

  27. When my time comes to leave in 2026 the PF will lookout for another person but let me warn that no one will be allowed to cause violence in Zambia regardless of political affiliation,” he said. This sound like there is a loop hole to victory Ba opposition you should curious.how come to claiming victory before elections are held. A vote of no confidence is passed for this Load shedding is still in full swing,…

  28. Let’s stop polishing negative vibes on this mining issues, We can only learn from the past and move forward negativity is the killer in our nation let’s learn to support our own and those who are not should be thrown out of the bus.

  29. The biggest problem in Zambia is not whether Zambians can run companies ( mines included,) the problem is that we lack MANAGEMENT SKILLS in many of these areas that are necessary to make these corporations world class. Running of a company is usually done by lower ranked managers and supervisors, and Zambians are good at that. But MANAGEMENT of a company requires a special skill set that is crucial to making any business/corporation successful. And for as long as we keep appointing people to higher level management positions in these Govt run corporations based on political calculations and appeasement and full-on political interferance, the endeavor of running our mines (and other para…) profitably as Zambians will always remain a fo0ls errand for generations to come.

  30. Ba Lungu please stay in your lane. Yes Zambians ran mines before privatization and we know what happened. Zambians ran Kafue Nitrogen chemicals and a whole lot of parastatals and we know what happened. Is Lungu suggesting that the current Mopani management will be replaced by Zambians. Mining is no longer about drilling and blasting. Its not about appointing a liquidator. Who actually did the due dilligence on Mopani to come up with 1.5 billion usd? I can safely say that today we dont have zambians who can run a modern mine. What happened to the problems that almost put Mopani on care and maintenance? Have all these problems disappeared? . This is an economic disaster in the making. Show me a list of zambian engineers who can run the mines today.

  31. Kaizer, we are Zambian but ababomba mwibala balelya nembuto against Jameson’s advise. What will happen with mines! It is Jameson uukalya imbuto! That is why we have reservations with whatever he touches

  32. Running the mines is not that difficult but the problem comes on who will be capable to do it.
    Since gvt took over kcm in 2019,how much profits has kcm under milingo lungu made? Who funds the running of kcm? Kcm has not bought any machine to effectively run its operation.
    Right now at 3 shaft reliant drilling is the only company producing,at 1 shaft its jchx producing, they are both foreign companies paying Zambians poor salaries and yet Ba Lungu is mute.
    Lets wait and see after 12/08/21 .

  33. Lungu can say what he says but his actions are the opposite. Recently he awarded a contract to a UK consultancy for communications regarding the country’s debt restructuring process. What does that say? He has no confidence in the natives.

  34. In case Mr Lungi meant Zambians like him, yes Zambians can run mines, banks, hospitals, schools everything on earth to one direction, down down run-down.
    Zambians are successful when politicians are nowhere near their life’s, their businesses and their homes. Lungi is the worst president and the last man to give sermons. Soon world will know who is behind. Tile company? How much is going to Lungu’s election funding

  35. Kikikikiki, ati I have sold you this broken down Marco Polo, you should be operating between Lusaka and CB but you should be cashing to me 90% then out of your 10% you will buy fuel, pay insurance, repair the bus, pay the crew and make profit. And the man and his family burst into a deafening applause. End of the story.

  36. If you truly want this mopani thing to be ruined Zambians don’t make mistake to appoint this so-called cardes part of board members.plz people with grade seven certificate are holding big positions in government firms because it’s pf carde us who have capacity want to universities and have knowledge to do these things are been left because we are not so called carde to any political party.so be sure of what you do

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