Thursday, March 28, 2024

Mineral resources must benefit local people-HH

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President Hakainde Hichilema said that he is determined to deepen the involvement of local small scale miners in the country’s economic agenda.

President Hichilema further said that he wants the local small scale miners to be fully involved in the mining chain starting from the human capital to the supply chain of products.

President Hichilema said that small scale miners should be brought on board so that they can participate fully in the economic affairs.

President Hichilema said this through his Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya during a press briefing held at state house yesterday.

“The president has always been saying that it is not enough to say the mining sector is growing without involving the local people and these are the small scale miners”. Mr Bwalya said.

Mr. Bwalya stated that president Hichilema was recently in South Africa attending the Mining Indaba where he held talks and meetings with leading global investors in the mining sector which will see small scale miners also benefit.

He added that the fruits of the meeting was evidenced by the First Quantum Minerals who will invest about 1.25 billion United States Dollars in expanding the Kansanshi Copper Mines.

Mr. Bwalya added that in just less than a year that the new dawn administration has been in government, a number of investors have come on board to invest in the country in different sectors.

He noted that president Hichilema has also urged small scale miners to diversify into other minerals and not just copper production.

Mr. Bwalya further added that the president strongly believes that mining resources in the country must and should benefit the locals at all times.

He further explained that the Mining Indaba meeting that president Hichilema attended will bring in so many benefits in the sector such as job creation among others.

And President Hakainde Hichilema said that the government will pursue other financial options at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and Mopani Copper Mines on the Copperbelt in a bid to unlock the two assets.

Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya said the new administration is strongly determined to ensure that the two asserts are unlocked and brought to full optimization.

He said the new administration is not going to leave any stone unturned but will ensure that all options are explored.

Mr. Bwalya further stated that the two assets will be unlocked and brought to full production.

He added that once the two mines are unlocked, they will provide the jobs that the people of Zambia have been waiting for.

Mr. Bwalya further added that the two mines will also contribute greatly to the national treasury thereby raising the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

26 COMMENTS

  1. This failing president now sounds like a broken record. All noise but no tangible achievements after promising mana on earth.

    This morning my son and I took a drive in my new range rover. I gave him the honours to play any music he wanted. I couldn’t believe this generations taste in music. He was playing music by one meeky mill. Who is meeky mill?

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  2. This man…his actions and words always going in the opposite directions….words going east actions going west….mambala busy auctioning mines and you bringing crooked Vandeta…you demagogue President

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  3. To the praise team this sweet music. The local people he’s talking about are Upnd members. We missed out during the PF era and we’re missing out in the Upnd.

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  4. @ Kaizar Zulu is having a breakdown. Meek Mill is a tough lad, don’t be surprised if your son slaps you Will Smith style when he catches you at the Granddaddys VIP with girls his age.

  5. Saulosi – Please leave your Uber business in Washington, go and procure KCM whilst you are there buy Mopani as well because you know better Zambia needs its own rich investors like you. Stop bubbling on like on hot porridge on a stove any how.

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  6. Major investments, foreigners. We even give them tax concessions and they praise us.
    Menial tasks that require picks and hoes, locals. Heck, given them the slug dumps too and send minister to make it seem like you care.
    I find it very difficult to agree with the President when he says he intends to benefit locals when his first action for funding of mines is to look towards the west.
    Can’t we run our own mines?

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  7. #9 The Chinese bring along with them, spanner men, machine operators and drivers with them. To some extent the South Africans and Australians do the same although on a small scale.

  8. @10, I am aware that there is need for large capital investments, and that industrial mining requires all these expensive machines.
    That’s neither here no there honestly, my concern is the award of almost no taxes, FQM has been given tax break for 10 years. Vedanta was always declaring losses, these are the companies that HH is giving assurance to.
    Us Zambians are being treated as second class citizens here.

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  9. This is why I like the Russians …they observed when the Western oil companies were operating in their country, they took over themselves when they discovered gas and oil reserves on their soil, today their own resources have made billionaires out of them. In Zambia we are just happy and proud to Managing Directors for foreign companies being paid a bonus for good work…whilst the chunk of the money escapes the country.

  10. Lord Angus what makes meeky Mill tough. When he played his songs he sounded like a woman and kept saying the n word. Is this what you call music

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  11. Tarino sorry no one pays attention to your long boring comments. You are trying too hard and come across as desperate. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have failed to find a partner there with that attitude

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  12. Arabs have oil and Africans have oil… but there’s a big difference between the two… Arabs have used their oil to propel their countries into the next century while Africans have one song only…” attracting investment” of which we have not seen any benefit.
    On top of this we have minerals which are not found in other places…but we still remain cunts… the bottom most part of a human body.

  13. A briefing on the current MinesDevelopment vision from an animal farm spokesperson. Zambians, open your eyes and see the intention of thieves; examine what the animal farm spokesperson vomit and take steps to guide against losing resourses to foreign investors. Paul, the Ruandan President, wisely and timely advised. Digest the advice, it is healthy for Zambia.

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  14. Sometimes I understand why he can’t move to State House…he might just throw in a towel at midterm.

  15. WHO WOULD NT WANT THROW IN THE TOWEL
    WHEN YOU HAVE TO RULE OVER A BUNCH OF UNEDUCATED SELF PROFFESSED LITERATES
    WHO CANT EVEN MANAGE THEIR OWN HOUSEHOLDS
    GIVE THE MAN A BELLS

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  16. With due respect, Kaiser Zulu shouldn’t masquerade on this forum as on high moral ground when frequently being dragged to courts of law for civil and criminal offences. So we remind you to pay $13,000 you owe Mr Stephen Mulembeta Samuteba. You promised to pay this money within 30 days from 24th March 2022.

  17. Mineral resources must benefit local people-HH

    With the above heading of the article in mind, Mr. President, please include the uneducated, poor and marginalised Zambia people. Many of them work extremely hard to fend for themselves with limited resources. They are voiceless and vulnerable. They require strong representation in local communities. There must be access and inclusion for them in the formal and greater economy of Zambia through skills development programmes etc.

  18. With the above heading of the article in mind, Mr. President, please include the uneducated, poor and marginalised Zambian people. Many of them work extremely hard to fend for themselves with limited resources. They are voiceless and vulnerable. They require strong representation in local communities. There must be access and inclusion for them in the formal and greater economy of Zambia through skills development programmes etc.

  19. I think the people of Zambia deserve better. This statement looks like its there to only score political mileage. The government of the day should come up with genuine deliberate policies to enhance or ensure that the mineral or natural resources benefit ordinary Zambians. Unfortunately the position of Tax breaks to foreign mining investors, taken by the government of the day is not one that is going to empower or create wealth for the Zambians. Otherwise opening up the country for foreign mining investment again without properly addressing underlying issues of how Zambians are going to be direct beneficiaries is carelessness on the part of GRZ.
    If the government insists on extending the Tax breaks, then it should have come up with deliberate policy e.g. to ensure that Zambians are…

  20. The focus, now that they are in govt & have no idea & no plans, has shifted to just arresting. Gone are the stories of creating an economy & helping people create jobs & be successful, creating jobs for everyone. Nothing on that now. They don’t know how. They are clueless. So we will eat arrests all the way to 2026.

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